Isomeric 13/2+ state in 201Fr

We have identified an isomeric state in 201Fr for which we propose a spin and parity of 13/2 +, and interpret it as arising from the π(i13/2 ) configuration. A half-life of 720(40) ns was measured, corresponding to B(M2) = 0.17(2) W.u., in good agreement with those of other 13/2 + → 9/2 − [π(i13/2 ) → π(h9/2 )] transitions observed in other nuclei in the region. The nuclei of interest were produced in a fusion-evaporation reaction and their decay properties were investigated using the GREAT spectrometer at the focal plane of the RITU gas-filled recoil separator. peerReviewed

New collective structures in Au179 and their implications for the triaxial deformation of the Pt178 core

Rich band structure and multiple long-lived isomers in the odd-odd 118Cs nucleus

One of the largest sets of collective excitations built on two-quasiparticle configurations in odd-odd nuclei of the proton-rich A≈120 mass region is reported in 118Cs. Several new rotational bands and long-lived isomers have been identified. The 8+ bandhead of the πh11/2⊗νh11/2 band is a short-lived isomer with a half-life in the nanosecond range, while the 7+ state below it is a long-lived isomer with a half-life of T1/2=0.55(6)μs. Two other long-lived isomers have been identified: a 66-keV transition detected at the MARA focal plane depopulates one of them, indicating a half-life in the microsecond range, while no depopulating transitions have been identified for the other, indicating a …

Backbending in the pear-shaped 223(90)Th nucleus: Evidence of a high-spin octupole to quadrupole shape transition in the actinides

International audience; Relatively neutron-rich thorium isotopes lie at the heart of a nuclear region of nuclei exhibiting octupole correlation effects. The detailed level structure of Th223 has been investigated in measurements of γ radiation following the fusion-evaporation channel of the Pb208(O18,3n)Th223 reaction at 85 MeV beam energy. The level structure has been extended up to spin 49/2, and 33 new γ rays have been added using triple-γ coincidence data. The spins and parities of the newly observed states have been confirmed by angular distribution ratios. In addition to the two known yrast bands based on a K=5/2 configuration, a non-yrast band has been established up to spin 35/2. We…

Isomeric 13/2+ (νi13/2−1) state in 211Th

Using a fusion-evaporation reaction and a gas-filled recoil separator, an isomeric state [T12=83(8)μs] with a most likely spin and parity of 132+ has been identified in Th211. The isomeric state is mainly depopulated via a hindered internal M2 transition [B(M2)=0.0025(5) W.u.], but also a weak α-decay branch of 4(3)% was observed. The present observations fit well to the systematic pattern set by the previously identified states of the same spin and parity in this region of the nuclear chart. peerReviewed

Shape coexistence in $^{178}$Hg

Lifetime measurements of excited states in 178 Hg have been performed using the 103 Rh ( 78 Kr , p 2 n ) reaction at a beam energy of 354 MeV. The recoil-decay tagging (RDT) technique was applied to select the 178 Hg nuclei and associate the prompt γ rays with the correlated characteristic ground-state α decay. Lifetimes of the four lowest yrast states of 178 Hg have been determined using the recoil distance Doppler-shift (RDDS) method. The experimental data are compared to theoretical predictions with focus on shape coexistence. The results confirm the shift of the deformed prolate structures to higher lying states but also indicate their increasing deformation with decreasing neutron numb…

In-beam gamma-ray and electron spectroscopy of $^{249,251}$Md

The odd-Z Md251 nucleus was studied using combined γ-ray and conversion-electron in-beam spectroscopy. Besides the previously observed rotational band based on the [521]1/2− configuration, another rotational structure has been identified using γ-γ coincidences. The use of electron spectroscopy allowed the rotational bands to be observed over a larger rotational frequency range. Using the transition intensities that depend on the gyromagnetic factor, a [514]7/2− single-particle configuration has been inferred for this band, i.e., the ground-state band. A physical background that dominates the electron spectrum with an intensity of ≃60% was well reproduced by simulating a set of unresolved ex…

VADER: A novel decay station for actinide spectroscopy

Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research / B 540, 148 - 150 (2023). doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2023.04.021

De-excitation of the strongly coupled band in 177Au and implications for core intruder configurations in the light Hg isotopes

