A number of applications have been proposed concerning the isomers, including the creation of a gamma-ray laser, since some of them may store large amounts of energy for long times. Against this background, the field of triggered gamma emission is entering a new phase in which improved level data allow targeting of specific potentially-useful transitions. In the present work, the configuration-constrained (diabatic blocking) calculations, with inclusion of γ-deformation, are performed to study the multi quasi-particle (multi-qp) excitations of 178Hf. The detailed excitation energies known in 178Hf are reasonably reproduced. From our calculations, two levels besides the existing level at 2.573 MeV are found for candidates of these intermediate states (or called depletion levels). Whether these two excited states actually exist will require additional experimentation.

The charge-exchange spin-dipole (SD) and spin-quadrupole (SQ) strength functions of 90 Zr are calculated with and without the tensor terms of the Skyrme interaction in self-consistent HF+RPA approach. It is found that, in SD and SQ transitions, the RPA correlations associated with the tensor terms shin dramatically the strengths of ( Y l œÉ ) Œª = l ‚à? and ( Y l œÉ ) Œª = 1 modes upward and downward, respectively, and also shift the strengths of ( Y l œÉ ) Œª = l + 1 modes upward. The coupling between ( Y l = Œª ‚à?1 œÉ ) Œª and ( Y l = Œª + 1 œÉ ) Œª modes arising from the tensor correlation is noticeable. The RPA tensor correlations produce strengths of SD and SQ modes, which are distributed in a much wider energy range, and the ( Y l œÉ ) Œª = l ‚à?1 modes dominate the high energy part of the strength functions. These energy shifts and coupling effects of different modes can be understood qualitatively by expressing a finite range tensor force in a separable form.

The lifetime of an excited state above a weakly populated isomer in the proton-unbound odd‚Äìodd nucleus 144Ho has been measured using the recoil distance Doppler shift method. This measurement represents the first differential-plunger lifetime measurement to utilize recoil-isomer tagging. The first excited I œÄ = ( 10 + ) state above the two-quasiparticle œÄ h 11 / 2 ‚ä?ŒΩ h 11 / 2 ( 8 + ) isomer was determined to have a lifetime of œÑ = 6 ( 1 ) ¬† ps . Potential energy surface calculations, based on the configuration-constrained blocking method, predict the isomeric state to have Œ≥-soft triaxial-nuclear shape with | Œ≥ | ‚â?24 ¬∞ . The lifetime of the ( 10 + ) state can be understood from these calculations if there is a degree of rotational alignment in this band, with the K value being lower than the bandhead spin. However, the validity of the K quantum number with large predicted triaxiality and gamma softness requires further theoretical study.

Nuclear shape coexistence and shape change induced by 1 g 9 / 2 orbitals have been investigated using configuration-constrained potential-energy-surface and Total-Routhian-Surface calculations. Oblate isomeric states and shape-coexisting rotational bands are found and compared with available experimental data. The effects of the 1 g 9 / 2 orbitals on nuclear structure are discussed.

Gamma rays from the decay of an isomer in W-190(116) have been observed following projectile fragmentation of a 1 GeV per nucleon Pb-208 beam. An earlier experiment indicated decay from a (10(-)) isomer to the ground state rotational band. Improved statistics have enabled gamma coincidence and time-difference measurements to be made which alter the previous interpretation. Blocked BCS calculations have also been used together with reduced hindrance factors to indicate possible values of spin-parity for the isomer.

Total Routhian Surface (TRS) calculations have been performed for even-even nuclei along proton drip line to study nuclear ground-state deformations; as well as the odd proton nuclei Ho and Tm isotopes. The drip line nuclei show the expected shape transition with the shell effects. Ground-state shape changes from prolate to oblate at (143)Ho and (145)Tm in these two isotopes, which is due to the gamma instability around N = 76.

{{High-spin states of Yb-156 have been studied via the Sm-144(O-16,4n)Yb-156 fusion-evaporation reaction at beam energy 102 MeV. The positive-parity yrast band and negative-parity cascade have been extended up to higher-spin states, respectively. The characteristics of the negative-parity sequence above the 25 state may related to the excitation from the nucleon in the Z = 64