There is strong circumstantial evidence that the shape of atomic nuclei with particular values of Z and N prefers to assume octupole deformation, in which the nucleus is distorted into a pear shape that loses the reflection symmetry of a quadrupole-deformed (rugby ball) shape prevalent in nuclei. Recently, useable intensities of accelerated beams of heavy, radioactive ions have become available at the REX-ISOLDE facility at CERN. This has allowed electric octupole transition strengths, a direct measure of octupole correlations, to be determined for short-lived isotopes of radon and radium expected to be unstable to pear-like distortions. The data are used to discriminate differing theoretical approaches to the description of the octupole phenomena, and also help restrict the choice of candidates for studies of atomic electric-dipole moments, that provide stringent tests of extensions to the Standard Model.

Using fusion-evaporation reactions, a gas-filled recoil separator, and recoil-electron and recoil-electron-α tagging techniques, a new isomeric 1 2 201 At is identified, and an earlier reported corresponding state [T 1/2 = 273( 9) ms] in 199 At is confirmed. The 1 2 + state is suggested to originate from an intruder π (s 1/2 ) −1 configuration. In addition, nuclear structure of states below and above this 1 2 + state are studied in both nuclei. The isomer decays through a cascade of an E3 transition followed by a mixed M1/E2 transition to the 9 2 − ground state, and it is interpreted to be fed from nearly spherical 3 2 + and 5 2 + states originating from π (d 3/2 ) −1 and π (d 5/2 ) −1 configurations, respectively.

Gamma rays from excited states feeding a proton-emitting isomeric-state in 151 Lu have been observed for the first time. Comparison with state-of-the-art nonadiabatic quasiparticle calculations indicates an oblately deformed, 3/2 + proton-emitting state with a quadrupole deformation of β 2 = −0.11. The calculations suggest an increase in quadrupole deformation, to β 2 = −0.18, with increasing spin which is understood in terms of the mixing of Nilsson states at the Fermi surface. It is also shown that the proton decay half-life is consistent with that from a 3/2 + state with a quadrupole deformation of β 2 = −0.12.

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