Spectroscopy of 211Rn approaching the valence limit

High-spin states in 211Rn were populated using the reaction 198Pt(18O, 5n) at 96 MeV. Their decay was studied using γ-ray and electron spectroscopy. The known level scheme is extended up to a spin of greater than 69 2 and many non-yrast states are added. Semi-empirical shell-model calculations and the properties of related states in 210Rn and 212Rn are used to assign configurations to some of the non-yrast states. The properties of the high-spin states observed are compared to the predictions of the multi-particle octupole-coupling model and the semi-empirical shell model. The maximum reasonable spin available from the valence particles and holes in 77 2 and states are observed to near this limit.