The Beta decay of104Nb and the level scheme of104Mo

Radioactive104Nb was produced as a fission product and separated by use of the gasfilled magnetic separator JOSEF. Isomeric104Nb half lives of 0.99 and 4.8 s were determined. It was established that the shorter half life is due to the decay of a high-spin isomer. Singles andγ−γ coincidence spectra were used to identify 45γ-rays of104Mo. The previous assignment of the principalγ-rays to104Mo was confirmed. An energy level scheme of104Mo with levels up to 2,888 keV of excitation has been constructed. Calculations in the frame of the interacting boson approximation (IBA) have been performed. The data are consistent with a description of104Mo as a nucleus at the limit between the transitional and the deformed region.