Electromagnetic transitions in the ground-state rotational band of /sup 159/Tb

The ground-state band of /sup 159/Tb has been Coulomb excited up to spin 23/2 by 151-MeV /sup 40/Ar ions. The lifetimes of the 9/2 to 23/2 levels have been determined by combining results obtained with the RD and DSA methods, the /b E/2//b M/1 mixing ratios for Delta /b I/=1 transitions have been measured using angular correlation techniques and the branching ratios for the levels up to spin 17/2 have been determined. The energies of the levels and the reduced /b M/1 and /b E/2 transition probabilities for their decay have been compared with the predictions of the rotational model, without and with Delta /b K/=1 admixtures. No satisfactory agreement could be achieved for all available experimental data simultaneously.