Fast-timing measurements of excited states in 67 Cu

The half-lives of the 9/2 + , 13/2+ , and 15/2+ yrast states in the neutron-rich 67Cu nucleus were determined by using the in-beam fast-timing technique. The experimentally deduced E3 transition strength for the decay of the 9/2+ level to the 3/2- ground state indicates that the wave function of this level might contain a collective component arising from the coupling of the odd proton p3/2 with the 3- state in 66Ni. Theoretical interpretations of the 9/2+ state are presented within the particle-vibration weak-coupling scheme involving the unpaired proton and the 3- state from 66Ni and within shell-model calculations with a 56Ni core using the jj44b residual interaction. The shell model also accounts reasonably well for the other measured electromagnetic transition probabilities.