Mapping the deformation in the 'island of inversion': Inelastic scattering ofNe30andMg36at intermediate energies

With new-generation facilities able to provide beams of very unstable nuclei, one can explore how the traditional magic numbers and shell closures become fragile and break down in neutron-rich regions of the chart of nuclides. One important such region is near ${}^{32}$Mg, the so-called ''island of inversion'', suggesting a rearrangement of the nuclear shell structure. This study reports on $B(E2)$ transition probabilities for the most neutron-rich nuclei yet measured in that region, ${}^{30}$Ne and ${}^{36}$Mg. The results help map the evolution and extent of anomalous shell structure toward the neutron drip line.