Evolution of the N = 20 shell gap

Stucture of N = 17,18 nuclei has been investigated via proton inelastic scattering and neutron removal reactions up to the neutron dripline in inverse kinematics by use of radioctive ion beams provided by the RIKEN isotope separator, RIPS. Low energy excited states have been found in all the 26,27F and 27Ne nuclei, which are out of the neutron sd shell configuration space and are considered as intruder states arisng from cross shell excitations. Monte-Carlo shell model calculations with the sdpf-m interaction predict low energy negative parity excited states from neutron cross shell excitation at N = 17,18, which is in agreement with our experimental results. Observation of intruder states even at N = 17, especially the p3/2 state in 27Ne at 765 keV is a clear indication of a vanishing N = 20 shell gap at Z = 8 as predicted by the sdpf-m shell model calculations.