Constraining isovector nuclear interactions with giant resonances within a Bayesian approach

TL;DR

This paper uses Bayesian analysis of giant resonance data to tightly constrain isovector nuclear interactions, specifically the symmetry energy and effective mass at a specific density.

Contribution

It introduces a Bayesian approach to constrain isovector nuclear interactions using giant resonance data, providing precise estimates of symmetry energy and effective mass.

Findings

Symmetry energy at 0.05 fm$^{-3}$ is 16.4$^{+1.0}_{-0.9}$ MeV.

Isovector nucleon effective mass is 0.79$^{+0.06}_{-0.06}$ times the nucleon mass.

Constraints are obtained at 90% confidence level.

Abstract

We put a stringent constraint on the isovector nuclear interactions in the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock model from the centroid energy $E_{-1}$ of the isovector giant dipole resonance in $^{208}$Pb as well as its electric polarizability $\alpha_D$. Using the Bayesian analysis method, $E_{-1}$ and $\alpha_D$ are found to be mostly determined by the nuclear symmetry energy $E_{sym}$ at about $\rho^\star=0.05$ fm$^{-3}$ and the isovector nucleon effective mass $m_v^\star$ at the saturation density. At $90\%$ confidence level, we obtain $E_{sym}(\rho^\star) = 16.4 ^{+1.0}_{-0.9}$ MeV and $m_v^\star/m = 0.79 ^{+0.06}_{-0.06}$.