Lifetime measurements and terminating structures in87Nb

Two experiments have been performed using the Ni-58(S-32,3p) reaction at 135 MeV with Gammasphere and the Microball to study the high-spin structure of the transitional nucleus Nb-87. The first experiment using a thin target provided a considerable extension and refinement of the level scheme, as well as firm spin assignments from directional correlation of oriented nuclei. Sub-picosecond lifetimes were measured in the second backed-target experiment using the Doppler-shift attenuation method. The lifetimes imply a rather modest average deformation of beta(2)similar to0.1, but with considerable variation from state to state. Strong alternations were observed in the B(M1) strengths of transi…