Current and Future Prospects in Understanding the Nuclear Symmetry Energy

Dear Colleagues,

Nuclear symmetry energy is currently actively studied in three arenas: In the realm of nuclear experimentation, studies of the symmetry energy concentrate on multifragmentation and meson emission measurements in heavy-ion collisions, neutron skin measurements, and other experimental observables. Experimentalists endeavor to explore the symmetry energy at higher nuclear densities to deduce the density dependence of the symmetry energy.

A great deal of experiments are constrained by theoretical computations using transport models. Thus, theoretical nuclear physics plays an important role in constraining the symmetry energy. Many of today’s predictions are extracted from the overlap of these two fields. In addition, theoretical applications to neutron star macroscopic properties provide an additional, rich constraint, as well as an additional field of study.

Finally, these two fields are complemented by astronomical observations. Observations of neutron star masses and radii provide tests and inputs from theoretical models. Neutron star maximum mass measurements and predictions are a vibrant component in understanding symmetry energy at high density.

These three fields continue to be enhanced by new facilities, experimental models, and techniques. Thus, contributions from experimentalists, theorists and astronomers are necessary and welcome for this growing topic.

Prof. Michael Famiano
Guest Editor

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