Low- and medium-spin states in theN=124 isotones208Po and209At

Abstract

Excited levels in208Po and209At were populated in the reactions (p, 2n) and (3He, 3n), and208Po also in the EC-decay of the208At ground state, which was produced in the209Bi(3He, 4n) reaction. The experimental procedures comprised gamma-ray excitation functions,γ- γ coincidences, as well as gamma-ray angular distribution and conversionelectron measurements, both on- and off-line. The properties of about twenty-five levels in each nuclide were studied. In208Po the energy of the 8+→6+ transition could be determined to be 4.0±0.2keV and the 8+ state thus has an excitation energy of 1,528 keV. The effective quadrupole charge of theh9/2 proton can be derived aseeff(τ h9/2)=1.69(15)e. For the previously reported isomeric half-lives more accurate values are obtained, the systematics of electricL=1, 2 and 3 transition rates are discussed, and their microscopic structure is elucidated. Shell model considerations are used to support the configuration assignments, as are the logft values for the strongest208At(EC)208Po decay branches. The effect of core polarixation on the excitation energies of yrast states is studied in both208Po and209At. Many of the states populated in the208At EC decay are shown to be of core-excited character.