Precision mass measurements of neutron-rich Co isotopes beyond N =40

The region near Z =28 and N =40 is a subject of great interest for nuclear structure studies due to spectroscopic signatures in ⁶⁸Ni suggesting a subshell closure at N =40 . Trends in nuclear masses and their derivatives provide a complementary approach to shell structure investigations via separation energies. Penning trap mass spectrometry has provided precise measurements for a number of nuclei in this region; however, a complete picture of the mass surfaces has so far been limited by the large uncertainty remaining for nuclei with N >40 along the iron (Z =26 ) and cobalt (Z =27 ) chains because these species are not available from traditional isotope separator online rare isotope facilities. The Low-Energy Beam and Ion Trap Facility at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory is the first and only Penning trap mass spectrometer coupled to a fragmentation facility and therefore presents the unique opportunity to perform precise mass measurements of these elusive isotopes. Here we present the first Penning trap measurements of ^Co,69₆₈, carried out at this facility. Some ambiguity remains as to whether the measured values are ground-state or isomeric-state masses. A detailed discussion is presented to evaluate this question and to motivate future work. In addition, we perform ab initio calculations of ground-state and two-neutron separation energies of cobalt isotopes with the valence-space in-medium similarity renormalization group approach based on a particular set of two- and three-nucleon forces that predict saturation in infinite matter. We discuss the importance of these measurements and calculations for understanding the evolution of nuclear structure near ⁶⁸Ni.