The near-yrast spectrum of the N=84 isotope ${}_{}{}^{144}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Nd}$ has been studied using the ${}_{}{}^{130}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Te}$${(}^{18}$O,4n) reaction at a lab energy of 85 MeV and the techniques of γ-ray spectroscopy. Sixteen new states and 23 new γ rays were placed in the level scheme. Most of the yrast and near-yrast negative-parity states have been interpreted in terms of empirical shell-model configurations. However, the interpretation of a sequence of states from J=17–24 in terms of the ${\mathit{h}}_{11/2}^3$${\mathit{g}}_{7/2}^{\mathrm{-}1}$${\mathit{d}}_{5/2}^{\mathrm{-}6}$ proton configuration is problematic because the observed energies cannot be satisfactorily reproduced with empirical shell-model calculations.

• Received 8 June 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.52.1295