Experimental study of high spin states in the ground state bands of158,160Er,164,166Yb,and168Hf

Ground state rotational bands in the deformed doubly-even rare earth nuclei^158,160Er,^164,166Yb, and¹⁶⁸Hf have been observed in (α, 8n γ) reactions. The γ-spectra associated with these reactions were studied in-beam using conventional spectroscopic methods. In all five nuclei the nuclear moment of inertia of the ground state rotational states was found to increase abruptly as higher spin states were attained. In a plot of the moment of inertia as a function of the angular velocity all these five nuclei display “backbending” curves. Moreover, in¹⁵⁸Er and¹⁶⁶Yb, the curves after passing through a maximum bend subsequently downwards.