About this Research Topic
Neutron skin thickness in atomic nuclei is not only one of the basic nuclear-structure properties but provides crucial information to narrow down the parameters of the equation of state (EOS) of infinite nuclear matter. Experimental studies have long been pursued by various means of strong, electromagnetic, and weak interactions. State-of-the-art theoretical calculations have also been performed, but still there appear to be unresolved tensions – for example, the precision parity-violating electron scattering results in a rather thick skin in 208Pb that leads to large slope parameters in the EOS, while theoretical calculations and other experiments indicate thinner ones. Forthcoming data of gravitational waves from neutron star mergers, for example, are expected to bring useful information.
The purpose of the present Research Topic is to overview the present status of various experimental, observational, and theoretical studies to elucidate the problem - tensions among experimental studies to extract the skin thickness and with theoretical approaches to correlate it to the EOS parameters that are constrained by observational studies.
The final goal of the community is to obtain the nuclear density functional that is evidenced by experiments and observations and that consistently describes both the structure of terrestrial nuclei and that of neutron stars since both are governed by the common strong interaction. This thematic collection of papers aims to contribute to that goal.
The Editors of this Research Topic invite contributions that include:
• Experimental studies by various means such as:
1) Parity-violating electron scattering
2) Elastic proton scattering
3) E1 polarization by proton inelastic scattering
4) Antiproton-nucleus interaction
5) Intermediate energy light and heavy ion scattering
6) Ultra-relativistic heavy ion collision, and so on.
• Theoretical overview of nuclear structure calculations, that of the EOS, and theoretical and/or observational studies of neutron stars including gravitational waves from their mergers.
We primarily expect Mini Reviews and Reviews but other types of manuscripts, including Brief Research Report, Hypothesis & Theory, Original Research and Perspective, are also welcome.
The purpose of the present Research Topic is to overview the present status of various experimental, observational, and theoretical studies to elucidate the problem - tensions among experimental studies to extract the skin thickness and with theoretical approaches to correlate it to the EOS parameters that are constrained by observational studies.
The final goal of the community is to obtain the nuclear density functional that is evidenced by experiments and observations and that consistently describes both the structure of terrestrial nuclei and that of neutron stars since both are governed by the common strong interaction. This thematic collection of papers aims to contribute to that goal.
The Editors of this Research Topic invite contributions that include:
• Experimental studies by various means such as:
1) Parity-violating electron scattering
2) Elastic proton scattering
3) E1 polarization by proton inelastic scattering
4) Antiproton-nucleus interaction
5) Intermediate energy light and heavy ion scattering
6) Ultra-relativistic heavy ion collision, and so on.
• Theoretical overview of nuclear structure calculations, that of the EOS, and theoretical and/or observational studies of neutron stars including gravitational waves from their mergers.
We primarily expect Mini Reviews and Reviews but other types of manuscripts, including Brief Research Report, Hypothesis & Theory, Original Research and Perspective, are also welcome.
Keywords: Neutron Skin, Nuclear Density, Equation of State
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
