Abstract
The low-energy Coulomb excitation of 72Se experiment was conducted using the Miniball/CD detector setup to detect prompt gamma rays in coincidence with scattered particles at the HIE-ISOLDE facility at CERN. The quadrupole moment (QM), hereafter always recorded in units of eb, was deduced to be $Q_s({2_1^+}) = -0.24^{+0.13}_{-0.22}$, implying a prolate configuration; this first independent measure is in agreement with the only other experimentally reported value, which was published during this thesis project. The prolate shape of this state confirms that shape inversion to oblate configurations near the ground state does not occur until at least 70Se. The QM for the ${2_1^+}$ state in the beam contaminant 68Ge is found to be $Q_s({2_1^+}) = -0.39^{+0.33}_{-0.17}$, implying prolate configuration; this is the first experimentally deduced value of this QM and represents the first post-acceleration of a radioactive neutron-deficient Ge isotope at an ISOL facility. Gamma-ray spectroscopy of 60Zn was conducted at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) using the ATLAS accelerator for the production of a 3He beam directed onto an enriched 58Ni target. This induced the 58Ni(3He,n) light-ion fusion-evaporation reaction and the Gammasphere detector array was used for detection of prompt gamma-rays following the reaction. A firm assignment for the $2_2^+$ state is made, as well as previously unknown structures built above the $2_2^+$ state and $3_1^+$ state being discovered. Several new states with transitions decaying to the $4_1^+$ state are also observed. Some states potentially corresponding to resonances in the astrophysical 59Cu(p,gamma) reaction are identified. First observation of these states provides critical information for follow-up work to obtain the reaction rate. The level density deduced is in agreement with the recent work of Soltesz et al. using no gamma-decay information.