Lifetime Measurements in 178Hf

Lifetimes of levels from K π = 2 + , K π = 4 + and several K π = 0 + bands have been measured in the 178 Hf nucleus using the GRID technique. Lifetimes of the 2 + and 3 + levels were measured within the K π = 2 + γ band. A lower limit was established for the lifetime of the 4 + level of the K π = 4 + band. The resulting upper limits for the absolute B (E2) values exclude collective transitions from the K π = 4 + to the ground state band but not to the K π = 2 + band. Level lifetimes were also measured for several states within three separate K π = 0 + bands. Evidence is presented for a previously unobserved case of two excited K π = 0 + bands being connected via collective E2 transitions.