Analysis of bulk and surface contributions in the neutron skin of nuclei

Abstract

The neutron skin thickness of nuclei is a sensitive probe of the nuclear symmetry energy having multiple implications for nuclear and astrophysical studies. However, precision measurements of this observable are difficult. The analysis of the experimental data may imply some assumptions about the bulk or surface nature of the formation of the neutron skin. Here, we study the bulk or surface character of neutron skins of nuclei following from calculations with Gogny, Skyrme, and covariant nuclear mean-field interactions. These interactions are successful in describing nuclear charge radii and binding energies but predict different values for neutron skins. We perform the study by fitting two-parameter Fermi distributions to the calculated self-consistent neutron and proton densities. We note that the equivalent sharp radius is a more suitable reference quantity than the half-density radius parameter of the Fermi distributions to discern between the bulk and surface contributions in neutron skins. We present calculations for nuclei in the stability valley and for the isotopic chains of Sn and Pb.

13 pages, 9 figures

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• Alpha Decay to Doubly Magic Core in Quartetting Wave Function Approach
• Temperature dependence of the symmetry energy and neutron skins in Ni, Sn, and Pb isotopic chains
• Volume and surface contributions to the nuclear symmetry energy within the coherent density fluctuation model
• Influence of the single-particle structure on the nuclear surface and the neutron skin
• Systematic trends of neutron skin thickness versus relative neutron excess
• Competition between Coulomb and Symmetry Potential in Semi-peripheral Heavy-ion Collisions
• Peeling away neutron skin in ultracentral collisions of relativistic nuclei
• Double parton scattering in pA collisions at the LHC revisited
• A new probe to study symmetry energy at low density by deuteron breakup reaction
• Influence of surface effects on neutron skin in atomic nuclei
• Four-jet production via double parton scattering in $pA$ collisions at the LHC