New isomeric states in /sup 218/Fr and /sup 214/At

Alpha spectroscopic data from the decay chain /sup 218/Fr to /sup 214 /At to /sup 210/Bi have been obtained. Previously unobserved isomeric states were found in both /sup 218/Fr and /sup 214/At. The half-life of the ground state of /sup 218/Fr was measured to be 1.3/sub -0.4 //sup +0.5/ ms. The half-life of the new isomeric state in /sup 218/Fr was determined to be 22.0+or-0.5 ms and its decay was found to be very complex with no fewer than 20 alpha -groups varying in energy between 6837 keV and 7952 keV. Two long-lived states in /sup 214/At with half- lives of 558+or-10 ns and 760+or-15 ns, respectively, were found to be strongly populated in the decay of /sup 218m/Fr. These two states are proposed to be a 1^{-} ground state and a 9^{-} isomeric state arising from the coupling between the unpaired h/sub 9/2/ proton and g /sub 9/2/ neutron.