Photoactivation of 180MTa at Astrophysically Relevant Energies

A possible connection of the isomeric state in 180Ta to its ground state band via low-lying intermediate states (IS) was investigated by means of photoactivation using bremsstrahlung. A depopulation of the isomer has been found down to a bremsstrahlung endpoint-energy of 1 MeV but not at the lowest bombarding energy of 0.8 MeV. Therefore an IS slightly lower than 1 MeV has to be assumed. Further IS were observed at about 1.2, 1.5, 2.1, 2.5, and 2.8 MeV, respectively.