Nuclear symmetry energy probed by neutron skin thickness of nuclei

Understand

We describe a relation between the symmetry energy coefficients c_sym(rho) of nuclear matter and a_sym(A) of finite nuclei that accommodates other correlations of nuclear properties with the low-density behavior of c_sym(rho).

• Here we take advantage of this relation to explore the prospects for constraining c_sym(rho) of systematic measurements of neutron skin sizes across the mass table, using as example present data from antiprotonic atoms.
• The found constraints from neutron skins are in harmony with the recent determinations from reactions and giant resonances.