Constraints on neutron skin thickness in 208Pb and density-dependent symmetry energy

Understand

Accurate knowledge about the neutron skin thickness $\Delta R_{np}$ in $^{208}$Pb has far-reaching implications for different communities of nuclear physics and astrophysics.

• Yet, the novel Lead Radius Experiment (PREX) did not yield stringent constraint on the $\Delta R_{np}$ recently.
• We employ a more practicable strategy currently to probe the neutron skin thickness of $^{208}$Pb based on a high linear correlation between the $\Delta R_{np}$ and $J-a_{\text{sym}}$, where $J$ and $a_{\text{sym}}$ are the symmetry energy (coefficient) of nuclear matter at saturation density and of $^{208}$Pb.
• An accurate $J-a_{\text{sym}}$ thus places a strong constraint on the $\Delta R_{np}$.