The new proton radioactivities 165,166,167 Ir and 171 Au have been observed. The Ir isotopes were produced via the 92 Mo( 78 Kr,pxn) 165,166,167 Ir reactions at 357 and 384 MeV. 171 Au was produced via the 96 Ru( 78 Kr,p2n) 171 Au reaction at 389 MeV. The proton emitters were each identified by position, time, and energy correlations between the implantation of a residual nucleus into a double-sided silicon strip detector, the observation of a decay proton, and the subsequent observation of a decay alpha particle from the daughter nucleus ͑ 164,165,166 Os and 170 Pt, respectively͒. Both 166 Ir and 167 Ir have proton-emitting ground and isomeric states, which also decay by alpha emission. The proton-decay rates have been reproduced by calculations using the WKB barrier penetration approximation and a low-seniority shell-model calculation of the spectroscopic factors. The alpha decays of the four nuclei are followed by chains of alpha decays, allowing the determination of single-particle orbital orderings. Mass information has also been obtained from the alpha-decay chains because a connection to a known mass can be obtained for one of the nuclei. Ground-state mass excesses are reported for 151 Tm, 154 Yb, 155 Lu, 158 Hf, 159 Ta, 162 W, 163 Re, 166 Os, 167 Ir, and 170 Pt. The mass excess for 171m Au is also given. Proton separation energies are also deduced for the odd-Z alpha daughter nuclei of the Ir proton emitters.

Proton radioactivity from 141 Ho and 131 Eu has been identified. The 141 Ho proton transition has an energy E p 1169͑8͒ keV, a half-life t 1͞2 4.2͑4͒ ms, and is assigned to the decay of the 7͞2 2 ͓523͔ Nilsson state. The 131 Eu transition has an energy E p 950͑8͒ keV and a half-life of 26(6) ms, consistent with decay from either the 3͞2 1 ͓411͔ or 5͞2 1 ͓413͔ Nilsson orbital. The proton decay rates deviate significantly from calculations assuming spherical configurations, and thus indicate the onset of large deformations in the region of the proton drip line below Z 69. [S0031-9007(98)

By studying the (109)Xe→(105)Te→(101)Sn superallowed α-decay chain, we observe low-lying states in (101)Sn, the one-neutron system outside doubly magic (100)Sn. We find that the spins of the ground state (J=7/2) and first excited state (J=5/2) in (101)Sn are reversed with respect to the traditional level ordering postulated for (103)Sn and the heavier tin isotopes. Through simple arguments and state-of-the-art shell-model calculations we explain this unexpected switch in terms of a transition from the single-particle regime to the collective mode in which orbital-dependent pairing correlations dominate.

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Two new alpha emitters 109Xe and 105Te were identified through the observation of the 109Xe --> 105Te --> 101Sn alpha-decay chain. The 109Xe nuclei were produced in the fusion-evaporation reaction 54Fe(58Ni,3n)109Xe and studied using the Recoil Mass Spectrometer at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility. Two transitions at Ealpha = 4062 +/- 7 keV and Ealpha = 3918 +/- 9 keV were interpreted as the l = 2 and l = 0 transitions from the 7/2+ ground state in 109Xe (T1/2 = 13 +/- 2 ms) to the 5/2+ ground state and a 7/2+ excited state, located at 150 +/- 13 keV in 105Te. The observation of the subsequent decay of 105Te marks the discovery of the lightest known alpha-decaying nucleus. The measured transition energy Ealpha = 4703 +/- 5 keV and half-life T1/2 = 620 +/- 70 ns were used to determine the reduced alpha-decay width delta2. The ratio delta105Te(2)/delta213Po(2) of approximately 3 indicates a superallowed character of the alpha emission from 105Te.