Structure of neutron-rich oxygen isotopes

One-nucleon removal reactions at relativistic energies have been used as a spectroscopic tool for obtaining information about the ground state of neutron-rich oxygen isotopes. Using the FRS at GSI, the longitudinal momentum distributions of the emerging fragments after breakup were measured along with the one-nucleon removal cross-sections. The relative contributions of the remaining fragments in their ground and excited states have been determined for a few cases from measurements of γ rays in coincidence with the longitudinal momentum distribution. The controversial case of 23O has been directly addressed. Comparison of our exclusive momentum distributions for the one-neutron removal channel to theoretical momentum distributions calculated with an Eikonal model for the knockout process rendered a spin and parity of Iπ = 1/2+ for the 23O ground state. This result resolves the existent experimental discrepancy and supports sub-shell closure at N = 14 with a fairly pure 2s1/2 neutron in 23O