Search for intrinsic collective excitations in Sm152

The 685 keV excitation energy of the first excited 0+ state in Sm152 makes it an attractive candidate to explore expected two-phonon excitations at low energy. Multiple-step Coulomb excitation and inelastic neutron scattering studies of Sm152 are used to probe the E2 collectivity of excited 0+ states in this "soft" nucleus and the results are compared with model predictions. No candidates for two-phonon Kπ=0+quadrupole vibrational states are found. A 2+,K=2 state with strong E2 decay to the first excited Kπ=0+ band and a probable 3+ band member are established.