Density Dependence of the Symmetry Energy in the Post PREX-CREX Era

2023/05/30 by Brendan T. Reed, Reed, Brendan T., F. J. Fattoyev +5 · 6 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Geological and Geophysical Studies #Geophysics and Gravity Measurements #Nuclear Theory (nucl-th) #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2305.19376

openalex publication_date 2023/05/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

The recently published CREX results suggest a rather peculiar picture for the density dependence of the symmetry energy. Whereas PREX favors a large neutron skin thickness in ²⁰⁸Pb, thereby suggesting a stiff equation of state, CREX suggests instead a much softer equation of state. This discrepancy has caused a large spur in the theoretical community since no model has been able to simultaneously reproduce within 1σ the PREX and CREX results. Motivated by a novel correlation between a CREX observable and a combination of bulk symmetry energy parameters, we calibrate three new covariant energy density functionals that reproduce binding energies and charge radii of spherical nuclei - and also accommodate the constraints imposed by PREX and CREX. Given that these models suggest a stiff equation of state at high densities, predictions for neutron star properties are also discussed.

Cited by

• Constraining the nuclear equation of state from terrestrial experiments and neutron star observations using relativistic mean-field models
• Resolving the PREX-CREX puzzle in covariant density functional theory
• A Bayesian Inference of Hybrid Stars with Large Quark Cores
• Implication of multimessenger observations on the relativistic mean-field equation of state of dense nuclear matter and skin thickness of nuclei
• Spectrometry of Captured Highly Charged Ions Produced Following Antiproton Annihilations
• Bayesian Quantification of Observability and Equation of State of Twin Stars

Related

• Nuclear symmetry energy and the PREX-CREX neutron skin puzzle within the KIDS framework
• The Symmetry Energy: Current Status of Ab Initio Predictions vs. Empirical Constraints
• The Nuclear Symmetry Energy at Sub-saturation Densities
• PREX and CREX: Evidence for Strong Isovector Spin-Orbit Interaction
• Characterizing the nuclear models informed by PREX and CREX: a view from Bayesian inference