Antimagnetic rotation and sudden change of electric quadrupole transition strength in 143Eu

Lifetimes of the states in the quadrupole structure in 143Eu have been measured using the Doppler shift attenuation method and the parity of the states in the sequence has been firmly identified from polarization measurements using the Indian National Gamma Array. The decreasing trends of the deduced quadrupole transition strength B(E2)B(E2) with spin, along with increasing J(2)/B(E2)J(2)/B(E2) values before the band crossing, conclusively establish the origin of these states as arising from antimagnetic rotation. The abrupt increase in the B(E2)B(E2) values after the band crossing in the quadrupole band, a novel feature observed in the present experiment, may possibly indicate the crossing of different shears configurations resulting in the re-opening of a shears structure. The results are reproduced well by numerical calculations within the framework of a semi-classical geometric model.