  A model based on the sudden approximation has been developed to describe high
energy single nucleon removal reactions. Within this approach, which takes as
its starting point the formalism of Hansen \cite{Anne2}, the nucleon-removal
cross section and the full 3-dimensional momentum distributions of the core
fragments including absorption, diffraction, Coulomb and nuclear-Coulomb
interference amplitudes, have been calculated. The Coulomb breakup has been
treated to all orders for the dipole interaction. The model has been compared
to experimental data for a range of light, neutron-rich psd-shell nuclei. Good
agreement was found for both the inclusive cross sections and momentum
distributions. In the case of $^{17}$C, comparison is also made with the
results of calculations using the transfer-to-the-continuum model. The
calculated 3-dimensional momentum distributions exhibit longitudinal and
transverse momentum components that are strongly coupled by the reaction for
s-wave states, whilst no such effect is apparent for d-waves. Incomplete
detection of transverse momenta arising fromlimited experimental acceptances
thus leads to a narrowing of the longitudinal distributions for nuclei with
significant s-wave valence neutron configurations, as confirmed by the data.
Asymmetries in the longitudinal momentum distributions attributed to
diffractive dissociation are also explored.
