Lifetime determination via the Doppler-shift attenuation method using particle-$\gamma$ coincidences in Cologne

The Doppler-shift attenuation method using proton-$\gamma$ coincidences as performed in Cologne is a well established method to extract lifetimes of excited nuclear levels in the sub-picosecond range. In the past two years, the particle spectrometer SONIC with up to 12 silicon detectors in combination with the $\gamma$-ray detection array HORUS with its 14 HPGe detectors was used for p-$\gamma$ coincidence measurements on various nuclei, such as ${}^{96}$Ru, ${}^{112,114}$Sn, ${}^{128,130}$Te and ${}^{164}$Dy. Numerous extracted lifetimes were derived and used to identify mixed-symmetry states and analyse the systematics of low-spin states. In this contribution, the method as well as recent improvements and additions in combination with experimental results will be presented.