Coulomb excitation of (31)Mg

The ground state properties of ^3^1Mg indicate a change of nuclear shape at N=19 with a deformed J^@p=1/2^+ intruder state as a ground state, implying that ^3^1Mg is part of the ''island of inversion''. The collective properties of excited states were the subject of a Coulomb excitation experiment at REX-ISOLDE, CERN, employing a radioactive ^3^1Mg beam. De-excitation @c-rays were detected by the MINIBALL @c-spectrometer in coincidence with scattered particles in a segmented Si-detector. The level scheme of ^3^1Mg was extended. Spin and parity assignment of the 945 keV state yielded 5/2^+ and its de-excitation is dominated by a strong collective M1 transition. Comparison of the transition probabilities of ^3^0^,^3^1^,^3^2Mg establishes that for th e N=19 magnesium isotope not only the ground state but also excited states are largely dominated by a deformed pf intruder configuration.