Low- and medium-spin states in theN=124 isotones208Po and209At

Excited levels in²⁰⁸Po and²⁰⁹At were populated in the reactions (p, 2n) and (³He, 3n), and²⁰⁸Po also in the EC-decay of the²⁰⁸At ground state, which was produced in the²⁰⁹Bi(³He, 4n) reaction. The experimental procedures comprised gamma-ray excitation functions,γ- γ coincidences, as well as gamma-ray angular distribution and conversionelectron measurements, both on- and off-line. The properties of about twenty-five levels in each nuclide were studied. In²⁰⁸Po the energy of the 8⁺→6⁺ transition could be determined to be 4.0±0.2keV and the 8⁺ state thus has an excitation energy of 1,528 keV. The effective quadrupole charge of theh _9/2 proton can be derived ase _eff(τ h _9/2)=1.69(15)e. For the previously reported isomeric half-lives more accurate values are obtained, the systematics of electricL=1, 2 and 3 transition rates are discussed, and their microscopic structure is elucidated. Shell model considerations are used to support the configuration assignments, as are the logft values for the strongest²⁰⁸At(EC)²⁰⁸Po decay branches. The effect of core polarixation on the excitation energies of yrast states is studied in both²⁰⁸Po and²⁰⁹At. Many of the states populated in the²⁰⁸At EC decay are shown to be of core-excited character.