Correlations of the deformation variables β and γ in even-even Hf, W, Os, Pt, and Hg nuclei

In the framework of the triaxial rotor model of Davydov and Filippov, deformation parameters β and γ are extracted from both level energies and E2 transition rates in even-even Hf-Hg nuclei. Three results emerge: the two sets of β and γ values emdash energy-based and transition-rate-based emdash are in good agreement, with only a few exceptions, thus giving confidence in the extracted values; both β and γ follow smooth trajectories against NpNn; and the β and γ values themselves are correlated, pointing to the possibility of a simpler description of structural evolution. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society