Shapes, Softness and Non-Yrast Collectivity in 186W
Non-yrast, excited states in neutron-rich $^{186}$W were populated via inelastic-scattering reactions using beams of $^{136}$Xe nuclei accelerated to 725 and 800 MeV. Levels populated in the reactions were investigated via particle-$ γ$ coincidence techniques using the Gammasphere array of High-Purity Germanium detectors and the compact heavy-ion counter, CHICO2. The $ K^π = 2 ^{+} $ ($γ$), $ K^π = 0^{+}$ and $ K^π = 2^{-} $ (octupole) rotational side bands were extended to spins $ 14\hbar $, $ 12\hbar $, and $ 13\hbar $, respectively. A staggering pattern observed in the energies of levels in the $ K^π = 2^{+} $ band was found to be consistent with a potential that gets softer to vibration in the $ γ$ degree of freedom with increasing spin. The odd-even staggering of states in the $ K^π = 2^{-}$ band was found to exhibit a phase opposite to that seen in the $ γ$ band; an effect most probably associated with Coriolis coupling to other, unobserved octupole vibrational bands in $^{186}$W.