The role of the shape driving neutron orbital in 108Cd

The nucleus 108Cd has been studied using a heavy-ion reaction and the NORDBALL multi-detector array. The yrast band has been extended to Ip = 24+, and nine quasi-rotational side bands have been identified. The n h 11 2 negative-parity orbital is found to play a dominant role both in the low-spin as well as in the high-spin structure of 108Cd. The first band crossing in the yrast band is caused by the h 11 2 neutrons. The 10+ state of the aligned n( h 11 2 ) 2 configuration decays strongly into a low-lying low-spin intruder-like positive-parity band. It is suggested that this intruder structure is dominated by a non-aligned n( h 11 2 ) 2 configuration. For the first time in this mass region, we report a collective, possibly prolate, M1 band built on the p( g 9 2 ) −2 configuration. The experimental results are discussed in terms of total-routhian-surface and cranked-shell-model calculations.