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The Optimized Energy Degrading Optics (OEDO) beamline was constructed at RIBF to produce slowed-down, well-focused radioactive-isotope beams at 10–50 MeV/u, and began operation in June 2017. We examined the performance of the OEDO system by decelerating high-energy medium-mass radioactive ions. The main components of the OEDO beamline are two superconducting quadrupole triplet magnets and one radio-frequency deflector. This paper introduces the unique design of the ion optics of the beamline and describes the achieved performance of the beamline in the commissioning and following physics experiments. We will discuss the properties of energy-degraded beams produced by the OEDO beamline by comparison of simulations and the achieved performance.

The Rare-RI Ring (R3) is a recently commissioned cyclotron-like storage ring mass spectrometer dedicated to mass measurements of exotic nuclei far from stability at Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF) in RIKEN. The first application of mass measurement using the R3 mass spectrometer at RIBF is reported. Rare isotopes produced at RIBF, $^{127}$Sn, $^{126}$In, $^{125}$Cd, $^{124}$Ag, $^{123}$Pd, were injected in R3. Masses of $^{126}$In, $^{125}$Cd, and $^{123}$Pd were measured whereby the mass uncertainty of $^{123}$Pd was improved. This is the first reported measurement with a new storage ring mass spectrometery technique realized at a heavy-ion cyclotron and employing individual injection of the pre-identified rare nuclei. The latter is essential for the future mass measurements of the rarest isotopes produced at RIBF. The impact of the new $^{123}$Pd result on the solar $r$-process abundances in a neutron star merger event is investigated by performing reaction network calculations of 20 trajectories with varying electron fraction $Y_e$. It is found that the neutron capture cross section on $^{123}$Pd increases by a factor of 2.2 and $\beta$-delayed neutron emission probability, $P_\mathrm{1n}$, of $^{123}$Rh increases by 14\%. The neutron capture cross section on $^{122}$Pd decreases by a factor of 2.6 leading to pileup of material at $A=122$, thus reproducing the trend of the solar $r$-process abundances. The trend of the two-neutron separation energies (S$_\mathrm{2n}$) was investigated for the Pd isotopic chain. The new mass measurement with improved uncertainty excludes large changes of the S$_\mathrm{2n}$ value at $N=77$. Such large increase of the S$_\mathrm{2n}$ values before $N=82$ was proposed as an alternative to the quenching of the $N=82$ shell gap to reproduce $r$-process abundances in the mass region of $A=112-124$.

Charge changing cross sections (\(\sigma _{\text{CC}}\)) for ^40–48K and ^42–51Ca have been measured using BigRIPS at RIBF, RIKEN. The \(\sigma _{\text{CC}}\) obtained along the long isotopic chain of K and Ca revealed the fact that \(\sigma _{\text{CC}}\) have strong proton separation energy () dependence. The data are compared with the calculation based on the Glauber model and also with the proton evaporation model. It is found that the \(\sigma _{\text{CC}}\) data are well reproduced when the proton evaporation effect is taken into account.

Interaction cross sections for ^{42-51}Ca on a carbon target at 280 MeV/nucleon have been measured for the first time. The neutron number dependence of derived root-mean-square matter radii shows a significant increase beyond the neutron magic number N=28. Furthermore, this enhancement of matter radii is much larger than that of the previously measured charge radii, indicating a novel growth in neutron skin thickness. A simple examination based on the Fermi-type distribution, and mean field calculations point out that this anomalous enhancement of the nuclear size beyond N=28 results from an enlargement of the core by a sudden increase in the surface diffuseness of the neutron density distribution, which implies the swelling of the bare ^{48}Ca core in Ca isotopes beyond N=28.

