Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : We investigate the properties of the generator coordinate method (GCM) on a collective basis of BCS states. The method is applied to a study of large-amplitude quadrupole dynamics in the nucleus 194Hg. Among the GCM levels, we discuss candidates for a possible shape isomerism associated with a secondary deformed minimum at large deformation (Q ≈ 45b). We also analyze standard approximation schemes based on the gaussian overlap approximation which lead to a collective Schrödinger equation. We compare their predictions with the exact GCM results for the particular case of 194Hg.