In reply to the preceding Comment, I point out that the example of ${}_{}{}^{12}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{C}$, given by Hayes and Sterbenz, does not rule out the possibility that in certain excitation functions resonancelike structures can appear because of the sequential decay of a three-body system through its resonant two-body subsystems. In the case of ${}_{}{}^6{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}$ and ${}_{}{}^{11}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Li}$, the role of this mechanism, in producing the low-lying dipole structures, could be checked experimentally.

The average transitional quadrupole moment of two superdeformed bands in ${}_{}{}^{133}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ce}$ and the yrast superdeformed band in ${}_{}{}^{132}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ce}$ have been measured as ${\mathit{Q}}_{\mathit{t}}$=7.5±0.8 e b using the Doppler shift attenuation method and exploiting target-thickness induced Doppler broadening. These results are consistent with total Routhian surface calculations and indicate that the occupation of the ν[530]1/2 orbital has little polarizing effect upon the shape of the superdeformed core.

High-spin states in ${}_{}{}^{76}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Kr}$ were studied using the ${}_{}{}^{54}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Fe}$${(}^{28}$Si, α 2p) reaction at 120 MeV. Two new level sequences with negative parity decaying to known states in ${}_{}{}^{76}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Kr}$ have been identified from prompt γ-γ coincidences. The observed band crossings at a rotational frequency of about 0.55 MeV/ħ can be understood as a ${\mathit{g}}_{9/2}$ quasiproton alignment in bands built on two-quasineutron excitations at near-prolate deformation, in contrast to the ${\mathit{g}}_{9/2}$ quasineutron alignment at about 0.75 MeV/ħ in the previously known two-quasiproton negative-parity bands.

We present the measurement of low ${\mathit{m}}_{\mathit{tK}\mathit{s}}^0$ production in the rapidity range 2.2<y<2.6 with silicon beams on a lead target. We have selected central events with a cross section of approximately 280 mb and compare with a low kaon ${\mathit{m}}_{\mathit{t}}$ enhancement as reported earlier.

A study of superdeformation in the nucleus ${}_{}{}^{142}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Sm}$ has revealed a superdeformed band, which is isospectral for γ-ray energies above ∼1 MeV with a ${}_{}{}^{146}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Gd}$ band. The relative alignment of these bands is compared to Hartree-Fock calculations. This second case of A∼150 2p2n isospectrality is discussed in terms of specific orbitals which are often associated with identical bands.

Utilizing the ${}_{}{}^{24}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Mg}(p, 2n)$ reaction and unique particle telescopes, beta-delayed proton emission from ${}_{}{}^{23}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Al}$ proceeding via its isobaric analog state in ${}_{}{}^{23}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Mg}$ has been observed. The relevant proton group was detected at 223±20 keV with a proton decay branching ratio of 3.5±1.9%. The proton width determined for this state is approximately an order of magnitude larger than that predicted by a full-basis $1s-0d$ shell model calculation which includes the expected isospin mixing. In addition, the resulting resonance strength (45±25 meV) has important astrophysical implications.

The decay of the superdeformed (SD) band in ${}_{}{}^{135}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Nd}$ was studied with the early implementation of gammasphere. The results suggest that the SD band ‘‘terminates’’ at spin 25/2. This termination is explained by a change of the SD minimum toward a triaxial lower deformation. Ultimate cranker calculations with the ${\mathit{i}}_{13/2}$ orbital occupied relate this change to a shift of a proton and neutron pair out of deformation-driving Nilsson orbitals. This is a completely new and unexpected mechanism for the decay of SD bands.

Rotational bands based on two-quasi-neutron excitations have been observed for the first time in neutron-rich isotopes. The bandhead excitation energies have been used within the BCS model to determine the strength G of the neutron pairing interaction. Values of G=0.21 and 0.19 MeV have been obtained for ${}_{}{}^{100}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Zr}$ and ${}_{}{}^{102}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Zr}$, respectively. For these neutron-rich nuclei the strength G is thus close to 20/A MeV, smaller than the value 23/A MeV used to describe even-even nuclei near stability in this region.

The new neutron-deficient nuclei ${}_{}{}^{103}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Sb}$, ${}_{}{}^{104}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Sb}$, ${}_{}{}^{98}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{In}$, ${}_{}{}^{91}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Pd}$, ${}_{}{}^{89}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Rh}$, and ${}_{}{}^{87}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ru}$ have been identified among the quasifragmentation products of a ${}_{}{}^{112}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Sn}$ beam (63 MeV/nucleon). The fragment identification based on energy-loss, total kinetic energy, and time-of-flight measurements has been independently confirmed via observation of γ radiation following the decay of known short-lived isomers. The region of known isotopes is extended to the predicted proton drip line for indium and silver, and beyond it for antimony and rhodium.

The decay properties of the 3424-keV $1^{-}$ state in ${}_{}{}^{142}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Nd}$, which has long been interpreted as a member of the quadrupole-octupole two-phonon quintet, and of the lowest $3^{-}$ state, the octupole phonon, have been examined with the ($n, n^{\prime }\gamma$) reaction. $\gamma$-ray branching ratios of these states have been determined, and level lifetimes have been measured by the Doppler-shift attenuation method. These data provide strong support for interpreting the $1^{-}$ state as having a significant two-phonon $2^{+}$⊗$3^{-}$ component.

Magnetic dipole excitation strengths attributable to the scissors mode in even-A rare earth nuclei between A=140–190 are collected and presented assuming the excitation energy as an additional signature for the fragments of this mode. In this whole mass region the total M1 strength is found to be proportional to the quantity B(E2;$0_1^{+}$→$2_1^{+}$)/${\mathit{Z}}^2$ as has been known before for the Nd and the Sm nuclei. In the upper half of the N=82–126 major shell the M1 and the E2 strengths do not saturate. Both quantities exhibit a rather monotonous increase towards midshell.

