E2 AND E3 TRANSITIONS FROM QUADRUPOLE-OCTUPOLE COUPLED STATES IN ND-144

Lifetime measurements of the 3(1)-, 5(1)-, and 1(1)- states in Nd-144 show that the absolute E2 and E3 transition rates from the 5(1)- and 1 (1)- states are consistent with their structure being formed by the co upling of the lowest quadrupole (2(1)+) and octupole (3(1)-) excitatio ns. A level at 2205 keV has been identified as having J(pi) = 4- and m ay be another member of this quadrupole-octupole coupled quintuplet. T he energy spacing of the quintuplet can be explained by anharmonicitie s in the quadrupole-octupole interaction and the influence of the nu2( 2f7/2, 1i13/2) configuration.