In-beam spectroscopy of ²⁵¹Md

Spectroscopy of the transfermium nuclei is an important tool for elucidating the structure of the heaviest elements. While superheavy nuclei remain difficult to access experimentally, nuclides near Z=100 and N=152 are much more amenable to detailed spectroscopic studies. In particular, odd-Z nuclei offer direct insight into the proton orbitals near the Fermi surface in this region. We have performed in-beam spectroscopy of the nucleus ²⁵¹Md, which was also studied recently via isomer-delayed spectroscopy. We use the Argonne Gas-Filled Analyzer coupled to Digital Gammasphere to identify rotational bands in this nucleus and search for excited states built on the known high-K isomeric state. The results of the experiment and their implications will be discussed.