The low-lying, low-spin levels of ${}^{141}\mathrm{Pr}$ were investigated using ($n,n^{\text{'}}\gamma$) techniques. Level energies, branching ratios, and tentative spin assignments for more than 100 states, linked by nearly 300 transitions, were obtained from two angular distributions ($E_n=2.0$ and 3.0 MeV) and an excitation function measurement ($E_n=1.5\text{−}3.2$ MeV). The application of the Doppler-shift attenuation method led to the determination of lifetimes. The obtained spectroscopic data provide insight into the wave functions of the states observed. A detailed analysis of the $[2_1^{+}\otimes d_{5/2}]$ and $[2_1^{+}\otimes g_{7/2}]$ multiplets provides the first quantitative evidence for Pauli blocking in a spherical odd-mass nucleus. The unpaired particle is used to probe the microscopic structure of the first $2^{+}$ state of the adjacent core nuclei ${}^{140}\mathrm{Ce}$ and ${}^{142}\mathrm{Nd}$.

• Received 23 June 2008
• Publisher error corrected 17 September 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.78.034302