International audience; Excited states in the proton-unbound nuclide $^{177}$Au were populated in the $^92}$Mo($^{88}$Sr, p2n) reaction and identified using the Jurogam-II and GREAT spectrometers in conjunction with the RITU gas-filled separator at the University of Jyväskylä Accelerator Laboratory. A strongly coupled band and its decay path to the 11/2−α-decaying isomer have been identified using recoil-decay tagging. Comparisons with cranked Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) calculations based on Skyrme energy functionals suggest that the band has a prolate deformation and is based upon coupling the odd 1h11/2 proton hole to the excited 02+ configuration in the $^{178}$Hg core. Although these…

Exploring the boundaries of the nuclear landscape : α-decay properties of 211Pa

Employing the recoil ion transport unit (RITU) and a fusion-evaporation reaction, the α decay of 211Pa has been identified via the implantation-decay correlation technique through observation of chains up to four consecutive decays. An α-particle energy and half-life of 8320(40) keV and 3.8+4.6−1.4 ms, respectively, were measured, corresponding to favored α decay. In addition, more precise α-decay properties of 212Pa and 213Pa were obtained due to accumulated statistics. The present data were compared to those predicted by selected atomic mass models and it was used to estimate the possibility of observing proton emission from these isotopes. peerReviewed

Lifetime measurements of excited states in $^{162}$W and $^{164}$W and the evolution of collectivity in rare-earth nuclei

International audience; Lifetimes of the first excited 2+ states in the extremely neutron-deficient $^{162}$W and $^{164}$W nuclei have been measured using the recoil distance Doppler shift technique. Experimental B(E2) data for the isotopic chains of hafnium, tungsten, and osmium, from the midshell region near the β-stability line towards the N=82 closed shell and the most neutron-deficient nuclides, are compared with predictions of nuclear deformations and 21+→0g.s.+ reduced transition strengths from different classes of state-of-the-art theoretical model calculations. The results reveal striking differences and deficiencies in the predictive power of current nuclear structure models.

α-spectroscopy studies of the new nuclides 165Pt and 170Hg

The new nuclides 165Pt and 170Hg were produced in the reactions 92Mo(78Kr,5n) and 96Ru(78Kr,4n) at bombarding energies of 418 MeV and 390 MeV, respectively. For 170Hg an α-particle energy of Eα=7590(30)keV and half-life of t1/2=0.08+0.40−0.04ms were deduced, while for 165Pt the corresponding values were 7272(14) keV and 0.26+0.26−0.09ms. Comparison of the reduced α-decay widths with systematics indicates that both α decays are unhindered. Although combining the measured α-decay Q values with extrapolated masses suggests that both new nuclides are unbound to two-proton emission by more than 1 MeV, their α-decay half-lives are too short for this decay mode to compete. Improved data were also …

Shell-Structure and Pairing Interaction in Superheavy Nuclei: Rotational Properties of the Z=104 Nucleus (256)Rf

The rotational band structure of the Z ¼ 104 nucleus 256Rf has been observed up to a tentative spin of 20@ using state-of-the-art -ray spectroscopic techniques. This represents the first such measurement in a superheavy nucleus whose stability is entirely derived from the shell-correction energy. The observed rotational properties are compared to those of neighboring nuclei and it is shown that the kinematic and dynamic moments of inertia are sensitive to the underlying single-particle shell structure and the specific location of high-j orbitals. The moments of inertia therefore provide a sensitive test of shell structure and pairing in superheavy nuclei which is essential to ensure the val…

Lifetime measurements of excited states in ¹⁶³W and the implications for the anomalous B(E2) ratios in transitional nuclei

This letter reports lifetime measurements of excited states in the odd-N nucleus $^{163}$W using the recoil-distance Doppler shift method to probe the core polarising effect of the i13/2 neutron orbital on the underlying soft triaxial even-even core. The ratio B(E2:21/2+→17/2+)/B(E2:17/2+→13/2+) is consistent with the predictions of the collective rotational model. The deduced B(E2) values provide insights into the validity of collective model predictions for heavy transitional nuclei and a geometric origin for the anomalous B(E2) ratios observed in nearby even-even nuclei is proposed.

