- Yates, D;
- Krücken, R;
- Dillmann, I;
- Garrett, PE;
- Olaizola, B;
- Vedia, V;
- Ali, FA;
- Andreoiu, C;
- Ashfield, W;
- Ball, GC;
- Beadle, Z;
- Bernier, N;
- Bhattacharjee, SS;
- Bidaman, H;
- Bildstein, V;
- Bishop, D;
- Bowry, M;
- Burbadge, C;
- Caballero-Folch, R;
- Chaney, DZ;
- Cross, DC;
- Varela, A Diaz;
- Dunlop, MR;
- Dunlop, R;
- Evitts, LJ;
- Garcia, FH;
- Garnsworthy, AB;
- Georges, S;
- Gillespie, SA;
- Hackman, G;
- Henderson, J;
- Jigmeddorj, B;
- Lassen, J;
- Li, R;
- Luna, BK;
- MacLean, AD;
- Natzke, CR;
- Petrache, CM;
- Radich, AJ;
- Rajabali, MM;
- Regan, PH;
- Saito, Y;
- Smallcombe, J;
- Smith, JK;
- Spieker, M;
- Svensson, CE;
- Teigelhöfer, A;
- Whitmore, K;
- Zidar, T
Background: Detailed spectroscopy of neutron-rich, heavy, deformed nuclei is of broad interest for nuclear astrophysics and nuclear structure. Nuclei in the r-process path and following freeze-out region impact the resulting r-process abundance distribution, and the structure of nuclei midshell in both proton and neutron number helps to understand the evolution of subshell gaps and large deformation in these nuclei. Purpose: We aim to improve the understanding of the nuclear structure of Gd160, specifically the Kπ=4+ bands, as well as study the β decay of Eu160 into Gd160. Methods: High-statistics decay spectroscopy of Gd160 resulting from the β-decay of Eu160 was collected using the GRIFFIN spectrometer at the TRIUMF-ISAC facility. Results: Two new excited states and ten new transitions were observed in Gd160. The β-decaying half-lives of the low- and high-spin isomers in Eu160 were determined, and the low-spin state's half-life was measured to be t1/2=26.0(8) s, ≈16% shorter than previous measurements. Lifetimes of the two Kπ=4+ bandheads in Gd160 were measured for the first time, as well as γ-γ angular correlations and mixing ratios of intense transitions out of those bandheads. Conclusions: Lifetimes and mixing ratios suggest that the hexadecapole phonon model of the Kπ=4+ bandheads in Gd160 is preferred over a simple two-state strong mixing scenario, although further theoretical calculations are needed to fully understand these states. Additionally, the 1999.0-keV state in Gd160 heavily populated in β decay is shown to have positive parity, which raises questions regarding the structure of the high-spin β-decaying state in Eu160.