  The a-decay chains originating from the s1/2 and h11/2 states in 173Au have
been investigated following fusion-evaporation reactions. Four generations of a
radioactivities have been correlated with 173Aum leading to a measurement of
the a decay of 161Tam. It has been found that the known a decay of 161Ta, which
was previously associated with the decay of the ground state, is in fact the
decay of an isomeric state. This work also reports on the first observation of
prompt g rays feeding the ground state of 173Au. This prompt radiation was used
to aid the study of the a-decay chain originating from the s1/2 state in 173Au.
Three generations of a decays have been correlated with this state leading to
the observation of a previously unreported activity which is assigned as the
decay of 165Reg. This work also reports the excitation energy of an a-decaying
isomer in 161Ta and the Q-value of the decay of 161Tag.