We present the first direct measurement of the atomic mass of a superheavy nuclide. Atoms of $^{257}$Db ($Z$=105) were produced online at the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science using the fusion-evaporation reaction $^{208}$Pb($^{51}$V, 2n)$^{257}$Db. The gas-filled recoil ion separator GARIS-II was used to suppress both the unreacted primary beam and some transfer products, prior to delivering the energetic beam of $^{257}$Db ions to a helium gas-filled ion stopping cell wherein they were thermalized. Thermalized $^{257}$Db$^{3+}$ ions were then transferred to a multi-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrograph for mass analysis. An alpha particle detector embedded in the ion time-of-flight detector allowed disambiguation of the rare $^{257}$Db$^{3+}$ time-of-flight detection events from background by means of correlation with characteristic $\alpha$-decays. The extreme sensitivity of this technique allowed a precision atomic mass determination from 11 events. The mass excess was determined to be $100\,063(231)_\textrm{stat}(132)_\textrm{sys}$~keV/c$^2$. Comparing to several mass models, we show the technique can be used to unambiguously determine the atomic number as $Z$=105 and should allow similar evaluations for heavier species in future work., Comment: Submitted to PRC as Rapid Comm., 5 pages, 4 figures

We investigated charge-changing processes (total charge-changing cross sections and partial charge-changing cross sections) for light proton-rich nuclei (34–36Ar, 33Cl, 25–28Si) at around 300A MeV on carbon and solid-hydrogen targets. We estimated the nuclear proton point radii of 33Cl and 25,26,27Si from the observed total charge-changing cross sections by using Glauber-model calculations with a phenomenological correction factor. Furthermore, we estimated the proton skin thickness for 33Cl coupled with its previously observed matter radius. From investigations of the partial charge-changing cross sections, clear zigzag pattern was observed for all isotopes. The present studies suggest that the pattern may be common in the proton-rich side, and depends on the odd–even nature of the fragment charge.

Physics letters / B 763, 16 - 19 (2016). doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2016.10.015, Published by North-Holland Publ., Amsterdam

The OEDO (Optimized Energy Degrading Optics for RI beam) beamline has been developed to obtain low-energy (10 – 50 MeV/u) RI beams by slowing down the secondary beams at RIBF, RIKEN. Such beams are useful probes to investigate nuclear structure by means of nucleon transfer and Coulomb excitation reactions. The beamline is designed to produce a well-focused beam of small energy spread with the help of the angle-tuneable wedge degrader and the radio-frequency deflector. The commissioning and first physics experiments using the OEDO beamline were carried out in 2017. OEDO successfully provided the energy-degraded beams of Se, Zr, and Pd. Its performance including the optics and transmission was evaluated using those experimental data and it functions properly as designed. We expect that our novel beamline shed a light on the experimental approaches involving nuclear reactions at several tens of MeV/u to expand our knowledge of nuclei far beyond the line of stability.

The spatial distributions of scintillation photons in a plastic scintillation detector were measured using a multi-anode photomultiplier H7546A coupled with 1-mm-diameter optical fibers. A row of several tens of fibers connected to the scintillator generates one-dimensional spatial distributions of photons induced by the swift passage of heavy ions. The pulse heights from each channel change depending on the beam position. This can be utilized to determine the positions of the heavy ions. To test the performance of the proposed detection method, an experiment using a 84Kr beam with intermediate energies ranging from 40 to 85 MeV/nucleon was performed at the heavy-ion medical accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC). The photon spatial distributions were successfully observed. By optimizing the photomultiplier bias voltage and threshold in the pulse height analyses, a detection efficiency of 98% and a position resolution of 1.1 mm in σ were achieved simultaneously.

A novel method for measuring nuclear reactions in inverse kinematics with stored ion beams was successfully used to extract the nuclear-matter radius of $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$. The experiment was performed at the experimental heavy-ion storage ring at the GSI facility using a stored $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ beam at energies of 100 and 150 MeV/u and an internal helium gas-jet target. Elastically scattered $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-recoils at low momentum transfers were measured with an in-ring detector system compatible with ultrahigh vacuum. Experimental angular distributions were fitted using density-dependent optical model potentials within the eikonal approximation. This permitted the extraction of the point-matter root-mean-square radius of $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ with an average value of 3.70(7) fm. Results from this work are in good agreement with several experiments performed in the past in normal kinematics. This pioneering experiment demonstrates a major breakthrough towards future investigations with far-from-stability stored beams using the present technique.

We measured the reaction cross sections of the two-neutron halo nucleus 14Be with proton and carbon targets at about 41 and 76 MeV/nucleon. Based on a Glauber model calculation, we deduced the matter density distribution of 14Be in which previously measured interaction cross sections at relativistic energies were also included. An s-wave dominance in 14Be has been confirmed, although the halo tail of 14Be is not distributed as much as that of 11Li. Significant mixing of the p-wave in addition to the s- and d-wave is also suggested.

