Possible chiral doublets in ⁶⁰Ni

The open problem on whether or not the chirality exists in doublet bands M1 and M4 in light-mass even-even nucleus $^{60}$Ni is studied by adopting the recently developed fully quantal four-$j$ shells triaxial particle rotor model. The corresponding experimental energy spectra, energy differences between doublet bands, and the available $B(M1)/B(E2)$ values are successfully reproduced. The analyses on the basis of the angular momentum components, the azimuthal plots, and the $K$-plots suggest that the chiral modes exist at $I\geq 12\hbar$ in doublet bands M1 and M4.