Level densities of transitional Sm nuclei

Abstract

Experimentally determined level densities of the transitional isotopes 148, 149, 150, 152Sm at excitation energies below and around the neutron binding energy are compared with microcanonical calculations based on a Monte Carlo approach to noncollective level densities, folded with a collective enhancement estimated in the frame of the interacting boson model (IBM). The IBM parameters are adjusted so as to reproduce the low-lying discrete levels of both parities, with the exception of the odd-mass nucleus, 149Sm, where complete decoupling of the unpaired neutron from the core is assumed.