Physics Theory Seminar with Ragnar Stroberg on Neutron Skin
The neutron skin thickness in 208Pb has been linked via mean-field calculations to the equation of state of infinite nuclear matter, and consequently to the properties of neutron stars. At the same time, different mean field models yield a wide range of predicted values for the skin thickness, motivating its recent measurement via parity-violating electron scattering. I will present an alternative approach, utilizing the first ab initio calculations of 208Pb with nuclear interactions derived from chiral effective field theory. This approach provides two main advantages: it allows us to incorporate information from scattering and few-body data, and it provides a framework for comprehensive quantification of theoretical uncertainties. I will describe the developments which enabled these calculations, and discuss what the results tell us.
Zoom link available upon request at physics@wustl.edu.
Post-docs and students' Q&A with the speaker starts at 2:15 pm. Contact Garrett King for the Q&A Zoom link.