Speaker
Description
Following the recent conclusion of the experimental campaign dedicated to the $N=20$ Island of Inversion, we present results obtained in the $^{22}$Ne + $^{238}$U and $^{26}$Mg + $^{238}$U multi-nucleon transfer experiments performed with the AGATA array at Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro. This study is primarily focused on the evolution of quadrupole collectivity in even-even Ne and Mg isotopes, and on tracking negative-parity states from the fp shell in even-odd nuclei, locating excited intruder configurations toward the $N=20$ shell closure. The AGATA $\gamma$ array, coupled with the PRISMA magnetic spectrometer, allowed us to detect ion-$\gamma$ coincidences and to extract sub-picosecond lifetimes of excited states via the DSAM technique. In this work, level and decay schemes of $^{23-26}$Ne were extended and further characterized by $\gamma$-ray angular distributions. Preliminary lifetime measurements will also be discussed along with state-of-the-art calculations of quadrupole strengths, including very recent ab-initio predictions.