  The interacting boson model is extended to describe the spectroscopy of
superdeformed bands. Microscopic structure of the model in the second minimum
is discussed and superdeformed bosons are introduced as the new building
blocks. Solutions of a quadrupole Hamiltonian are implemented through the $1/N$
expansion method. Effects of the quadrupole parameters on dynamic moment of
inertia and electric quadrupole transition rates are discussed and the results
are used in a description of superdeformed bands in the Hg-Pb and Gd-Dy
regions.

Nuclear Theory