Lifetime measurements to investigate γ softness and shape coexistence in 102Mo

Lifetimes of low-spin excited states in Mo-102 populated in a (100)mo(O-18, O-16) Mo-102 two-neutron transfer reaction were measured using the recoil-distance Doppler-shift technique at the Cologne FN Tandem accelerator. Lifetimes of the 2(1)(+), 4(1)(+), 6(1)(+), 0(2)(+), 2(gamma)(+), 3(gamma)(+) states and one upper limit for the lifetime of the 4(gamma)(+) state were obtained. The energy levels and deduced electromagnetic transition probabilities are compared with those obtained within the mapped interacting boson model framework with microscopic input from Gogny mean-field calculations. With the newly obtained signatures a more detailed insight in the gamma softness and shape coexistence in Mo-102 is possible and discussed in the context of the Z approximate to 40 and N approximate to 60 region. The nucleus of Mo-102 follows the gamma soft trend of the Mo isotopes. The properties of the 0(2)(+) state indicate, in contrast with the microscopic predictions, shape coexistence which also occurs in other N = 60 isotones.