The emergence of new "magic" numbers in the light neutron-rich oxygen isotopes has ledto interest in spectroscopy of other neutron-rich elements like nitrogen. One such nucleus isthe N = 15 isotope 22N. An excited state of 22N unbound with respect to neutron emission was observed in a stripping reaction from a 85 MeV/u 26F beam. The observed decay energy of 650(50) keV places the level, which is interpreted to be the first 3- state, at an excitation energy of 1.93(22) MeV. Together with the previously measured bound states of 22N, a reduction of the N = 14 shell gap compared to less neutron-rich nitrogen isotopes at the neutron dripline is observed. Based on the magnitude of the reduction of the shell gap for 22N, a disappearance of the gap and even a level inversion of the v1s1/2 and the v0d5/2levels in the neutron-unbound nucleus 21C seems likely.
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