Lifetimes measurements for Nd-134 and neighboring nuclei with the coincidence-plunger technique - art. no. 034301

The Lifetimes of 12 excited states in Nd-134 were measured with a high prec ision by means of the GASP spectrometer applying the coincidence recoil-dis tance Doppler-shift method. The Pd-110(Si-28,xnyp) reaction was used at a b eam energy of 125 MeV. The data were analyzed with the differential decay c urve method and the derived lifetimes were used for a sensitive test of var ious nuclear models. The transition quadrupole moments (Q(t)) in the ground state band agree nicely with the predictions of both the rotor model and t he O(6) symmetry of the interacting boson approximation up to the 4(g)(+) s tate of Nd-134. The Q(t) values for the 8(g)(+), 10(S1)(+), and 12(S1)(+) s tates, however, give evidence for a strong change of the nuclear deformatio n. The lifetimes of 12 low lying yrast states in the Ce-130,Ce-131,Ce-132, Pr-133,Pr-134, and Nd-135 nuclei have been also determined. [S0556-2813(99) 01908-1].