Lifetimes Of The 0(2)(+) Configuration In Hg-186 And Hg-188

A new picosecond lifetime measurement system developed at UNISOR was used to determine the half-life of the well-deformed 0(2)(+) levels in Hg-188 and Hg-186. The half-life values were measured to be 204 +/- 45 ps in Hg-188 and <= 52 ps in Hg-186. The corresponding values of rho(2) (E0) X 103, obtained from the partial half-lives, were 7.7(-3.2)(+2.2): and >= 32, respectively. Additionally, the half-lives of the 2(2)(+) levels were determined to be 141 +/- 31 pa in Hg-188 and 48 +/- 27 Ps in Hg-186.