Triaxial shape with rotation around the longest principal axis in 142Gd

The cranking model is used to describe rotational bands. We investigate the approach of using diabatic configurations and minimizing the particle-number projected energy in a mesh of both lambda, Delta and deformation parameters. We use the method to interpret recent experimental data in Gd-142 and conclude that for the highest spin states observed (I approximate to 30), the nucleus is triaxial and builds spin by rotating around the classically unfavored longest axis.