Hard-to-reach nuclei studied with deep-inelastic heavy-ion reactions

Spectroscopic studies performed-with deep-inelastic heavy-ion reactions are reviewed for two regions of neutron-rich nuclei. The identification of nu(h(11/2))(n) isomers in nearly complete series of Sn isotopes and the resulting systematic of B(E2) values for isomeric transitions is presented and followed by the discussion of shell model states studied in neutron-rich Te isotopes including the new four neutron-hole isomers identified in Te-130. Yrast spectroscopy studies of nuclei from the doubly magic Pb-208 region are described by outlining the highest spin states observed in the Pb-208 core nucleus. The E3 transitions observed abundantly in yrast decays are discussed within the framework of particle-octupole vibration coupling and the validity of a simple rule connecting energy shifts of octupole states built on one-particle states with the ones observed for two-particle states is demonstrated.