Search for very long-lived isomers in the hafnium-tungsten region

Targets of ${}^{48}\mathrm{Ca}$ have been bombarded with ${}^{134,136}\mathrm{Xe}$ beams as part of a search for long-lived, high-K states in well-deformed nuclei with $A\ensuremath{\approx}180.$ Several known isomers were observed by off-line \ensuremath{\gamma}-ray detection, and limits have been established for high-K isomer production in various isotopes of hafnium $(A=175--178),$ tantalum $(A=177--181),$ and tungsten $(A=177--181).$