Experimental status of the nuclear spin scissors mode

Abstract

With the Wigner Function Moments (WFM) method the scissors mode of the actinides and rare earth nuclei are investigated. The unexplained experimental fact that in $^{232}$Th a double hump structure is found finds a natural explanation within WFM. It is predicted that the lower peak corresponds to an isovector spin scissors mode whereas the higher lying states corresponds to the conventional isovector orbital scissors mode. The experimental situation is scrutinized in this respect concerning practically all results of $M1$ excitations.