Evolution of chirality from transverse wobbling in ¹³⁵Pr

Chirality is a distinct signature that characterizes triaxial shapes in nuclei. We report the first observation of chirality in the nucleus ¹³⁵Pr using a high-statistics Gammasphere experiment with the ¹²³Sb(¹⁶O,4n)¹³⁵Pr reaction. Two chiral-partner bands with the configuration π(1h11/2)¹⊗ ν(1h11/2)⁻² have been identified in this nucleus. Angular distribution analyses of the Δ I = 1 connecting transitions between the two chiral partners have revealed a dominant dipole character. Quasiparticle triaxial rotor model calculations are in good agreement with the experiment. This is the first time that both signatures of triaxiality--chirality and wobbling--have been observed in the same nucleus.