Band structure in {sup 79}Y and the question of t=0 pairing

Gamma rays in the N=Z+1 nucleus {sup 79}Y were identified using the reaction {sup 28}Si({sup 54}Fe,thinspp2n){sup 79}Y at a 200 MeV beam energy and an experimental setup consisting of an array of Ge detectors and the Recoil Mass Spectrometer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. With the help of additional {gamma}-{gamma} coincidence data obtained with Gammasphere, these {gamma} rays were found to form a strongly coupled rotational band with rigid-rotor-like behavior. Results of conventional Nilsson-Strutinsky cranked shell model calculations, which predict a deformation of {beta}{sub 2}{approximately}0.4, are in excellent agreement with the properties of this band. Similar calculations for the neighboring N=Z and N=Z+1 nuclei are also in good agreement with experimental data. This suggests that the presence of the putative T=0 neutron-proton pairing does not significantly affect such simple observables as the moments of inertia of these bands at low spins. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}