Observation of Three-Quasiparticle Doublet Bands in ¹²³I: Possible Evidence of Chirality

A new band in the odd proton nucleus ¹²³I is identified via in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy using the ¹⁴N+¹¹⁶Cd reaction. This band shows up as doublets with the previously assigned π g_7/2(νh_11/2)² band. Possible configurations of the new band are discussed in the framework of the cranked shell model and the geometrical model. It is argued that the new band might be a chiral partner of the previously known π g_7/2 (νh_11/2)² band.