Collective excitations of Pt194 in low energy neutron scattering

Differential elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections have been measured for 2.5 MeV neutrons incident on Pt194. Scattering to the 0+, 2+, and 4+ members of the ground-state band has been measured, as well as to the 2+, 3+, and 4+ members of the quasi-γ band. The elastic scattering cross sections have a precision of 2%, and the inelastic scattering cross sections have relative uncertainties ranging from 5% to 15%. The overall normalization uncertainty is 4%. These results, previously measured total cross sections, and very low energy scattering properties are interpreted in a combined analysis which seeks to ascertain the low-lying collective dynamics of Pt194 as made evident in neutron scattering. Coupled-channels calculations employing interacting-boson approximations and pairing-plus-quadrupole nuclear structure models suggest that low-lying excitations of Pt194 are those of a γ-soft nucleus, rather than those of a rigid rotor.