Nuclear symmetry energy probed by neutron skin thickness of nuclei

Phys Rev Lett. 2009 Mar 27;102(12):122502. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.122502. Epub 2009 Mar 26.

Abstract

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.