Level structure in 143Nd

The high-spin states of Nd-143 have been studied in the Te-130(O-18,5n)Nd-143 reaction at a beam energy of 80 MeV using techniques of In-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy. Measurements of gamma-gamma-t coincidences, gamma-ray angular distributions, and gamma-ray linear polarizations were performed. A level scheme of Nd-143 With spin and parity assignments up to 53/2(+) is proposed, including a high-lying isomer with a measured half-life of 35+/-8 ns. While a weak coupling model can explain the level structure up to the J(pi)=39/2(-) state, this model cannot reproduce the higher-lying states. The characteristics of the high-spin isomer, as well as the level structure in Nd-143, were also stressed with a deformed independent particle model.