We report on the measurement of optical isotope shifts for 32 40 Ar and for 46 Ar from which the changes in mean square nuclear charge radii across the N = 20 neutron shell closure are deduced. The investigations were carried out by collinear laser spectroscopy in fast beams of neutral argon atoms. The ultra-sensitive detection combines optical pumping, stateselective collisional ionization and counting of -radioactivity. By reaching far into the sd-shell, the results add new information to the systematics of radii in the calcium region (Z 20). Contrary to all major neutron shell closures with N 28, the N = 20 shell closure causes no signicant slope change in the development of the radii. Information from the hyperne structure of the odd-A isotopes includes the magnetic moments of 33 Ar (I = 1 = 2) and 39 Ar (I = 7 = 2), and the quadrupole moments of 35 Ar, 37 Ar (I = 3 = 2) and 39 Ar. The electromagnetic moments are compared to shell-model predictions for the sd-and fp-shell. Even far from stability a v ery good agreement between experiment and theory is found for these quantities. The mean square charge radii are discussed in the framework of spherical SGII Skyrme-type Hartree-Fock calculations.Keywords: NUCLEAR STRUCTURE 32 40;46 Ar; measured isotope shifts, hfs; deduced hyperne constants, spins I, magnetic dipole moments , electric quadrupole moments Q s , mean square charge radii hr 2 i; Collinear fast-beam laser spectroscopy, collisional ionization and -detection; shell model (sd-, fp-shell).