Constraining the symmetry energy from the neutron skin thickness of Tin isotopes

TL;DR

This paper uses correlation analysis within the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock model to constrain the nuclear symmetry energy parameters by analyzing neutron skin thickness data of Tin isotopes, providing insights into nuclear matter properties.

Contribution

It introduces a method to link finite nucleus observables with nuclear matter properties, specifically constraining symmetry energy parameters using neutron skin data.

Findings

Constraints on symmetry energy at saturation density E_{sym}(rho_0)

Estimated slope parameter L=58±18 MeV

Independence of L from E_{sym}(rho_0) constraints

Abstract

We show in the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock approach that unambiguous correlations exist between observables of finite nuclei and nuclear matter properties. Using this correlation analysis to existing data on the neutron skin thickness of Sn isotopes, we find important constraints on the value E_{sym}(rho_0) and density slope L of the nuclear symmetry energy at saturation density. Combining these constraints with those from recent analyses of isospin diffusion and double neutron/proton ratio in heavy ion collisions leads to a value of L=58\pm 18 MeV approximately independent of E_{sym}(\rho_0).