2-QUASIPROTON STRUCTURES IN YB-174

The two-quasiproton structure of Yb-174 has been investigated in a study of the Lu-175(t, alpha)Yb-174 reaction. The reaction was performed using a 35.5 MeV triton beam delivered by the Daresbury tandem Van de Graaff accelerator. Magnetic analysis of ejectile ions was achieved using a QMG/2 magnetic spectrometer and ion identification and detection employed a hybrid gas-filled, multielement, focal plane detector. Elements of the detailed nuclear structure of Yb-174 are discussed in terms of the two-quasiproton configurations populated. Of particular interest is a low-lying K(pi) = 3+ band, observed in this reaction and discussed in terms of hexadecapole collectivity. No K(pi) = 1+ bands were observed, and the consequences of this for a microscopic description of the magnetic-dipole-strength distribution in Yb-174 are discussed.