As next generation spectroscopic tools, heavy-ion cooler storage rings will be a unique application of highly charged RI beam experiments. Decay spectroscopy of highly charged rare isotopes provides us important information relevant to the stellar conditions, such as for the s- and r-process nucleosynthesis. In-ring decay products of highly charged RI will be momentum-analyzed and reach a position-sensitive detector set-up located outside of the storage orbit. To realize such in-ring decay experiments, we have developed and tested two types of high-resolution position-sensitive detectors: silicon strips and scintillating fibers. The beam test experiments resulted in excellent position resolutions for both detectors, which will be available for future storage-ring experiments.

Charge-changing interactions of stable and unstable medium-mass nuclides have been systematically investigated at intermediate energies. Secondary beams ranging from Ar to Ge isotopes produced by projectile fragmentation of 56Fe and 70Ge were irradiated onto a carbon target, and their total and partial charge-changing cross sections were precisely measured. A clear odd–even effect found in the partial charge-changing cross sections monotonically varies as a function of the Z / N ratio among the isotopes, and grows toward the neutron-deficient side. The total charge-changing cross sections are sensitive to the Z number of nuclides, and tend to gradually increase toward the neutron-deficient side in some isotopes.

The in-flight particle separation capability of intermediate-energy radioactive ion (RI) beams produced at a fragment separator can be improved with the Cherenkov light detection technique. The cone angle of Cherenkov light emission varies as a function of beam velocity. This can be exploited as a velocity selector for secondary beams. Using heavy ion beams available at the HIMAC synchrotron facility, the Cherenkov light angular distribution was measured for several thin radiators with high refractive indices ( n = 1.9 ~ 2.1 ). A velocity resolution of ~10−3 was achieved for a 56Fe beam with an energy of 500 MeV/nucleon. Combined with the conventional rigidity selection technique coupled with energy-loss analysis, the present method will enable the efficient selection of an exotic species from huge amounts of various nuclides , such as uranium fission products at the BigRIPS fragment separator located at the RI Beam Factory.

Production of spin polarized short-lived nucleus 12N (I π = 1 + , T 1/2 = 11 ms) using heavy ion reactions at intermediate energies has been performed. Typical polarization of about −25 % and +10 % through the projectile fragmentation Be(14N, 12N)X and the charge exchange CH2(12C, 12N)X processes, respectively, was obtained. The present study proved that the combination of a 12C beam and a proton target provides a fairly good quality of polarized 12N beam in terms of intensity and energy uniformity, and is promising for materials science use of 12N as a nuclear probe.

The polarized 20F(I π = 2 + , T 1/2 = 11.163 s), 24m Al(I π = 1 + , T 1/2 = 131.3 ms), 29P(I π = 1/2 + , T 1/2 = 4.142 s) and 41Sc(I π = 7/2−, T 1/2 = 596.3 ms) isotopes were produced by nuclear-polarization transfer reactions with polarized proton or deuteron beams. In the case of 29P isotope, we have produced the polarization by two reactions; 29Si( $\overrightarrow{p}$ ,n)29P and 28Si( $\overrightarrow{d}$ ,n)29P. The degree of nuclear polarization of those nuclei have been measured using the β-ray detected nuclear magnetic resonance method.

We report on a new measurement of the g factor of the (13/2(+)) isomeric state in the neutron-rich nucleus Cu-69. This study demonstrates the possibility of obtaining considerable nuclear spin alignment for multi-quasiparticle states in single-nucleon removal reactions. The time-dependent perturbed angular distribution (TDPAD) method was used to extract the gyromagnetic factor of the (13/2(+)) [T-1/2 = 351(14) ns] isomeric state of Cu-69. Its g factor was obtained as g(13/2(+)) = 0.248( 9). The experimentally observed spin alignment for the state of interest was deduced as A = -3.3(9)%.

