Transition Rate Measurement in $^{18}$N

Previous information on excited states of $^{18}$N has been obtained from selective reaction mechanisms such as beta-decay and charge exchange reactions only. This work is the first to successfully utilize the non-selective $^{9}$Be($^{11}$B,2p)$^{18}$N fusion-evaporation reaction to extract structure information. The LIBERACE-STARS detector array -- an array of large-area segmented silicon detectors (E-$\Delta $E) and Compton suppressed HPGe Clover detectors -- was used to detect the charged particles and $\gamma $ radiation, respectively. New $\gamma $ transitions were added to the $^{18}$N level scheme and the B(M1) from the first excited state to the ground state was determined to be 0.01 W.u. $<$ B(M1) $<$ 3.6 W.u. Shell model calculations were used to study the low-lying configurations of $^{18}$N and its odd-A neighbors $^{17}$C and $^{19}$O (N=11 isotones). The role of proton holes in determining the evolution of ground state and low-lying excited state properties of these N=11 isotones will be discussed.