Two-particle separation energy trends in the superdeformed well

Phys Rev Lett. 2010 Apr 23;104(16):162501. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.162501. Epub 2010 Apr 20.

Abstract

A measurement of the energy and spin of superdeformed states in 190Hg, obtained through the observation of transitions directly linking superdeformed and normal states, expands the number of isotopes in which binding energies at superdeformation are known. Comparison with neighboring nuclei shows that two-proton separation energies are higher in the superdeformed state than in the normal state, despite the lower Coulomb barrier and lower total binding energy. This unexpected result provides a critical test for nuclear models.