Identical bands in superdeformed nuclei

Using the configuration constrained, cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky model, we point to a mechanism that could explain why identical bands are much more likely to occur in superdeformed than in normal-deformed nuclei. The role of the high-N orbitals in the superdeformed configuration is stressed, and correlated with the observed peaks in the fractional change distribution of the J(2) moment of inertia. Also (fractional) changes of the electric quadrupole moment due to changes of the high-N content are discussed.