Interaction cross sections (sigma(1)) for Me isotopes from the stability line to the vicinity of the neutron drip line have been measured at around 240 MeV/nucleon using BigRIPS at RIBF, RIKEN, The sigma(1) for Ne27-32 in every case exceed the systematic mass-number dependence of sigma(1) for stable nuclei, which can be explained by considering the nuclear deformation. In particular the sigma(1) for Ne-29 and Ne-31 are significantly greater than those of their neighboring nuclides. These enhancements of sigma(1) for Ne-29 and Ne-31 cannot be explained by a single-particle model calculation under the assumption that the valence neutron of Ne-29 (Ne-31) occupies the 0d(3/2) (0f(7/2)) orbital, as expected from the standard spherical shell ordering. The present data suggest an s dominant halo structure of Ne-29 and s- or p-orbital halo in Ne-31. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The level structure of 30 P up to 8.25 MeV was investigated via in-beam γ -ray spectroscopy using the 28 Si( 3 He,p γ ) 30 P reaction at 9 MeV at the University of Tsukuba Tandem Accelerator Complex in Japan. An energy level scheme was deduced from γ - γ coincidence measurements. 47 new transitions have been observed from the previously known states (mostly resonances), thereby reducing the uncertainties in the excitation energies of 17 states from 3 to 10 keV to values of γ -ray angular distributions and γ - γ directional correlation of oriented nuclei (DCO ratios) were made for several observed levels of 30 P.

The β-NMR study of short-lived nucleus 58Cu (I π = 1 + , T 1/2 = 3.2 s) in Si has been performed. Spin polarization of 58Cu induced by the charge exchange reaction of 58Ni was observed in Si at 15 K. The 58Cu magnetic moment $|\upmu[^{58}\mbox{Cu}]| = (0.46 \pm 0.03)\upmu_{\rm N}$ deduced from the β-NMR spectrum is consistent with the previous results on the laser spectroscopy. The present result shows that the 58Cu nucleus is promising as a new nuclear probe for the microscopic study of Cu impurities in Si.

A system for the spin-polarization measurement of unstable nuclei has been developed, in which the alternation of nuclear spins takes place by adiabatically rotating a holding magnetic field for the preservation of spin polarization, without applying a resonant oscillating magnetic field for NMR. The performance of the system was studied with spin-polarized 20F ( I π = 2 + , T 1 / 2 = 11.163 s) produced in the 19 F ( d → , p ) 20 → F reaction at E/A = 7 MeV at the RIKEN RIBF facility. In the measurement, the magnitude of 20F spin polarization | P ( 20 F ) | = 1.6 ( 2 ) % was successfully observed with the new system.

We have measured the nuclear-matter distribution of the doubly-magic N = Z nucleus Ni-56 by investigating elastic proton scattering in inverse kinematics. The radioactive beam of Ni-56 was injected and stored in the experimental storage ring (ESR, GSI) and interacted with an internal hydrogen gas-jet target. The high revolution frequency of the ions in the ring enabled a high luminosity, despite the low density of the target being used. This way, measurements at very low momentum transfers became possible. By measuring the energy and the scattering angle of the recoiling protons, we were able to separate the elastic reaction channel from inelastic scattering to the first excited 2(+) state of Ni-56 and deduced the differential cross section of Ni-56 (p, p)(56) Ni. The data were analyzed within the framework of the Glauber multiple-scattering theory in order to extract the nuclear-matter radius and radial matter distribution of Ni-56. Parameterizing the matter distribution with the phenomenological Symmetrized Fermi distribution, a preliminary value of 3.5 fm for the rms matter radius was deduced. This experiment was part of an EXL (EXotic nuclei studied in Light-ion induced reactions at storage rings) campaign at GSI in 2012 and was the first successful investigation of nuclear reactions with a stored radioactive beam ever.

In the first campaign of the exotic nuclei studied with light-ion induced reaction in storage rings (EXL) collaboration at the existing storage ring experimental heavy-ion storage ring (ESR) at Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research (GSI), we performed the first experiments using a stored beam of 58Ni and an internal helium gas-jet target aiming for the investigation of isoscalar giant resonances in inverse kinematics. In this experiment, inelastically scattered recoil particles (at very forward angles, °) were detected with a dedicated setup, including ultra-high vacuum (UHV)-compatible double-sided silicon strip detector (DSSDs). Preliminary results show evidence for the excitation of the isoscalar giant monopole resonance (ISGMR) in the 58Ni nucleus. This opens the opportunity to study in the near future giant resonances also with stored radioactive beams, like 56Ni, and extract important information about the nuclear matter incompressibility. In the present work the current status of the data analysis and results are shown and discussed.

