Characterization of quasiparticle states at and beyond stability in ytterbium isotopes: Spectroscopy of 175Yb, 176Yb and 177Yb.

Excited states in ¹⁷⁵Yb, ¹⁷⁶Yb and ¹⁷⁷Yb were populated via the bombardment of a ¹⁷⁶Yb target with a 750 MeV ¹³⁶Xe beam. Gamma-ray decays from these states were measured with the AFRODITE multi-detector spectrometer. The rotational band previously assigned to the ground state of ¹⁷⁷Yb has been reassigned to the first-excited state of ¹⁷⁵Yb. A new rotational band based on the ground state of ¹⁷⁷Yb is presented, and the band based on the K ^π = 4^- two-quasiparticle state in ¹⁷⁶Yb has been identified. Also a candidate for the rotational band based on the K ^π = 8^-, T _1/2 = 11.4(3) s two-quasiparticle state in ¹⁷⁶Yb has been found. Comparisons of g_K values derived from in-band branching ratios are consistent with the ν9/2⁺[624] assignment to the ground state of ¹⁷⁷Yb, the ν²{9/2⁺[624] ⊗ 1/2^-[510]} assignment to the K ^π = 4^- state and with the ν²{9/2⁺[624] ⊗ 7/2^-[514]} assignment to the K ^π = 8^- metastable excited state in ¹⁷⁶Yb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]