Rotational band on the 31 yr 16+ isomer in 178Hf

High-spin states in 178Hf have been identified using particle-γ-γ-time techniques and the incomplete fusion reaction, 176Yb(9Be,α3n)178Hf. The rotational band associated with the four-quasiparticle T1/2 = 31 year, Kπ = 16+ isomer in 178Hf has been established. The gK-gR values obtained from the in-band decay properties confirm the configuration of the isomer as does its alignment which matches the sum of the alignments of the two Kπ = 8- two-quasiparticle bands that contain the components of the 16+ configuration. New information has also been obtained on the four-quasiparticle 14- band and on the two-quasiparticle 6+ and 8- bands.