Neutron Stars and Neutron Skins: Connecting Finite Nuclei to Dense Matter

Abstract

This is a brief overview of the connection between neutron skin thickness in finite nuclei and the equation of state of neutron-rich matter, with applications to neutron stars. Multiple experimental probes are discussed, including dipole polarizability, parity-violating electron scattering, heavy-ion fragmentation, quasi-free scattering, and ultraperipheral collisions. A consistent picture emerges from Bayesian analyses combining experimental data and energy density functionals, providing constraints on the symmetry energy and its slope.

Comments: 11 pages, no figures, Invited talk at the XLVII Symposium on Nuclear Physics, Cocoyoc (Mexico), January 2026