Lifetimes of states in ${}^{150}\mathrm{Nd}$ were measured using the recoil distance method following Coulomb excitation of ${}^{150}\mathrm{Nd}$ by a 132 MeV ${}^{32}\mathrm{S}$ beam. The experiment was performed at the Yale Tandem accelerator, employing the SPEEDY gamma-ray detector array and the New Yale Plunger Device. Reduced transition probabilities in ${}^{150}\mathrm{Nd}$ are compared to the predictions of the critical point symmetry X(5) of the phase/shape transition that occurs for the $N=90\mathrm{}$ rare earth isotones. Very good agreement was observed between the parameter-free (apart from scale) X(5) predictions and the low-spin level scheme of ${}^{150}\mathrm{Nd}$, revealing this as the best case thus far for the realization of the X(5) symmetry.

• Received 11 December 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.232501