Inertial Parameters and Superfluid-to-Normal Phase Transition in Superdeformed Bands

The quasiclassically exact solution for the second inertial parameter ℬ is found in a self-consistent way. It is shown that superdeformation and nonuniform pairing arising from the rotation-induced pair density significantly reduce this parameter. The new signature for the transition from pairing to normal phase is suggested in terms of the variation ℬ/A versus spin. Experimental data indicate the existence of such a transition in the three SD mass regions.