Structure of ²³F via β decay of ²³O

The nuclear states in ²³F have been investigated following the β decay of ²³O. The measurement of ²³O was carried out at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory using fragments from the reaction of a ⁴⁸Ca beam in a Be target. The half-life and total neutron emission probability were determined to be 97(8) ms and 7(2)%, respectively, for ²³O β decay. Ten γ-ray decays in ²³F and a single γ-ray in ²²F were observed to establish the β decay scheme for ²³O. Shell model calculations are in reasonable agreement with the measured β branching and B(GT) values for the lowest energy state. The excitation energies of the first 1/2⁺ and 3/2⁺ states have been determined to be 2243(8) and 4066(16) keV, respectively, indicating a widening of the 5/2⁺–1/2⁺ state gap in ²³F. The decay scheme of the largest contaminant ²⁶Ne in the experiment was established.