β-delayed γ-ray spectroscopy of 196Hg

Recent experimental results on the nucleus 196Hg - especially newly determined level spins and multipole mixing ratios of γ-transitions between low-energy states - show a good agreement with supersymmetrical predictions, describing 196Hg as the two-fermion, five-boson member of the supermultiplet around 194Pt. To complete the data of a previous 194Pt(α,2n) experiment and to search for further low-lying low-spin states that might not be populated by that reaction, we chose to perform a new experiment on 196Hg. This time we approach 196Hg via β-decay. We used a 35 MeV proton beam at the Wright Nuclear Structure Laboratory to induce the reaction 198Hg(p,3n)196Tl. Our target consisted of highly enriched 198Hgs. One β-decay branch populates preferably the low-spin states we are interested in. The 196Hg γ-transitions were detected with the highly efficient YRAST Ball γ-spectrometer. We present results of the experiment and discuss the description of the even-even mercury isotopes in the context of the nuclear structure supersymmetry.