Angular correlation measurements involving the reaction ${}_{}{}^{16}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{O}({}_{}{}^{12}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{C},\alpha ){}_{}{}^{24}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Mg}_{}^{*}{}_{}{}^{}\to \alpha +{}_{}{}^{20}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ne}_{}^{*}{}_{}{}^{}$, leaving ${}_{}{}^{20}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ne}$ in its first excited state, have been used to study several highly excited states in ${}_{}{}^{24}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Mg}$. The method was tested using the known $8^{+}$ state at 14.14 MeV. The results indicate that the triplet of states at 16.30, 16.55, and 16.84 MeV all have high spin (probably 8, 9, or 10). In the analysis it was assumed that the decay proceeds by the lowest allowed $L$ value.

• Received 12 April 1971

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.26.1271