Identification of excited states in the N = Z nucleus Nb-82

Information on the first excited states in the N = Z = 41 nucleus $^{82}Nb sheds light on the competition of isospin T = 0 and T = 1 states in the A similar to 80 region. The measurement was performed at the GSI laboratory using fragmentation of a 107Ag primary beam at 750 MeV/u on a 4 g/cm2 $^{9}Be target. The fragments were separated and identified unambiguously in the FRagment Separator. Three excited states were observed and the half-life estimate for the isomeric state was extracted. A tentative spin assignment based on the isobaric analogue states systematics in the Tz = 1 nucleus $^{82}$Zr, and transition probabilities indicate T = 1 character of the first two excited states, and T = 0 for the isomeric state.