Abstract
The proton-rich nucleus \(^{134}\)Sm has been studied up to high spin and the level scheme has been extended beyond the six transitions previously reported in the ground-state band. Levels beyond E\(_{x}\) = 4 MeV and up to I\(^{\pi }\) = (16\(^{+}\)) have been identified. The first nucleon alignment in the yrast positive-parity structure has been established at a rotational frequency of \(\approx\) 0.30 MeV, and is attributed to the breaking of a h\(_{11/2}\) proton pair. A negative-parity structure with its bandhead at E\(_{x}\) = 2061 keV and I\(^{\pi }\) = (7\(^{-}\)) has been identified and is attributed to the excitation of protons in the h\(_{11/2}\) and g\(_{7/2}\) orbitals. Cranked shell model calculations using the Ultimate Cranker code with standard Nilsson parameters indicate a prolate deformed minimum which persists to high frequencies. The calculated proton alignment frequency is in good agreement with the experimental value, and the neutron crossing is expected at a significantly higher frequency on account of the N = 72 deformed subshell gap.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Poulomi Roy, Kartikeya Sharma, Vikas Bothe, S. Jadhav, B. S. Naidu, R. D. Donthi and Abraham T. Vazhappilly for their assistance during the experiment. Support from the BARC-TIFR Pelletron-LINAC facility staff during the experiment is acknowledged. S.K.T. would like to thank the Shiv Nadar Foundation (SNF) for their support. M.H. acknowledges support from the UGC under the Faculty Recharge Programme. S.G.W. acknowledges support from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, through the INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship (Award No. IFA24-PH 323). This work is supported by the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, under Project No. RTI4002. The authors acknowledge TIFR and collaborating institutions for the INGA facility.
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Open access funding provided by Shiv Nadar University. The authors declare that no funds were received for the specific work reported in this paper.
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Singh, S.K., Tandel, S.K., Suman, S. et al. Alignment in yrast structure and negative-parity sideband in the proton-rich nucleus \(^{134}\)Sm. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-49718-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-49718-2
