Population and Decay of the Superdeformed Rotational Band ofDy152

Abstract

The observed pattern of the population and decay of the superdeformed band of ${}_{}{}^{152}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Dy}$ is related to the large splitting of the giant dipole resonance based on the superdeformed minimum as well as to the low level density associated with it, and to the sudden onset of static pairing correlations taking place at the rotational frequency $\hslash \omega \approx 0.3$ MeV. A new method for spectroscopic studies of superdeformed nuclei is suggested.