Shell Model and Mean-Field Description of Band Termination

We study nuclear high-spin states undergoing the transition to the fully stretched configuration with maximum angular momentum I_max within the space of valence nucleons. To this end, we perform a systematic theoretical analysis of non-fully-stretched I_max-2 and I_max-1 f_{7/2}^n seniority isomers and d_{3/2}^{-1} f_{7/2}^{n+1} intruder states in the A~44 nuclei from the lower-fp shell. We employ two theoretical approaches: (i) the density functional theory based on the cranked self-consistent Skyrme-Hartree-Fock method, and (ii) the nuclear shell model in the full sdfp configuration space allowing for 1p-1h cross-shell excitations. We emphasize the importance of restoration of broken angular momentum symmetry inherently obscuring the mean-field treatment of high-spin states. Overall good agreement with experimental data is obtained.