Evidence for the existence of supersymmetry in atomic nuclei

We found strong evidence for the existence of supersymmetry by studying the odd-odd nucleus 198Au using the 197Au(d,t), 197Au(p,d) and 198Hg(d,α) transfer reactions. High resolution 196Pt(p,d)195Pt and 196Pt(d,t)195Pt transfer experiments performed in parallel yielded at the same time an improved level scheme of 195Pt. Using extended supersymmetry, a single fit of the six parameter eigenvalue expression with only 6 free parameters A, B, B′, C, D and E yielded a complete description of all observed low-lying excited states in the four different nuclei forming the supermultiplet. The detailed comparison of the transfer amplitudes for the states up to 500 keV in the odd-odd member of the supermultiplet 196Au using a semi-microscopic transfer operator, provides then evidence that this description is correct. For more detail see: A. Metz, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 1542 (1999) and Phys. Rev. C 61, 064313-1 (2000).