Ab initio predictions link the neutron skin of ${}^{208}$Pb to nuclear forces

Understand

Heavy atomic nuclei have an excess of neutrons over protons, which leads to the formation of a neutron skin whose thickness is sensitive to details of the nuclear force.

• This links atomic nuclei to properties of neutron stars, thereby relating objects that differ in size by orders of magnitude.
• The nucleus ${}^{208}$Pb is of particular interest because it exhibits a simple structure and is experimentally accessible.
• However, computing such a heavy nucleus has been out of reach for ab initio theory.