Precise reaction cross sections (${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{R}$) for $^{24\ensuremath{-}38}\mathrm{Mg}$ on C targets at energies around 240 MeV/nucleon have been measured at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at RIKEN. The ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{R}$ for $^{36\ensuremath{-}38}\mathrm{Mg}$ have been measured for the first time. An enhancement of ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{R}$ compared to the systematics for spherical stable nuclei has been observed, especially in the neutron-rich region, which reflects the deformation of those isotopes. In the vicinity of the drip line the ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{R}$ for $^{37}\mathrm{Mg}$ is especially large. It is shown by analysis using a recently developed theoretical method that this prominent enhancement of ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{R}$ for $^{37}\mathrm{Mg}$ should come from the $p$-orbital halo formation breaking the $N=28$ shell gap.

The total charge-changing, charge pick-up, and partial charge-changing cross sections of very neutron-rich nuclei (Ne-30, Na-32,Na-33) with a proton target have been measured at similar to 240A MeV for the first time. We introduced the phenomenological correction factor in Glauber-model calculations for the total charge-changing cross sections with the proton target, and applied it to deduce the proton radii of these nuclei. For 30Ne and Na-32, the neutron skin thicknesses of the nuclei were deduced by comparing the proton radii with the matter radii deduced from the interaction cross-section measurements. A significant thick neutron-skin has been observed for the nuclei. We also found that the charge pick-up cross sections are much larger than those in the systematics of stable nuclei.

The differential cross sections of the 9 Be + α inelastic scattering at 30 MeV were measured at the tandem of Tsukuba University. All the known states of 9 Be up to energies ~ 12 MeV were observed and decomposed into three rotational bands, each of them having a cluster structure consisting of a 8 Be core plus a valence neutron in one of the sub-shells: p3/2-, s1/2+ and p1/2-. Existence of a neutron halo in the positive parity states was confirmed.

25th International Nuclear Physics Conference, Florence, Italy, 2 Jun 2013 - 7 Jun 2013; The European physical journal / Web of Conferences Web of Conferences : proceedings proceedings 66, 02101 (2014). doi:10.1051/epjconf/20146602101, Published by EDP Sciences, Les Ulis

The European physical journal / Web of Conferences 66, 03093 (2014). doi:10.1051/epjconf/20146603093, Published by EDP Sciences, Les Ulis

25th International Nuclear Physics Conference, Florence, Italy, 2 Jun 2013 - 7 Jun 2013; The European physical journal / Web of Conferences Web of Conferences : proceedings proceedings 66, 03084 (2014). doi:10.1051/epjconf/20146603084, Published by EDP Sciences, Les Ulis

We measured the reaction cross sections of the two-neutron halo nucleus ${}^{11}$Li with solid hydrogen and carbon targets at around 31 and 41 MeV/nucleon. The neutron density distribution of ${}^{11}$Li was deduced for the first time by the Glauber model calculation based on the optical limit approximation. The uncertainty of the matter density of ${}^{11}$Li was improved, compared with earlier measurements. The present root-mean-square radius of the proton distribution agrees with the previous one derived from an optical isotope shift measurement. The present root-mean-square radii reproduce theoretical calculations by the tensor optimized shell model by assuming core excitation. This consistency suggests the possibility that ${}^{9}$Li in ${}^{11}$Li is excited and the disappearance of the $N=8$ shell gap of ${}^{11}$Li is caused by correlations originating from the nucleon force, such as the tensor and the pairing.

21st International School on Nuclear Physics and Applications & the International Symposium on Exotic Nuclei, Varna, Bulgaria, 7 Sep 2015 - 12 Sep 2015; Journal of physics / Conference Series Conference Series 724(1), 012026 - (2016). doi:10.1088/1742-6596/724/1/012026, The EXL project aims to study nuclear structure by direct reactions in inverse kinematics at the storage rings of the future FAIR facility. In this contribution, we present the status of the project: the technical implementation at the ESR at GSI and preliminary results of the EXL campaign in 2012, the first using also a radioactive beam., Published by IOP Publ., Bristol

Charge Changing Cross Sections (CCCS or σ CC ) of neutron-rich carbon isotopes on carbon target were measured at low energy (50A MeV) for the first time. The consistency between Glauber calculation and experimental σ CC of 12 C isotope at low energy region shows that proton distribution radii can be derived from CCCS at low energy.