Reinvestigation of the excited states in the proton emitter $^{151}$Lu: particle-hole excitations across the $N=Z=64$ subshell

The excited states of the proton emitter $^{151}$Lu were reinvestigated in a recoil-decay tagging experiment at the Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Jyv\"askyl\"a (JYFL). The level scheme built on the ground state of $^{151}$Lu was updated with five new $\gamma$-ray transitions. Large-scale shell model calculations were carried out to interpret the experimental level scheme. It is found that the excitation energies of states above the $27/2^-$ and $23/2^+$ isomeric levels can be sensitive to excitations from $g_{7/2}$ and $d_{5/2}$ to single-particle orbitals above $N=Z=64$.

Neutron excitations in 119Ba

The neutron-deficient 119Ba nucleus has been studied using the 58Ni(64Zn,2pn) reaction and the JUROGAM 3 γ-ray detector array coupled to the MARA recoil-mass separator setup. One new rotational band and several low-lying states are newly identified. A half-life of T1/2=0.36(2)μs has been measured for the 5/2− bandhead of the νh11/2 band. The two previously known rotational bands are confirmed, except for the higher part of the +1/2 signature partner of the positive-parity band. Configurations are assigned based on the analysis of the observed quasiparticle alignments whose nature is unveiled by the calculations using the particle number conserving cranked shell model. peerReviewed

In-beam γ-ray spectroscopy of 94Ag

A recoil-beta-tagging experiment has been per formed to study the excited T = 0 and T = 1 states in the odd–odd N = Z nucleus 94Ag, populated via the 40Ca(58Ni,1p3n)94Ag reaction. The experiment was con ducted using the MARA recoil separator and JUROGAM3 array at the Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Jyväskylä. Through correlating fast, high-energy beta decays at the MARA focal plane with prompt γ rays emitted at the reaction target, a number of transitions between excited states in 94Ag have been identified. The timing characteris tics of these transitions confirm that they fall within decay sequences that feed the short-lived T = 1 ground state of 94Ag. The transitions are propo…

Complete set of proton excitations in 119Cs

The very neutron-deficient strongly deformed 119Cs nucleus has been studied using the 58Ni(64Zn,3p) reaction and the JUROGAM 3 γ-ray detector array coupled to the MARA recoil-mass separator setup. The excitation energies of all observed bands have been determined, spins and parities have been firmly assigned to most of the observed states. The previously known and the newly identified rotational bands have been extended to very high spin and excitation energy. The configurations of the observed bands are discussed using the particle number conserving cranked shell model. The present study establishes the largest set of rotational bands observed in the proton-rich A≈120 mass region. peerRevi…

Lifetime Measurements of Excited States in $^{172}$Pt and the Variation of Quadrupole Transition Strength with Angular Momentum

Lifetimes of the first excited 2 + and 4 + states in the extremely neutron-deficient nuclide 172 Pt have been measured for the first time using the recoil-distance Doppler shift and recoil-decay tagging techniques. An unusually low value of the ratio B ( E 2 : 4 + 1 → 2 + 1 ) / B ( E 2 : 2 + 1 → 0 + gs ) = 0.55 ( 19 ) was found, similar to a handful of other such anomalous cases observed in the entire Segré chart. The observation adds to a cluster of a few extremely neutron-deficient nuclides of the heavy transition metals with neutron numbers N ≈ 90 – 94 featuring the effect. No theoretical model calculations reported to date have been able to explain the anomalously low B ( E 2 : 4 + 1 → …

Lifetime measurements of yrast states in ¹⁷⁸ Pt using the charge plunger method with a recoil separator

Abstract Lifetime measurements in \(^{178}\)Pt with excited states de-exciting through \(\gamma\)-ray transitions and internal electron conversions have been performed. Ionic charges were selected by the in-flight mass separator MARA and measured at the focal plane in coincidence with the \(4^{+}_{1}→2^{+}_{1}\) 257 keV γ-ray transition detected using the JUROGAM 3 spectrometer. The resulting charge-state distributions were analysed using the differential decay curve method (DDCM) framework to obtain a lifetime value of 430(20) ps for the \(2^{+}_{1}\) state. This work builds on a method that combines the charge plunger technique with the DDCM analysis. As an alternative analysis, ions were…

Precision measurements of proton emission from the ground states of 156Ta and 160Re

The decays of the πd3/2 ground states of 156Ta and 160Re have been studied in detail using the GREAT spectrometer. More than 7000 160Re nuclei were produced in reactions of 290- and 300-MeV 58Ni ions with an isotopically enriched 106Cd target and separated in flight using the RITU separator. The proton and α decays of the πd3/2 level were confirmed and the half-life and branching ratios of this state were determined with improved precision to be t1/2=611±7 μs and bp=89±1% and bα=11±1%, respectively. The α-decay branch populated the ground state of 156Ta, allowing improved values for the proton-decay energy and half-life to be obtained (Ep=1011±5 keV; t1/2=106±4 ms). The β decay of this leve…

