Retarded isoscalar M2 strength observed in the reaction /sup 16/O(p/sub pol/,p/sub pol//sup prime/)/sup 16/O(2/sup -/,8. 88 MeV) at E/sub p/ = 40 MeV

Measurement of the spin-flip probability in the reaction /sup 10/O(p/sub pol/,p/sub pol//sup prime/)/sup 16/O(2/sup -/,8.88 MeV) at E/sub p/ = 40 MeV yields values that are significantly smaller than those predicted by microscopic distorted-wave Born-approximation calculations. This is interperted as direct evidence for the dominance of multistep processes in this reaction. Analysis of the data in terms of the spin-flip cross section (spin-flip probability times the differential cross section) yields as isoscalar M2 strength for the 2/sup -/ which is significantly smaller than that predicted by random-phase--approximation wave functions.