COULOMB-EXCITATION OF THE K(PI)=8(-) ISOMER IN HF-178

The K(pi)=8- isomer at 1147.4 keV in Hf-178 was populated in a Coulomb excitation experiment with Te-130 ions. The measured cross section fo r this isomer was 2.7+/-1.9/1.4, 4.3+/-3.4/2.0, and 7.5+/-6.1/3.2 mb f or three beam energies below the Coulomb barrier, namely 560, 590, and 620 MeV. If one assumes that the projection of the total angular mome ntum on the symmetry axis, K, is only an approximate quantum number, t he population of this isomer can be reproduced via direct E3 excitatio ns of odd spin members of the isomeric band from the ground state band .