Experimental Evidence for Hyperdeformed States in U Isotopes

Sharp transmission resonances have been observed in the ${}_{}{}^{235}{}_{}{}^{}U(d,pf){}_{}{}^{236}{}_{}{}^{}U$ reaction. The shapes of the resonances as well as the angular distributions of the associated fission fragments are analyzed together with the data obtained previously for ${}_{}{}^{234}{}_{}{}^{}U$. The resonances are interpreted as being hyperdeformed rotational bands with ${ħ}^2/2\theta {=1.8\mathrm{}}_{-0.7\mathrm{}}^{+0.5\mathrm{}}$ and ${1.6}_{-0.4\mathrm{}}^{+1.0\mathrm{}}\mathrm{keV}$ and $K$ values of 1, 2, and 4 for ${}_{}{}^{234}{}_{}{}^{}U$ and ${}_{}{}^{236}{}_{}{}^{}U$, respectively.