Decay spectroscopy of 178Au

In this thesis, the neutron-deficient nucleus 178 Au is investigated through
decay spectroscopy. Si and HPGe detectors were utilised to analyse the decay
radiation of 178 Au and its daughter nuclei. Previous studies have been unable
to distinguish decay radiation from different isomeric states of this nucleus.
This thesis represents the first time such isomeric discrimination has been
achieved, and presents tentative spin assignments of both the ground state
and an isomer.
The neutron-deficient gold isotopes are an area of interest for the study of
shape coexistence. This is the phenomenon exhibited by nuclei able to exist
at a number of close lying energy minima, each reflecting a distinct type
of deformation. It is hoped that studies such as this can help identify the
evolution of nuclear deformation in this region of the nuclear chart.