The uncertainty in the 29P(p,gamma)30S reaction rate over the temperature range of 0.1 - 1.3 GK was previously determined to span ~4 orders of magnitude due to the uncertain location of two previously unobserved 3+ and 2+ resonances in the 4.7 - 4.8 MeV excitation region in 30S. Therefore, the abundances of silicon isotopes synthesized in novae, which are relevant for the identification of presolar grains of putative nova origin, were uncertain by a factor of 3. To investigate the level structure of 30S above the proton threshold (4394.9(7) keV), a charged-particle spectroscopy and an in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy experiments were performed. Differential cross sections of the 32S(p,t)30S reaction were measured at 34.5 MeV. Distorted wave Born approximation calculations were performed to constrain the spin-parity assignments of the observed levels. An energy level scheme was deduced from gamma-gamma coincidence measurements using the 28Si(3He,n-gamma)30S reaction. Spin-parity assignments based on measurements of gamma-ray angular distributions and gamma-gamma directional correlation from oriented nuclei were made for most of the observed levels of 30S. As a result, the resonance energies corresponding to the excited states in 4.5 MeV - 6 MeV region, including the two astrophysically important states predicted previously, are measured with significantly better precision than before. The uncertainty in the rate of the 29P(p,gamma)30S reaction is substantially reduced over the temperature range of interest. Finally, the influence of this rate on the abundance ratios of silicon isotopes synthesized in novae are obtained via 1D hydrodynamic nova simulations., Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures

A Time Projection Chamber (TPC) for use as an active target has been developed. The TPC is used for nuclear experiments using unstable nuclear beam and is intended to measure a recoil nucleus in forward scattering whose energy is very small. It is designed to have two field cages and beams pass between the cages in order to decrease distortion of the electric field inside the TPC due to the ions created along the beam track. A Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) is utilized for signal amplification. A performance test was carried out using 4 He2+ with 7.5 MeV/u in 12UD Pelletron tandem accelerator at the University of Tsukuba Tandem Accelerator Center. From the test, energy resolution of 4%, position resolution of 80 μm in the drift direction and of less than 700 μm in the transverse direction were obtained.

The ground-state bands of $^{248,250,252}\mathrm{Cf}$ have been established up to the ${10}^{+}$, ${12}^{+}$, and ${10}^{+}$ states, respectively, by in-beam $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectroscopy using neutron-transfer reactions with a $153$-MeV $^{18}\mathrm{O}$ beam and a highly radioactive Cf target. The deexcitation $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays in $^{248,250,252}\mathrm{Cf}$ were identified by taking coincidences with outgoing particles of $^{16\ensuremath{-}19}\mathrm{O}$ measured with Si $\ensuremath{\Delta}E\ensuremath{-}E$ detectors, and by selecting their kinetic energies. Moments of inertia of $^{248,250,252}\mathrm{Cf}$ were discussed in terms of the $N=152$ deformed shell gap.

Lifetimes of the first 2+ states in 162, 164Gd have been measured by means of β—γ delayed coincidence technique for mass‐separated 162Eu and 164Eu isotopes. Using the obtained lifetimes τ(162Gd) = 3.98(8) ns and τ(164Gd) = 4.0(2) ns, B(E2;0+□2+) values were deduced as B(E2;0+□2+) (162Gd) = 5.45(11) e2b2 and B(E2;0+□2+) (164Gd) = 5.2(3) e2b2.

Ground-state electric quadrupole moment of 31Al (I =5/2+, T_1/2 = 644(25) ms) has been measured by means of the beta-NMR spectroscopy using a spin-polarized 31Al beam produced in the projectile fragmentation reaction. The obtained Q moment, |Q_exp(31Al)| = 112(32)emb, are in agreement with conventional shell model calculations within the sd valence space. Previous result on the magnetic moment also supports the validity of the sd model in this isotope, and thus it is concluded that 31Al is located outside of the island of inversion., Comment: 5 pages