PRODUCTION AND SPECTROSCOPY OF THE NEUTRON-RICH NUCLEUS DY-166

Yrast states up to spin 16 (H) over bar in Dy-166 were observed, for t he first time, using a quasielastic neutron-transfer reaction in the b ombardment of Sn-118 with Dy-164 at E-lab = 790 MeV. The ratio of the Dy-166 production cross section relative to the inelastic cross sectio n, integrated over the c.m. scattering angle range 110 degrees to 140 degrees, is approximate to 0.0027. This experiment demonstrates that t he improved sensitivity, provided by the new generation of highly segm ented 4 pi gamma-ray arrays coupled to a 4 pi heavy-ion detector array , makes subbarrier heavy-ion-induced nucleon-transfer reactions a powe rful probe of the structure of neutron-rich nuclei at moderately high spin. A comparison with the production of Dy-164 in the reaction betwe en Sn-118 and Dy-162 is made.