Density dependence of the symmetry energy from neutron skin thickness in finite nuclei

TL;DR

This paper investigates how neutron skin thickness measurements in finite nuclei can inform the density dependence of the symmetry energy, especially the slope parameter L, using experimental data and theoretical models.

Contribution

It provides an estimate of the symmetry energy slope parameter L from neutron skin data and discusses the potential of electron scattering experiments to further constrain this parameter.

Findings

Estimated L from antiprotonic atom data.

Discussed the potential of parity-violating electron scattering.

Compared L values from various models and experiments.

Abstract

The density dependence of the symmetry energy around saturation density, characterized by the slope parameter L, is studied using information provided by the neutron skin thickness in finite nuclei. An estimate for L is obtained from experimental data on neutron skins extracted from antiprotonic atoms. We also discuss the ability of parity-violating elastic electron scattering to obtain information on the neutron skin thickness in 208Pb and to constrain the density dependence of the nuclear symmetry energy. The size and shape of the neutron density distribution of 208Pb predicted by mean-field models is briefly addressed. We conclude with a comparative overview of the L values predicted by several existing determinations.