Investigation of the use of an α + Xn reaction channel to enhance the population of superdeformed states in ¹⁹³Hg and ¹⁹⁵Hg

A study was made to determine whether the population of superdeformed states in ¹⁹³Hg and ¹⁹⁵Hg can be enhanced by using reactions in which alpha particles are emitted. The search utilized a ¹⁸⁴W(¹⁸O, αXn) reaction at 115 and 120 MeV for the ¹⁹³Hg study and a ¹⁸⁶W(¹⁸O, αXn) reaction at 105 and 110 MeV for the ¹⁹⁵Hg study. Two known superdeformed states of ¹⁹³Hg were observed. The intensities of the superdeformed states in ¹⁹³populated by a reaction involving the emission of an alpha particle were found to be reduced by at least a factor of four relative to the intensities of these states produced in reactions involving only the emission of neutrons and y-rays. No rotational bands built on superdeformed states in ¹⁹⁵with transition intensities > 0.8% of the total ¹⁹⁵HG yield were found. Evidence is shown that the energy of the alpha particle that is associated with superdeformed states may be lower than that of alpha particles associated with normally deformed states.