HIGH-SPIN STATES AND THE FIRST SIGNS OF BAND TERMINATION IN HO-156

High-spin states have been populated in Ho-156 with the N-14+Nd-148 re action at 96 MeV. The known level scheme has been considerably extende d using the Gammasphere spectrometer. Configuration assignments for th ese bands have been deduced from their aligned angular momenta, signat ure splittings and from a systematic survey of the neighboring nuclei and these are compared with theoretical B(M1)/B(E2) predictions from a semiclassical model. Evidence is also presented for the onset of band termination, or the beginning of a prolate collective to oblate nonco llective shape change near the yrast line, at the highest spin states in two of the observed strongly coupled bands. [S0556-2813(98)01905-0] .