New μs isomers in the neutron-rich ²¹⁰Hg nucleus

Neutron-rich nuclei in the lead region, beyond N=126, have been studied at the FRS-RISING setup at GSI, exploiting the fragmentation of a primary uranium beam. Two isomeric states have been identified in 210Hg: the 8+ isomer expected from the seniority scheme in the νg9/2 shell and a second one at low spin and low excitation energy. The decay strength of the 8+ isomer confirms the need of effective three-body forces in the case of neutron-rich lead isotopes. The other unexpected low-lying isomer has been tentatively assigned as a 3- state, although this is in contrast with theoretical expectations. © 2013 Elsevier B.V..