Yrast spectroscopy in the neutron-deficient nucleus 169Os

Excited states in the neutron-deficient isotope Os-169 have been identified for the first time in an experiment using the Jurosphere gamma-ray spectrometer in conjunction with the Ritu gas-filled recoil separator. The problems associated with identifying neutron-deficient isotopes produced with low fusion cross sections against a high background of competing channels, including fission, have been overcome by using the recoil-decay tagging technique. The band structures observed in Os-169 are interpreted in the context of the systematics of neighboring nuclei and the predictions of cranked Woods-Saxon calculations. The systematics of the second (i(13/2))(2) neutron alignment in this region are discussed.