The ${}^{119–126}$Sn nuclei have been produced as fission fragments in two reactions induced by heavy ions: ${}^{12}\text{C}+{}^{238}\text{U}$ at a bombarding energy of 90 MeV and ${}^{18}\text{O}+{}^{208}\text{Pb}$ at 85 MeV. Their level schemes have been built from $\gamma$ rays detected using the Euroball array. High-spin states located above the long-lived isomeric states of the even- and odd-$A$ ${}^{120–126}$Sn nuclei have been identified. Moreover, isomeric states lying around 4.5 MeV have been established in ${}^{120,122,124,126}$Sn from the delayed coincidences between the fission fragment detector SAPhIR and the Euroball array. The states located above 3 MeV excitation energy are ascribed to several broken pairs of neutrons occupying the $\nu h_{11/2}$ orbit. The maximum value of angular momentum available in such a high-$j$ shell, i.e., for midoccupation and the breaking of the three neutron pairs, has been identified. This process is observed for the first time in spherical nuclei.

• Received 1 December 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.85.054316