Implications of PREX-2 on the Equation of State of Neutron-Rich Matter
Laboratory experiments sensitive to the equation of state of neutron rich matter in the vicinity of nuclear saturation density provide the first rung in a “density ladder” that connects terrestrial experiments to astronomical observations. In this context, the neutron skin thickness of 208 Pb ($R$ $^{208}_{skin}$) provides a stringent laboratory constraint on the density dependence of the symmetry energy. In turn, an improved value of $R$ $^{208}_{skin}$ has been reported recently by the PREX collaboration. Exploiting the strong correlation between $R$ $^{208}_{skin}$ and the slope of the symmetry energy L within a specific class of relativistic energy density functionals, we report a value of L = (106 ± 37) MeV—which systematically overestimates current limits based on both theoretical approaches and experimental measurements. Here, the impact of such a stiff symmetry energy on some critical neutron-star observables is also examined.