Position sensitive plastic scintillator for beta particle detection

A new segmented plastic scintillator detector Tuike has been developed for recoil-beta tagging experiments at the Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Jyväskylä. The detector consists of individual plastic scintillator bars arranged in two orthogonal layers, and the scintillation light is detected using silicon photomultipliers. Performance of the new detector was tested using fusion-evaporation reaction 40Ca(36Ar, pn)74Rb, and the results are discussed here. It was found that for beta particles seen in the main silicon detector, Tuike can tag high-energy beta particles with a 48(10)% efficiency. An energy calibration method using Compton edges of gamma ray transitions is described i…

Refined description of the positive-parity bands and the extent of octupole correlations in 120Ba

Three new negative-parity bands have been identified in 120Ba, two of them forming a strongly coupled band. The previously known negative-parity band is significantly extended to high spin, while the lower part of the yrare positive-parity band has been modified. From the analysis of the band properties and comparison with the neighboring nuclei a coherent description of all bands is achieved. In particular, a simple explanation of the evolution of the positive-parity bands at high spin is proposed, including the possible occupation of the νf7/2[541]1/2− intruder orbital. Cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky calculations reveal similar quadrupole deformations but different triaxiality of the bands, w…

New collective structures in 179Au and their implications for the triaxial deformation of the 178Pt core

The extremely neutron-deficient isotope 179Au has been studied by a combination of in-beam γ-ray and isomeric-decay spectroscopy. For in-beam spectroscopy, the recoil-isomer tagging technique was employed, using the known 3/2−, T1/2=328 ns isomer. A new rotational band, associated with the unfavored signature band of the 1h9/2⊕2f7/2 proton-intruder configuration, was revealed. A previously unknown, high-spin isomeric state with an excitation energy of 1743(17) keV and T1/2=2.16(8)µs was discovered. Five decay paths were identified, some of them feeding previously unknown non-yrast excited states, associated with the 1i13/2 proton-intruder configuration. Calculations based on the particle-pl…

Identification of excited states in 107,52Te55

Excited states in the extremely neutron-deficient nucleus 107Te have been identified from two separate experiments using the recoil-decay tagging technique. Two connected structures were observed on the basis of γγ-coincidence relations and tentatively assigned as built on the mixed-parentage νg7/2d5/2 and νh11/2 intruder configurations. The observed structures were compared with large-scale shell-model calculations and total Routhian surface calculations. Collective behavior was discovered to persist in the νh11/2 band of 107Te which highlights the shape-polarizing effect of a single valence neutron occupying the h11/2 intruder orbit as the N=50 shell closure is approached. peerReviewed

Decay spectroscopy of 171,172Os and 171,172,174Ir

We report on a study of the α-decay fine structure and the associated Eα−Eγ correlations in the decays of 171,172Os and 171,172,174Ir. In total, 13 new α-decay energy lines have been resolved, and three new γ-ray transitions have been observed following the new decay branches to 168Re and 167W. The weak α-decay branch from the bandhead of the νi13/2 band in 171Os observed in this work highlights an unusual competition between α, β, and electromagnetic decays from this isomeric state. The nucleus 171Os is therefore one of few nuclei observed to exhibit three different decay modes from the same excited state. The nuclei of interest were produced in 92Mo(83Kr,xpyn) fusion-evaporation reactions…

A charge plunger device to measure the lifetimes of excited nuclear states where transitions are dominated by internal conversion

A charge plunger device has been commissioned based on the DPUNS plunger (Taylor et al., 2013) using the in-flight mass separator MARA at the University of Jyväskylä. The 152Sm(32S,4n)180Pt reaction was used to populate excited states in 180Pt. A lifetime measurement of the 21+ state was performed by applying the charge plunger technique, which relies on the detection of the charge state-distribution of recoils rather than the detection of the emitted γ rays. This state was a good candidate to test the charge plunger technique as it has a known lifetime and depopulates through a converted transition that competes strongly with γ-ray emission. The lifetime of the 21+ state was measured to be…

