Probing the maximally deformed light rare-earth region around the drip-line nucleus 130Sm

The neutron deficient rare-earth nuclei of the A∼130 region are of particular interest since highly deformed prolate ground states are expected. Indeed these nuclei are predicted to show maximal ground-state deformations of β2 ∼ 0.40 (axis ratio of 3:2), comparable to the deformation deduced for superdeformed cerium isotopes at high spin. A fusion-evaporation experiment was performed with radioactive ion beams at GANIL in October 2004 which had the goal to reach very proton-rich exotic nuclei located near the proton drip-line. A radioactive 76Kr beam, delivered by the SPIRAL facility, was used to bombard a thin 58Ni target. Emitted γ-rays were detected by the EXOGAM γ-ray spectrometer which was, for the first time, coupled with both the DIAMANT charged-particle array and the VAMOS spectrometer