Nuclear symmetry energy effects on liquid-gas phase transition in hot asymmetric nuclear matter

TL;DR

This study examines how the density dependence of nuclear symmetry energy influences the liquid-gas phase transition in hot asymmetric nuclear matter, revealing that softer symmetry energy increases the transition boundary, critical temperature, and asymmetry.

Contribution

It introduces a relativistic mean-field model constrained by neutron skin data to analyze symmetry energy effects on nuclear phase transitions.

Findings

Symmetry energy significantly affects the liquid-gas coexistence region.

Softer symmetry energy increases the critical temperature and asymmetry.

Critical values of pressure and asymmetry grow with softer symmetry energy.

Abstract

The liquid-gas phase transition in hot asymmetric nuclear matter is investigated within relativistic mean-field model using the density dependence of nuclear symmetry energy constrained from the measured neutron skin thickness of finite nuclei. We find symmetry energy has a significant influence on several features of liquid-gas phase transition. The boundary and area of the liquid-gas coexistence region, the maximal isospin asymmetry and the critical values of pressure and isospin asymmetry all of which systematically increase with increasing softness in the density dependence of symmetry energy. The critical temperature below which the liquid-gas mixed phase exists is found higher for a softer symmetry energy.