First observation of excited states in the neutron deficient N=86 isotones 159Ta and 160W

The γ decays of excited states in the neutron deficient nuclei ¹⁵⁹Ta and ¹⁶⁰W have been identified for the first time. The nuclei of interest were produced in reactions induced by beams of ⁵⁸Ni ions at energies of 286 MeV, 291 MeV, and 298 MeV bombarding a ¹⁰⁶Cd target. Prompt γ rays were recorded using the JUROSPHERE spectrometer and were tagged through the subsequent α decays of associated recoil ions measured in a position-sensitive silicon strip detector at the focal plane of the gas-filled separator RITU. Level schemes have been deduced and compared with similar structures observed in neighboring nuclei.