Probing the structure of $^{130}$Xe and $^{136}$Xe with inelastic neutron scattering

Xenon isotopes in the vicinity of A = 130 provide an opportunity to study the transition in nuclear character from $\gamma$ soft to vibrational. Although these even-mass Xe isotopes are stable, they prove difficult to investigate directly due to their gaseous nature and thus remain relatively lightly studied. To shed new light on the low-lying structure of these isotopes, experiments have been performed at the University of Kentucky where samples of \textit{solid} $^{130}$XeF$_{2}$ and $^{136}$XeF$_{2}$ were excited via the (n,n'$\gamma$) reaction. Excitation function measurements (between 1.8 and 3.3 MeV) allow the placement of new levels and transitions and provide information about the J$^{\pi}$ of levels. Gamma-ray angular distribution data allow the determination of transition multipolarities, $\gamma$-ray branching ratios, and level lifetimes (using DSAM techniques). We will present new information concerning the low-spin structure of these transitional nuclei. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under grant no. PHY-0956310.