We have developed a new method to study the order-to-chaos transition in rotational nuclei. We measure the area of the valley in the narrow valley-ridge structure observed in γ- γcoincidence spectra from Yb nuclei. We relate this area to the ratio of the interaction potential between levels to the average level spacing. The measured ratios, 0.15 to 1.5, span the range from nearly ordered to nearly fully chaotic.
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