Structure of Some Neutron-Deficient Xenon Isotopes.

The level structure of neutron-deficient ('121)Xe, ('123)Xe and ('124)Xe was studied. These levels were populated in the (beta)-decay of ('121)Cs, ('123)Cs and ('124)Cs respectively, which were produced by the proton bombardment of isotopically enriched ('124)Xe gas targets. Using (gamma) - and (beta)-spectroscopy techniques the level structures of these isotopes were obtained. High-spin levels of ('122)Xe and ('124)Xe populated in the ((alpha),4n(gamma)) reaction on enriched tellurium targets, were investigated. Gamma-ray-multiplicity filter, and angular distribution measurements have been carried out. The observation of the backbending of the ground band, and of the two-quasi-particle high-spin bands in ('122,124)Xe, is the first in xenon nuclei. These bands were interpreted in the framework of the rotation-alignment picture. A theoretical interpretation of ('116-130)Xe nuclei was performed using the Interacting Boson Approximation. Also the levels in ('121)Xe were interpreted using the Interacting Boson-Fermion Model.