The decay properties of the ground state and excited states of $^{257}$Rf have been investigated with the detector array GABRIELA at the FLNR, Dubna. The electromagnetic decay of a new excited state in $^{253}$No has been observed. The state lies 750 keV above the ground state and is favourably populated in the alpha decay of the low-lying spin isomer of $^{257}$Rf. It decays to the 9/2$^-$ ground state by an M1 transition and is assigned the 11/2$^-$[725] Nilsson configuration. The presence of this state suggests a possible reinterpretation of the decay of the high-K isomer in $^{253}$No.
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