The mixing of Nilsson configurations in 159Tb

The excited states of 159Tb have been studied in the reaction 160Gd(p,2n gamma )159Tb using in-beam gamma ray spectroscopy. New levels of two strongly mixed negative-parity bands and of the known Kpi =1/2+ band have been identified. From an analysis of the E1 transitions de-exciting the 7/2+(404) level to the coupled 7/2- states, the mixing between them was evaluated to be 17%. In order to explain the experimental value of the decoupling parameter for the 1/2+ band, an influence of the 1/2+(660) configuration is suggested.