In-source laser spectroscopy of $^{75, 77, 78}$Cu: Direct evidence for a change in the quasiparticle energy sequence in $^{75, 77}$Cu and an absence of longer-lived isomers in $^{78}$Cu

This paper describes measurements on the isotopes (75,77,78)Cu by the technique of in-source laser spectroscopy, at the ISOLDE facility, CERN. The role of this technique is briefly discussed in the context of this and other, higher resolution, methods applied to copper isotopes in the range (57-78)Cu. The data, analyzed in comparison with previous results on the lighter isotopes (59,63)Cu, establish the ground-state nuclear spin of (75,77)Cu as 5/2 and yield their magnetic dipole moments as +1.01(5)mu(N) and +1.61(5)mu(N), respectively. The results on (78)Cu show no evidence for long-lived isomerism at this mass number and are consistent with a spin in the range 3-6 and moment of 0.0(4) mu(N)