Collective bands in even mass Sn isotopes

Positive parity bands in ^{112, 114, 116, 118}Sn have been excited up to levels with spin and parity J^π = 12⁺ using Cd(α, 2nγ)Sn reactions. The experiments consisted of γ-ray excitation function, γ-γ coincidence, lifetime, γ-ray angular distribution, γ-ray linear polarization and conversion electron measurements. The observed bands show strong resemblances with ground-state bands of transitional nuclei in this mass region. It is pointed out that the J^π = 0⁺ band-heads originate from 2p-2h excitations in the Z = 50 proton shell. The excitation energies of the band-heads are calculated by means of the macroscopic-microscopic renormalization method. Pair correlations between the 2h and 2p configurations are included separately in a phenomenological way by taking into account the pairing energies of the Cd and Te ground states with respect to the Sn ground state.