Interplay of quadrupole and octupole degrees of freedom in the Gd isotopes
A systematic theoretical investigation of the quadrupole and octupole collective properties across the Gd isotopic chain is performed employing a quadrupole-octupole axially symmetric model. These nuclei have recently attracted significant attention following the revelation that the maximum octupole collectivity in this region is located at $^{150}$Gd. The model parameters are optimized by fitting to the low-lying positive and negative-parity energy levels, as well as to known $E0$, $E1$, $E2$, and $E3$ transition strengths. Our primary objective is a simultaneous and unified description of quadrupole and octupole collectivity across the even-even Gd nuclei in the $84\leqslant N \leqslant96$ range, a region that includes the transition from spherical to rotational nuclear shapes. The results show a smooth evolution of the quadrupole deformation, highlighted by a distinct jump at the well-known $N=90$ critical point. The enhancement of quadrupole deformation is also correlated with the loss of non-zero octupole deformation, which is reported only for the lightest $^{148,150}$Gd nuclei. This translates into a fair agreement with the measured $E3$ strength, predicting a maximum $B(E3)$ value for the $^{152}$Gd isotope.