The systematic behavior of the fragmentation of the low energy octupole state over a wide range of mass regions is well reproduced using a U(5)→SU(3) transition in the context of the interacting boson approximation. However, the octupole fragmentation in the even-A Pt isotopes deviates strongly from both the systematic behavior of other nuclei and the U(5)→SU(3) calculations. This anomalous behavior can be explained in terms of the O(6) nature of the stable Pt isotopes. It is concluded that anomalously large fragmentation of the low energy octupole state is a signature of nuclei conforming to the O(6) dynamical symmetry.

• Received 9 June 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.48.1745