# Effects of meson-nucleon dynamics in a relativistic approach to medium-mass nuclei

## TL;DR

This paper reviews the relativistic nuclear field theory (RNFT) based on meson-nucleon interactions, highlighting its ability to connect different energy scales and explain various nuclear phenomena without adjustable parameters.

## Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive relativistic framework that unifies high-energy meson dynamics with low-energy collective vibrations in medium-mass nuclei.

## Key findings

- Meson and phonon interactions influence nuclear structure and reactions.
- Isospin dynamics significantly affect shell structure and pairing vibrations.
- Retardation effects are crucial for understanding nuclear excitations and decay processes.

## Abstract

Recent developments in the relativistic nuclear field theory (RNFT) are reviewed. Based on the covariant meson-nucleon Lagrangian of quantum hadrodynamics, RNFT connects consistently the high-energy scale of heavy mesons, medium-energy range of pion and the low-energy domain of emergent collective vibrations (phonons) in a parameter-free way. Mesons and phonons build up the effective interaction in various channels, in particular, the phonon-exchange part takes care of the retardation effects, which are of great importance for the fragmentation of single-particle states, spreading of collective giant resonances and soft modes, quenching and beta-decay rates with significant consequences for astrophysics and for the theory of weak processes in nuclei. As examples, the recently discovered impact of isospin dynamics on the nuclear shell structure and the isospin-flip pairing vibrations are discussed.