Structure of odd-mass nuclei on the first island of inversion

The island of inversion is a region of neutron-rich nuclei that are deformed in their ground states. In this region, little is known about the energy spectra of odd-mass nuclei. The interplay of continuum effects and the shell evolution makes the theoretical calculations challenging. How do they organize into rotational bands, and how do the levels evolve with increasing neutron number? We perform ab initio calculations of spectra in odd Ne, Na, and Mg nuclei based on an interaction of chiral effective field theory. Our results confirm a few tentative spin and parity assignments, predict the structure of nuclei close to the neutron dripline, and inform us about shell evolution in this region of the nuclear chart.