Alignments in the odd-proton actinides 237Np and 241Am

High spin states in 237Np and 241Am have been studied with the 'unsafe' Coulomb excitation technique. In each nucleus, signature partner rotational bands built on the [523]5/2- and [642]5/2+ orbitals of respective h9/2 and i13/2 parentage have been delineated. An additional pair of bands based on the [521]3/2- (f7/2) state was also observed in 241Am. New information on the even-even 236Pu and 242Cm transfer products is also presented. From the present data, the role of i13/2 protons in generating angular momentum in the even-even nuclei of the region is documented. A satisfactory description of the evolution of the rotational sequences with spin is achieved within the framework of the cranked shell model. Nevertheless, when combined with information on odd-neutron nuclei available from elsewhere, the data highlight significant shortcomings of the available theoretical predictions