176Lu isotope properties as a cosmothermometer

The Lu-176 properties as a cosmochronometer and a cosmothermometer are studied, combining Coulomb excitation with the recoil method. The results confirm that this isotope should be dismissed as a reliable cosmochronometer. On the other hand, this nucleus synthesis takes place, in all probability, at temperatures between 2.35(10) and 3.6(2) x 10(8) K. The assignment of the levels reached leads to some difficulties as to their reduced transition probabilities.