Favored neutron excitations in superdeformed ¹⁴⁷Gd

Four new superdeformed (SD) bands have been observed in 147Gd using the EUROGAM II spectrometer. By comparison with 146,148,149Gd SD bands, we use the effective alignment to assign excited band configurations, with the support of the Nilsson-Strutinsky cranking formalism. The effect of the crossing of the [642]5/2 and [651]1/2 neutron orbitals lying just below the magic N= 86 SD shell gap has been investigated for the 146,147,148Gd bands. Evidence for the [411]1/2 orbital is also given.