Coupling of the proton-hole and neutron-particle states in the neutron-rich 48K isotope

Excited states in the Z=19, N=29 neutron-rich 48K isotope have been studied using deep-inelastic transfer reactions with a thick target at Gammasphere and with a thin target at the PRISMA-CLARA spectrometer. The lowest excited states were located; they involve a proton hole in the s1/2 or d 3/2 orbital coupled to a p3/2 neutron. A new 7.1(5)-ns, 5+ isomer, the analog of the 7/2- isomer in 47K, was identified. Based on the observed γ-decay pattern of the isomer a revised spin-parity assignment of 1- is proposed for the ground state of 48K.