Abstract
This report details the status of an experimental research programme which has studied isomeric states in the mass 130–160 region of the nuclear chart. Several new isomers have been established and characterised near the proton drip line using a recoil isomer tagging technique at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. The latest experiments have been performed with a modified setup where the standard GREAT focal‐plane double‐sided silicon‐strip detector was changed to a dual multi‐wire proportional‐counter arrangement. This new setup has improved capability for short‐lived isomer studies where large focal‐plane rates can be tolerated. The results of key recent experiments for nuclei situated above (153Yb, 152Tm) and below (144Ho, 142Tb) the N = 82 shell gap were presented. These studies have charted the evolution of isomeric states across the neutron shell from K‐Isomers at N = 74, to shape isomers at N = 77 and shell‐model isomers at N = 82, 83. The excitation energies for some of the lowest‐lying excited states in these isomeric nuclei show behaviour which is characteristic of an X(5) symmetry falling midway between the limits expected for pure vibrational and rotational behaviour. The future prospects for studies of these nuclei were discussed using an isomer‐tagged differential‐plunger setup. This technique will be capable of establishing the deformation of the states above the isomers and will aid in determining whether their behaviour is indeed well described by the X(5) symmetry limit.