The recent ALADIN report of limiting temperatures for nuclear disassembly, derived from measurements of isotopic ratios for He and Li nuclei, is discussed. It is suggested that the entire excitation energy dependence which is observed may result from the fact that limiting temperatures for the onset of Coulomb instability are being measured for progressively lighter neutron rich nuclei as the excitation energy per nucleon increases. While the basic observation of plateauing in the intermediate excitation energy range remains valid, the higher excitation results may not signal entry into the vapor phase. The ALADIN result for A≊125, when combined with lower energy data, indicates a plateau temperature near 6.5 MeV over the range of 3–11 MeV/nucleon initial excitation energy.

Performing Skyrme-type deformed Hartree-Fock calculations, the possible presence of neutron skin in nuclei towards neutron drip line is studied. The thickness of the neutron skin is found to be nearly constant in all directions if it is measured perpendicular to the surface, and in a given nucleus the number of neutrons being inside of the neutron skin is almost independent of the deformation (namely, spherical shape or normal deformation or superdeformation). In the region of medium-heavy nuclei our calculation shows the presence of a series of neutron-rich nuclei, in which a neutron skin is present and yet the neutron one-particle spectra are far from those in a harmonic oscillator (plus spin-orbit) potential.

We present a systematic comparison of data and theory for the statistical distribution of low-spin inertial parameters in normally deformed nuclei. In a comparison with 2145 measured yrast-band pairs in even-even nuclei, we find that the distributions in average absolute difference for both the kinematic moment of inertia ${\mathcal{J}}^{\mathrm{}\left(1\right)\mathrm{}}$ and the dynamical moment of inertia ${\mathcal{J}}^{\mathrm{}\left(2\right)\mathrm{}}$ are well reproduced by the projected shell model, but not by the usual cranking model with particle number projection. Some physical implications of these results are discussed.

The neutron direct radiative capture (DRC) process is investigated, highlighting the role of incident p-wave neutrons. A set of calculations is shown for the ${}_{}{}^{12}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{C}$(n,γ) process at incoming neutron energies up to 500 keV, a crucial region for astrophysics. The cross section for neutron capture leading to loosely bound s, p, and d orbits of ${}_{}{}^{13}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{C}$ is well reproduced by the DRC model demonstrating the feasibility of using this reaction channel to study the properties of nuclear wave functions on and outside the nuclear surface. A sensitivity analysis of the results on the neutron-nucleus interaction is performed for incident s- as well as p-waves. It turned out that the DRC cross section for p-wave neutrons is insensitive to this interaction, contrary to the case of incident s-wave neutrons.

We introduce for canonical fragmentation models an exact method for computing expectation values which exclude the largest cluster. This method allows for the computation of the reduced multiplicity and other quantities of interest introduced by Campi, and a comparison shows that the percolation model and a recent canonical model differ mostly only in small respects in these ensemble averages.

Microscopic variational model calculations are presented for available experimental data on the static properties and the transition charge densities of ${}_{}{}^{110,114}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Cd}$ nuclei. The transition charge densities, being very sensitive to the neutron-proton (n-p) interaction strength, lead to fixing of the parameters accurately. It is seen that the magnitude of the n-p interaction strength decreases from -0.023 to -0.020 MeV ${\mathit{b}}^{\mathrm{-}4}$ in going from Pd to Cd nuclei, supporting the idea of the deforming tendency of the n-p interactions.

The $\mathrm{pp}\gamma$ and $\mathrm{np}\gamma$ processes have been used to study pseudoscalar (ps) and pseudovector (pv) $\pi N$ couplings. We calculate both coplanar and noncoplanar cross sections using a realistic one-boson exchange model in the energy region between 100 and 300 MeV. We find that the difference in cross sections calculated using the two couplings increases as the nucleon scattering angles decrease. Furthermore, this difference becomes greater with increasing incident energy. We show for the $\mathrm{pp}\gamma$ case that this difference will be significantly increased upon the inclusion of electromagnetic form factors. For $\mathrm{pp}\gamma$ with large proton scattering angles (≥30°), cross sections (both ps and pv) calculated using an on-shell $p\gamma p$ vertex are in very good agreement with the data, and they are also extremely close to a recent soft-photon calculation at 157 MeV using the $\mathrm{two}-u-\mathrm{two}-t$ special amplitude. The ps and pv calculations are both in good agreement with the TRIUMF data at 200 and 280 MeV. More accurate data are required to differentiate between these two couplings. Agreement with sparsely available $\mathrm{np}\gamma$ data is good for most cases, but discrepancies do exist for some data points. For large nucleon scattering angles, noncoplanar cross sections for both $\mathrm{np}\gamma$ and $\mathrm{pp}\gamma$ change rapidly with the noncoplanar angle. However, the respective shapes of the noncoplanar $\mathrm{np}\gamma$ and $\mathrm{pp}\gamma$ curves are very different.

Using a three-baryon ΛNN potential having a spin-independent dispersive component and a two-pion exchange component, realistic variational Monte Carlo calculations have been performed for the Λ separation energy for ${}_{\mathrm{\Lambda }}{}^5{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}$. A relationship between strengths associated with both pieces of ΛNN force giving exact experimental Λ-separation energy has been obtained which, when combined with our previous study on ${}_{\mathrm{\Lambda }}{}^{17}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{O}$ hypernucleus, determines the strength of the ΛNN potential which has been found important for the core polarization.