The recent assertion that shape coexistence occurs in the neutron-rich isotope 43 S implies that a state observed at 940 keV in a previous study is a rotational excitation of the deformed ground state. Here we use results from two intermediate-energy reactions to demonstrate that this state-assigned an energy of 971 keV in the present work-is indeed a rotational state. This result strengthens the case for shape coexistence in 43 The neutron-rich nuclei in the vicinity of 44 S presently provide a critical testing ground for the idea that neutron shell structure is significantly different close to the neutron dripline than it is in the valley of stability. Gaudefroy et al. [1] recently published the results of a g-factor measurement of an isomer in 43 S at 320 keV and argued on the basis of their result that spherical and deformed shapes coexist in that nucleus.Gaudefroy et al. interpret the 320 keV isomer as a spherical f 7/2 single-neutron hole state (with J π = 7/2 − ), and assign the ground state J π = 3/2 − on the basis of the E2 transition deexciting the isomer. They further argue that the ground state must be deformed to have this J π value. Finally, they suggest that a state observed by Ibbotson et al. [2] and assigned an energy of 940 keV is a J π = 7/2 − rotational excitation of the ground state. In the present work, we report on a test of this interpretation of the state observed by Ibbotson et al. using both the direct single-neutron knockout reaction 9 Be( 44 S, 43 S)X and the reaction 9 Be( 45 Cl, 43 S)X. The latter involves both direct and nondirect removal of a neutron and proton, and is referred to here as a fragmentation reaction. The relatively small cross sections for population of this state observed in these reactions supports its interpretation as a rotational excitation built on the ground state and strengthens the case for shape coexistence in 43 S.The experiment was performed at the Coupled-Cyclotron Facility of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University. A cocktail beam comprising 84% 44 S and 14% 45 Cl was produced by fragmentation of a 140 MeV/nucleon 48 Ca primary beam incident on a 705 mg/cm 2 9 Be fragmentation target. Components of the secondary beam were separated in the A1900 fragment separator [3] and delivered to a 376 mg/cm 2 thick 9 Be reaction target mounted at the target position of the S800 magnetic spectrograph [4]. In the one-neutron knockout measurement, 1.5 × 10 8 44 S beam particles were incident on the reaction target. The midtarget beam energy was 92 MeV/nucleon. The fragmentation measurement was performed with a total of 1.6 × 10 8 45 Cl beam particles and a midtarget beam energy of 98 MeV/nucleon. Incoming beam particles were identified from their time-of-flight difference measured between scintillators mounted at the extended focal plane of the A1900 and at the object of the S800 analysis line. Projectile-like reaction products were identified by the time of flight to the focal plane of the S800 and energy loss in the S800 i...