Yrare low-spin positive-parity states in N = 88 66 154 Dy

Low-spin positive-parity yrare states of 66 154 Dy88 were established using the 155Gd(3He,4n) reaction at a beam energy of \(E_{lab} = 37.5\) MeV. The AFRODITE spectrometer array at iThemba LABS was used to record \(\gamma\gamma\) coincidences and measure DCO ratios and polarisation asymmetries. The \(K^{\pi}=2^{+}\) \( \gamma\) band has been observed up to spin \(13^{+}\) in the odd spins and to \( 12^{+}\) in the even spins. The staggering parameter S(I) of the \( \gamma\) band is compared to that found in other N = 88 isotones. Different behaviour of S(I) with increasing spin is observed for each of the isotones. We conjecture that the variation in S(I) is mainly due to mixing of the even-spin states with the same spin and parity states in neighbouring rotational bands. A second \( K^{\pi}=2^{+}\) band has been established up to a spin of \( 12^{+}\) in the even spins. We suggest that this is a \( \gamma\) band based on the \( J^{\pi} = 0^{+}\) state at \( E_{x} = 660.6\) keV.