Extruder proton-hole band in the near-drip-line nucleus 127Pr

The near-drip-line nucleus 127Pr was populated with the reaction 92Mo(40Ca,αp) at a beam energy of 175 MeV. Particle-γ-γ coincidences were collected, and the total energy plane gating technique was used to enhance events associated with the αp exit channel. This enabled two new rotational bands to be assigned to 127Pr, including a strongly coupled structure. Its similarity with analogous bands in heavier Pr isotopes suggests this structure is most likely based on a hole in the extruder [404]9/2+proton orbital. The occupancy of this orbital is associated with enhanced quadrupole deformation in this mass region.