The ${}^{160}\mathrm{Gd}$(${}^9\mathrm{Be}$,$\alpha 3$n)${}^{162}\mathrm{Dy}$ reaction has been used to study high-spin states in ${}^{162}\mathrm{Dy}$. Pulsed beam conditions were utilized for enhanced isomer sensitivity. An isomer at 2188.1(3) keV with a half-life of 8.3(3) $\mu \text{s}$ has been discovered and assigned $K$${}^{\pi }$$=$ $8^{+}$ with a two-quasineutron configuration. Among 11 $\gamma$-ray decay branches, an E2, $\Delta K=8$ transition to the ground-state band was observed with a reduced hindrance of $f_{\nu }=35$, agreeing well with systematics correlating $f_{\nu }$ with the product of the valence neutron and proton numbers ($N_p{N}_n$) over an extended $N,Z$ range. Small deviations from $N_p{N}_n$ dependence are analyzed for a range of two-quasiparticle isomer decays and interpreted as arising from a weak dependence on the isomer excitation energy relative to the yrast line.

• Received 16 February 2011
• Publisher error corrected 12 April 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.83.034322