beta- decay of exotic P and S isotopes with neutron number near 28

beta- decay of very neutron-rich isotopes of P and S, studied at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory using the Beta Counting Station consisting of a Double Sided Strip Detector surrounded by clovers detectors for observing delayed gamma transitions, is reported here. beta-decay half-lives and delayed neutron emission probabilities were extracted for 42,43,44P and 44,46S by analyzing spatial and temporal correlations between implants and decay events in the Si detector with further coincidence with gamma transitions. Detection of delayed gamma rays allowed for the identification of negative-parity 1p1h states in 42S for the first time, also constraining the parent (42P) spin/parity to 2- or 3-. For the most exotic isotope studied, 46S, no strong gamma transition was observed unlike lighter even-even S isotopes, thus implying the shift of Gamow-Teller strength distribution to higher energies. Comparison of experimental observations to detailed shell-model calculations using the SDPFSDG-MU interaction allowed us to infer the importance and role of first forbidden beta transitions as the neutron number approaches and then exceeds N = 28.