Search for a doublet in /sup 16/O near 9. 85 MeV

The region of excitation in /sup 16/O near 9.85 MeV has been investigated for evidence of a doublet, expected from tetrahedral symmetry arguments, by using the /sup 12/C(/sup 4/He,..gamma../sub 3/)/sup 16/O and /sup 12/C(/sup 4/He,/sup 4/He)/sup 12/C reactions. Energy-matched measurements of the pair of reactions show no evidence for cascade gamma-ray decay of any but the known D-wave resonance observed in the elastic channel. The gamma-ray decay width of a possible second nondegenerate level to the 2/sub 1//sup +/ state is determined to be less than 5 x 10/sup -4/ eV.