Rotational bands in 181Ta

High-spin states in 181Ta have been studied via the 176Yb(11B,α2n) reaction at 52 MeV using the PEX array and at 57 MeV using the NORDBALL array, with α-particle detection. The previously known, Kπ=(7/2)+ ground state band and Kπ=(9/2)− band have been extended to spins (29/2)+ and (31/2)−, respectively. Two new one-quasiparticle bands, the Kπ=(5/2)+ band built on the known (5/2)+ isomer and a Kπ=((1/2)−) band have been observed. Two other rotational bands with three-quasiparticle structure, Kπ=(15/2)− and ((19/2)+ with π(7/2)[404]ν2(1/2)[510](9/2)[624] and π(9/2)[514]ν2(1/2)[510](9/2)[624] configurations, respectively, have been newly observed. The half-life of the Kπ=((19/2)+) bandhead which decays to the head of the (15/2)− band has been measured to be 140(36) ns. However, transitions from the ((19/2)+) state to the (15/2)− band have not been observed.