ALIGNMENT AND PSEUDOSPIN SYMMETRY

Pseudospin symmetry has been invoked as a possible explanation for the ''quantized alignment'' observed in some superdeformed ''identical'' bands. The dearest case involves the 1/2[301] orbital (a pseudospin si nglet, <(Lambda)over tilde>=0), where pseudospin alignment provides an explanation for some identical bands in the mass-150 region. Pseudosp in doublets (Omega = <(Lambda)over tilde>+/-1/2) can also generate qua ntized alignments and such an explanation, with <(Lambda)over tilde>=1 , has recently been proposed for the band in Au-191 identical to Hg-19 2. The present work examine's whether the data on the normally deforme d nuclei support such an interpretation and concludes that pseudospin alignment is plausible for states with <(Lambda)over tilde>=0 or 1. [S 0556-2813(98)50504-3].