Yrast superdeformed band in Cu-59 - art. no. 051301

High-spin states in Cu-59 were populated using the fusion-evaporation react ions Si-28+ Ca-40 at a beam energy of 125 MeV and Ar-36+Si-28 at a beam ene rgy of 143 MeV. The Gammasphere array in conjunction with ancillary detecto r systems allowed for the identification of a superdeformed rotational band in Cu-59, which was firmly linked to low-spin yrast states. Using directio nal correlations of oriented states, a spin-parity assignment of I-pi=25/2( +) to the band head was possible. The average quadrupole moment of the band is measured to be Q(t)=(2.24+/-0.40) e b. The characteristics of the band are compared to neighboring nuclei and predictions of different mean-field theories.