Smooth band termination in $^{115}$I

The cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky formalism is employed to investigate the band structure of $^{115}$I from low to high spin. A set of eight rotational bands with well established spins and parities are analyzed. Five bands start at low spin and are assigned to the single-particle proton orbitals ($d_{5/2}$, $g_{7/2}$), $g_{9/2}$, and $h_{11/2}$, which are close to the Z=53 Fermi surface for a deformation of $\varepsilon_2=0.2$. The analysis of the observed level energies relative to a rotating liquid drop and spins versus $\gamma$-ray energies allow to track the evolution of the configurations with increasing spin. It is of special interest that one band in the valence space is observed to a smooth termination at $I_{max} = 67/2^+$.