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Excited states in the N ¼ 102 isotones 166 Gd and 164 Sm have been observed following isomeric decay for the first time at RIBF, RIKEN. The half-lives of the isomeric states have been measured to be 950(60) and 600(140) ns for 166 Gd and 164 Sm, respectively. Based on the decay patterns and potential energy surface calculations, including β 6 deformation, a spin and parity of 6 − has been assigned to the isomeric states in both nuclei. Collective observables are discussed in light of the systematics of the region, giving insight into nuclear shape evolution. The decrease in the ground-band energies of 166 Gd and 164 Sm (N ¼ 102) compared to 164 Gd and 162 Sm (N ¼ 100), respectively, presents evidence for the predicted deformed shell closure at N ¼ 100. In the exploration of the nuclear landscape, it is evident that the neutron-rich side of stability contains a vast unknown territory, where approximately half of all the bound nuclides remain to be identified. Furthermore, this is the domain of rapid-neutron-capture (r process) nucleosynthesis, which is poorly understood and yet is key to the creation of chemical elements from iron to uranium (Z ¼ 26-92) in stellar environments [1]. With the advent of the current generation of radioactive-beam facilities, it is now possible to address some of the open questions PRL 113, 262502 (2014) P H Y S I C A L

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Very neutron-rich Z ∼ 60 isotopes produced by in-flight fission of 345 MeV/nucleon 238 U beam at the RI Beam Factory, RIKEN Nishina Center have been studied by delayed γ-ray spectroscopy. New isomers are discovered in the neutron-rich N = 100 isotones, 162 Sm, 163 Eu, and 164 Gd. Half-lives, γ-ray energies and relative intensities of these isomers were obtained. Level schemes were proposed for these nuclei and the first 2 + and 4 + states were assigned for the even-even nuclei. configurations with similar excitation energy. The results suggest that neutron-rich N = 100 nuclei are well deformed and the deformation gets larger as Z decreases to 62. The onset of K isomers with the same configuration at almost the same energy in N = 100 isotones indicates that the neutron single-particle structures of neutron-rich isotones down to Z = 62 do not change significantly from those of the Z = 70 stable nuclei. Systematics of the excitation energies of new isomers can be explained without the predicted N = 100 shell gap.

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