The 152,154Eu(t, α) reactions: Studies of the 112[505] bands in 151Sm and 153Sm

Radioactive targets of ¹⁵²Eu(13 y) and ¹⁵⁴Eu(8.5 y) have been used to study the ^152,154 Eu(t, α)^151,153Sm reactions at an incident triton energy of 16 MeV. In these studies, we have identified the bandhead and three excited rotational states of the $\text{11}\text{2}\text{505]}$ neutron orbital in both the ^151,153Sm nuclei The angular distributions and relative intensities for states in this band in both ^151,153Sm are reproduced reasonably well by using DWBA calculations and by assuming strongly deformed single-particle wave functions. We have used our results and the results of other studies to determine the equilibrium prolate shapes of both ^151,153Sm when the odd-neutron quasiparticle occupies the $\text{11}\text{2}\text{505]}$ orbital. We estimate $\text{β}{}_2\text{~ 0.26}\text{for}{}^{151}\text{Sm and}\text{β}{}_2\text{~ 0.3}\text{for}{}^{153}\text{Sm}$.