MEASUREMENT OF THE MEAN LIFETIMES OF LOW-SPIN STATES IN THE SUPERDEFORMED BAND IN ND-133

The mean lifetimes of the lower spin states of the superdeformed band in Nd-133 have been measured with the coincidence recoil distance meth od. The reaction used to populate the band was Pd-105 (S-32, 2p2n) Nd- 133 at a beam energy of 152 MeV, and the gamma-rays were detected with the POLYTESSA array. The differential decay curve method was used to analyse the data and transition quadrupole moments, Q(0), were extract ed from the measured lifetimes. The results obtained from the three lo west transitions in the superdeformed band are: Q(0) = 6.3 +/- 0.9 eb (2/21+ --> 2/17+), Q(0) = 6.7 +/- 1.1 eb (2/25+ --> 2/21+) and Q(0) > 5.0 eb; (2/29+ --> 2/25+). These results are consistent with previous results for the high spin members of the band, and are compared to the oretical calculations of total routhian surfaces. The calculation of r educed transition probabilities for the transitions that feed out of t he band, allows the effect of hindrance due to K-forbiddenness to be i nvestigated.