Study of superdeformed bands in nuclei with A ∼ 150 by heavy-ion-γ coincidences

Superdeformed (SD) bands in¹⁵²Dy,¹⁵¹Dy and¹⁵¹Tb have been populated via the 5 n, 6 n and 5 np evaporation channels, respectively, with the³³S+¹²⁴S n reaction at 160 and 170 MeV bombarding energies. Population intensities are in good agreement with existing data for SD bands in^{151, 152}Dy and SD yrast band in¹⁵¹Tb. The excited “twin” SD band in¹⁵¹Tb with the same γ-transitions as the band in¹⁵²Dy is populated about 5 times more strongly than by the 6 n evaporation channel. This might be explained in terms of competition between proton and γ emission out of an intermediate, excited superdeformed configuration of¹⁵²Dy.