Stable and Vibrational Octupole Modes in Mo, Xe, Ba, La, Ce and Nd

Evidence is presented for stable octupole deformation in neutron-rich nuclei, bounded by Z = 54-58 and N = 85-92. To either side of this region negative parity bands built on more vibrational type octupole modes are observed in {sup 140}Ba and {sup 152,154}Nd. The largest stable octupole deformation ({beta}{sub s} {approximately} 0.1) is found in {sup 144}Ba{sub as}. The theoretically predicted quenching ({beta}{sub s} {approximately} 0) of stable octupole deformation at higher spins is found in {sup 140}Ba. There is good agreement between theory and experiment for the strongly varying electric dipole moments as a function of mass for {sup 142-141}Ba. In odd-A {sup 142}Ba and odd-Z {sup 140}La, we observe parity doublets, two pairs of positive and negative parity bands with opposite spins. In {sup 145}La a strong coupled ground band with symmetric shape coexists with the asymmetric octupole shape which stabilizes above about spin 19/2. In {sup 145,147}La a strong reduction in E2 strength around 25/2 from band crossing is observed. The isotope {sup 109}Mo was identified and a new region of stable uctpole deformation is identified in {sup 107,108}Mo centered around N = 64-66 as earlier predicted. This is the first case of stable uctpole deformation involving only one pair of orbitals