Offline commissioning of a new gas cell for the MARA Low-Energy Branch

Results of offline commissioning tests for a new dedicated gas cell for the Mass Analysing Recoil Apparatus (MARA) Low-Energy Branch are reported. Evacuation time, ion survival and transport efficiency in helium buffer gas were characterized with a radioactive 223Ra 𝛼-recoil source. Suppression of the ion signal, originating from non-neutralized species in the gas cell, was explored with 219Rn ions, the daughter recoil of 223Ra, as a function of voltage applied to one of the ion-collector electrodes. Two-step laser resonance ionization of stable tin isotopes produced inside the gas cell from a heated bronze filament was demonstrated, and broadening of the atomic resonances in argon buffer …

Spectroscopy of proton-rich 66^Se up to J^{\pi} = 6^+: isospin-breaking effect in the A = 66 isobaric triplet

Candidates for three excited states in the 66^Se have been identified using the recoil-{\beta} tagging method together with a veto detector for charged-particle evaporation channels. These results allow a comparison of mirror and triplet energy differences between analogue states across the A = 66 triplet as a function of angular momentum. The extracted triplet energy differences follow the negative trend observed in the f_7/2 shell. Shell-model calculations indicate a continued need for an additional isospin non-conserving interaction in addition to the Coulomb isotensor part as a function of mass.

In-beam γ-ray and electron spectroscopy of Md249,251

The odd-Z 251Md nucleus was studied using combined γ-ray and conversion-electron in-beam spectroscopy. Besides the previously observed rotational band based on the [521]1/2− configuration, another rotational structure has been identified using γ−γ coincidences. The use of electron spectroscopy allowed the rotational bands to be observed over a larger rotational frequency range. Using the transition intensities that depend on the gyromagnetic factor, a [514]7/2− single-particle configuration has been inferred for this band, i.e., the ground-state band. A physical background that dominates the electron spectrum with an intensity of ≃60% was well reproduced by simulating a set of unresolved ex…

Spectroscopy of Kr 70 and isospin symmetry in the T=1 fpg shell nuclei SPECTROSCOPY of Kr 70 and ISOSPIN SYMMETRY ... D. M. DEBENHAM et al.

The recoil-β tagging technique has been used in conjunction with the Ca40(S32,2n) reaction at a beam energy of 88 MeV to identify transitions associated with the decay of the 2+ and, tentatively, 4+ states in the nucleus Kr70. These data are used, along with previously published data, to examine the triplet energy differences (TED) for the mass 70 isobars. The experimental TED values are compared with shell model calculations, performed with the JUN45 interaction in the fpg model space, that include a J=0 isospin nonconserving (INC) interaction with an isotensor strength of 100 keV. The agreement is found to be very good up to spin 4 and supports the expectation for analog states that all t…

Experimental observation of the M1 scissors mode in $^{254}No$

Physics letters / B 834, 137479 (2022). doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2022.137479

Evidence for octupole collectivity in 172Pt

Excited states in the extremely neutron-deficient nucleus 172Pt were populated via 96Ru(78Kr,2p) and 92Mo(83Kr,3n) reactions. The level scheme has been extended up to an excitation energy of  ~ 5 MeV and tentative spin-parity assignments up to Iπ = 18+. Linear polarization and angular distribution measurements were used to determine the electromagnetic E1 character of the dipole transitions connecting the positive-parity ground-state band with an excited side-band, firmly establishing it as a negative-parity band. The lowest member of this negative-parity structure was firmly assigned spin-parity 3-. In addition, we observed an E3 transition from this 3- state to the ground state, providing…

Identification of isomeric states in the N=73 neutron-deficient nuclei 132Pr and 130La

Decays from isomeric states in the neutron-deficient N=73 nuclei 132Pr and 130La have been observed for the first time. Half-lives of 486(70) ns and 2.46(4) μs were measured for two isomeric states in 132Pr. The decay from the 486ns (8 -) isomer has been interpreted as a hindered E1 transition from the bandhead state of the excited πh 11/2νg 7/2 configuration. The decay from the 2.5 μs (8 +) isomer is consistent with the Weisskopf estimate for a low-energy E2 transition. An analogous 0.74(3) μs decay from an (8 +) isomer in the neighboring isotone 130La has also been observed which similarly can be explained if the transition has E2 character. The Weisskopf interpretation for the isomer hin…

