Level densities of $J^{\pi }=2^{+}$ and $2^{-}$ states extracted from high-resolution studies of $E2$ and $M2$ giant resonances in ${}^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ and ${}^{90}\mathrm{Zr}$ are used to test recent predictions of a possible parity dependence. The experimental results are compared to a combinatorial approach based on the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov model and to shell-model Monte Carlo calculations including both spin and parity projection. No parity dependence is observed experimentally, which is in agreement for ${}^{90}\mathrm{Zr}$ but in contrast with the model predictions for ${}^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$.

• Received 21 June 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.202502