Unexpected distribution of ν 1 f 7 / 2 strength in Ca 49
Here, the calcium isotopes have emerged as a critical testing ground for new microscopically derived shell-model interactions, and a great deal of experimental and theoretical focus has been directed toward this region. We investigate the relative spectroscopic strengths associated with 1f 7/2 neutron hole states in 47,49 Ca following one-neutron knockout reactions from 48,50 Ca. The observed reduction of strength populating the 7/2 – 1 state in 49 Ca, as compared to 47 Ca, is inconsistent with shell-model calculations using both phenomenological interactions such as GXPF1, and interactions derived from microscopically based two- and three-nucleon forces. The result suggests a fragmentation of the l = 3 strength to higher-lying states as suggested by the microscopic calculations, but the observed magnitude of the reduction is not reproduced in any shell-model description.