EVIDENCE FOR LONG-LIVED PROTON DECAY NOT FAR FROM THE β-STABILITY VALLEY PRODUCED BY THE ¹⁶O + ¹⁹⁷Au REACTION AT 80 MeV

The reaction ¹⁶O + ¹⁹⁷Au has been studied at a bombarding energy of 80 MeV. Long-lived proton decays with half-lives of about h and h, proton energies of several MeV and production cross-section in the nb region have been observed. The existence of long-lived high energy isomeric state(s) which decay by protons, directly or by delayed protons, is evident from the data. The possible connection with the second minimum in the potential energy curve is discussed.