Highly deformed rotational structure in the near-spherical nucleus 123Te at high spin

High-spin states in 123Te were populated in the 82Se ⁢(48Ca,𝛼⁢3⁢𝑛)⁢ 123Te reaction at a beam energy of 205 MeV, and 𝛾-ray coincidence events were measured with the Gammasphere array. Here, the level scheme has been extended to spin 𝐼≈50 through the identification of several new 𝛾-ray transitions, and a rotational band feeding states above 𝐼 ≈ 20. Cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky calculations are consistent with the observed low-spin yrast structure and support an interpretation of the high-spin band as a smooth terminating configuration involving two 𝑔9/2 proton holes and no neutron excitations across the 𝑁 = 82 shell gap. In conclusion, a transition from near-prolate to triaxial rotation about the intermediate axis is suggested for the band near 𝐼 ≈ 40.