Excited states in 217Ra populated in the α decay of 221Th

Fine structure in the α decay of 22190Th, populating excited states in 21788Ra, was studied using αγ-coincidence spectroscopy. Two α-decay branches from 221Th have been newly observed, with Eα(keV)[bα(%)]=7951(8)[0.14(3)] and 8247(3)[1.51(12)], together with three previously known branches. Also, two new states in 217Ra were identified at E = 177 and 227 keV. The ground-state configurations of the odd-A, N = 131 transitional isotones above 208Pb are interpreted from their α-decay fine structure systematics and considered in terms of predictions using spherical shell and reflection-asymmetric models. peerReviewed

α-decay spectroscopy of the N = 130 isotones 218Ra and 220Th: Mitigation of α-particle energy summing with implanted nuclei

An analysis technique has been developed in order to mitigate energy summing due to sequential short-lived α decays from nuclei implanted into a silicon detector. Using this technique, α-decay spectroscopy of the N=130 isotones 218Ra (Z=88) and 220Th (Z=90) has been performed. The energies of the α particles emitted in the 218Ra→214Rn and 220Th→216Ra ground-state-to-ground-state decays have been measured to be 8381(4) keV and 8818(13) keV, respectively. The half-lives of the ground states of 218Ra and 220Th have been measured to be 25.99(10) μs and 10.4(4) μs, respectively. The half-lives of the ground states of the α-decay daughters, 214Rn and 216Ra, have been measured to be 259(3) ns and …

Delayed or absent π(h11/2)2 alignment in 111Xe

Excited states have been identified in the very neutron-deficient N = Z + 3 nucleus 111Xe for the first time, using the 58Ni(58Ni, αn) heavy-ion fusion-evaporation reaction. γ -ray transitions have been unambiguously assigned to 111Xe by correlation with the characteristic 111Xe → 107Te → 103Sn α-decay chain using the method of recoil-decay tagging. Inspection of γ γ -coincidence data has shown that five of the transitions form a rotational-like sequence. Excitation-energy systematics suggest that the sequence could be the favored signature partner of a band built on an h11/2 neutron. Aligned angular momenta of states in the band have been compared to analogous bands in neighboring xenon is…

Population of a low-spin positive-parity band from high-spin intruder states in Au: The two-state mixing effect

The extremely neutron-deficient isotopes $^{177,179}$Au were studied by means of in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy. Specific tagging techniques, α-decay tagging in $^{177}$Au and isomer tagging in $^{179}$Au, were used for these studies. Feeding of positive-parity, nearly spherical states, which are associated with 2d3/2 and 3s1/2 proton-hole configurations, from the 1i13/2 proton-intruder configuration was observed in $^{177}$Au. Such a decay path has no precedent in odd-Au isotopes and it is explained by the effect of mixing of wave functions of the initial state.

Nanosecond-Scale Proton Emission from Strongly Oblate-Deformed ^{149}Lu.

Using the fusion-evaporation reaction ^{96}Ru(^{58}Ni,p4n)^{149}Lu and the MARA vacuum-mode recoil separator, a new proton-emitting isotope ^{149}Lu has been identified. The measured decay Q value of 1920(20) keV is the highest measured for a ground-state proton decay, and it naturally leads to the shortest directly measured half-life of 450_{-100}^{+170}  ns for a ground-state proton emitter. The decay rate is consistent with l_{p}=5 emission, suggesting a dominant πh_{11/2} component for the wave function of the proton-emitting state. Through nonadiabatic quasiparticle calculations it was concluded that ^{149}Lu is the most oblate deformed proton emitter observed to date.

Single-particle states and parity doublets in odd-Z 221Ac and 225Pa from α-decay spectroscopy

Low-lying states in the odd-Z isotopes 22189Ac132 and 22591Pa134 have been studied using α-particle and αγ-coincidence spectroscopy in the 225Pa→221Ac→217Fr decay chain. Ground-state spin and parity assignments of Iπ = 5/2− are proposed for both 221Ac and 225Pa, with the odd proton occupying the Ω = 5/2 orbital of the quadrupole-octupole deformed shell model in both nuclei. In 221Ac, excited states in the bands based on the Ω = 5/2 and Ω = 3/2 orbitals have been identified, including proposed parity-doublet states. The results suggest that reflection-asymmetric deformation of the ground state persists in the odd-A members of the isotope chains down to N = 132 for Ac and N = 134 for Pa, befo…