Covariant Density Functional Theory in Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics

Abstract

How does subatomic matter organize itself? Neutron stars are cosmic laboratories uniquely poised to answer this fundamental question that lies at the heart of nuclear science. Newly commissioned rare isotope facilities, telescopes operating across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, and ever more sensitive gravitational wave detectors will probe the properties of neutron-rich matter with unprecedented precision over an enormous range of densities. Yet, a coordinated effort between observation, experiment, and theoretical research is of paramount importance for realizing the full potential of these investments. Theoretical nuclear physics provides valuable insights into the properties of neutron-rich matter in regimes that are not presently accessible to experiment or observation. In particular, nuclear density functional theory is likely the only tractable framework that can bridge the entire nuclear landscape by connecting finite nuclei to neutron stars. This compelling connection is the main scope of the present review.

23 pages, 5 figures. When citing this paper, please use the following: Yang J, Piekarewicz J. Covariant Density Functional Theory in Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics. Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science Volume 70: Submitted. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-nucl-101918-023608

References in corpus (8)

• A Massive Pulsar in a Compact Relativistic Binary
• PSR J0030+0451 Mass and Radius from NICER Data and Implications for the Properties of Neutron Star Matter
• A NICER View of PSR J0030+0451: Millisecond Pulsar Parameter Estimation
• The Electromagnetic Counterpart of the Binary Neutron Star Merger LIGO/VIRGO GW170817. II. UV, Optical, and Near-IR Light Curves and Comparison to Kilonova Models
• Constraining the Maximum Mass of Neutron Stars From Multi-Messenger Observations of GW170817
• The Electromagnetic Counterpart of the Binary Neutron Star Merger LIGO/VIRGO GW170817. IV. Detection of Near-infrared Signatures of r-process Nucleosynthesis with Gemini-South
• Neutron-star radius constraints from GW170817 and future detections
• The Electromagnetic Counterpart of the Binary Neutron Star Merger LIGO/VIRGO GW170817. III. Optical and UV Spectra of a Blue Kilonova From Fast Polar Ejecta

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Implications of PREX-2 on the electric dipole polarizability of neutron rich nuclei
• Constraints on the phase transition and nuclear symmetry parameters from PSR $\mathrm{J}0740+6620$ and multimessenger data of other neutron stars
• Pulse Profile Modeling of Thermonuclear Burst Oscillations I: The Effect of Neglecting Variability
• Pulse Profile Modelling of Thermonuclear Burst Oscillations II: Handling variability
• On the possible existence of a soft dipole mode in 8He