Single-particle behavior at N=126: Isomeric decays in neutron-rich 204Pt

The four proton-hole nucleus Pt-204 was populated in the fragmentation of an E/A = 1 GeV Pb-208 beam. The yrast structure of Pt-204 has been observed up to angular momentum I = 10h by detecting delayed gamma-ray transitions originating from metastable states. These long-lived excited states have been identified to have spin-parities of I-pi = (10(+)), (7(-)), and (5(-)) and half-lives of T-1/2 = 146(14) ns, 55(3) mu s, and 5.5(7) mu s, respectively. The structure of the magic N = 126 Pt-204 nucleus is discussed and understood in terms of the spherical shell model. The data suggest a revision of the two-body interaction for N = 126, Z < 82, which determines the evolution of nuclear structure toward the r-process waiting point nuclei.