GDR IN SUPERDEFORMED NUCLEI

A search for the gamma decay of the Giant Dipole Resonance built on su perdeformed nuclear configurations was made. The superdeformed states of the Eu-143 nucleus were populated using the reaction Pd-110(Cl-37, 4n)Eu-143 at a beam energy of 165 MeV. High energy gamma-rays were det ected in 8 large BaF2 scintillators in coincidence with discrete trans itions measured with part of the NORDBALL array (17 HPGe detectors and a 2 pi multiplicity filter). Spectra of high-energy gamma-rays gated by low-energy transitions from states fed by the superdeformed bands s how an excess yield in the 7-10 MeV region with respect to those gated by transitions from states not populated by the superdeformed bands. Because the dipole oscillation along the superdeformed axis of the nuc leus is expected to have a frequency corresponding to approximate to 8 MeV (low energy component of the GDR strength function), the present result gives the first experimental indication of gamma-ray emission o f the GDR built on a superdeformed states.