Nilsson-SU3 self-consistency in heavy N = Z nuclei

It is argued that there exist natural shell-model spaces optimally adapted to the operation of two variants of Elliott's SU3 symmetry that provide accurate predictions of quadrupole moments of deformed states. A self-consistent Nilsson-like calculation describes the competition between the realistic quadrupole force and the central field, indicating a remarkable stability of the quadrupole moments-which remain close to their quasiand pseudo-SU3 values-as the single-particle splittings increase. A detailed study of the N = Z even nuclei from Ni-56 to Cd-96 reveals that the region of prolate deformation is bounded by a pair of transitional nuclei Kr-72 and Mo-84 in which prolate ground-state bands are predicted to dominate, though coexisting with oblate ones.