EXCITATION OF LOW-LYING STATES IN ND-144 BY MEANS OF (E,E') SCATTERING

The low-lying states of Nd-144 have been investigated up to an excitation energy of 3.1 MeV by means of high-resolution inelastic electron scattering. Transition charge densities have been extracted for natural-parity states. The experimental data have been compared with the predictions of the quasiparticle-phonon model. The calculations show that both collective and single-particle degrees of freedom are important for describing the low-lying states of Nd-144. A comparison of the present data with data for Nd-142 and Ce-142 emphasizes the role played by the two valence neutrons outside the N = 82 closed shell.