Measurement of the sign of the spectroscopic quadrupole moment for the 21+ state in 70Se:: No evidence for oblate shape

Using a method whereby molecular and atomic ions are independently selected, an isobarically pure beam of Se-70 ions was postaccelerated to an energy of 206 MeV using REX-ISOLDE. Coulomb-excitation yields for states in the beam and target nuclei were deduced by recording deexcitation gamma rays in the highly segmented MINIBALL gamma-ray spectrometer in coincidence with scattered particles in a silicon detector. At these energies, the Coulomb-excitation yield for the first 2(+) state is expected to be strongly sensitive to the sign of the spectroscopic quadrupole moment through the nuclear reorientation effect. Experimental evidence is presented here for a prolate shape for the first 2(+) state in Se-70, reopening the question over whether there are, as reported earlier, deformed oblate shapes near to the ground state in the light selenium isotopes.