Mössbauer Effect Following Coulomb Excitation in the Even-Even Isotopes of Ytterbium

Mössbauer levels in ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{172}$, ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{174}$, and ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{176}$ have been observed following the population of the first excited states by Coulomb excitation. Using oxide and metallic targets and absorbers, the quadrupole energy splittings and relative quadrupole moments were determined for each isotope. Coulomb-excitation cross-section data were used to determine the electric-field gradient at the nucleus for ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{3+}$ in ${\mathrm{Yb}}_2$ ${\mathrm{O}}_3$.