Lifetimes of the $2^+_1$ and $4^+_1$ states of the neutron-rich nuclide $^{200}$Pt

The lifetimes of the $2^+_1$ and $4^+_1$ states of $^{200}$Pt were measured applying the recoil-distance Doppler-shift method. Excited states were populated in the $^{198}$Pt($^{18}$O, $^{16}$O)$^{200}$Pt two-neutron transfer reaction at the $9\,\text{MV}$ tandem accelerator at the IFIN-HH in Măgurele, Romania. The resulting $B(E2)$ values of the $2^+_1 \rightarrow 0^+_1$ and $4^+_1 \rightarrow 2^+_1$ transitions as well as the $B_{4/2}$ ratio of $2.08(32)$ indicate the nuclear structure evolving towards sphericity when approaching the neutron shell closure at $N = 126$. The $B(E2; 2^+_1 \rightarrow 0^+_1)$ values of Pt and Hg are compared to values of Te, Xe and Ba as both regions of the nuclear chart show similar structural effects.