Speaker
Description
The Equation of State (EoS) links together fundamental properties of nuclear matter. Heavy nuclei, though orders of magnitude smaller than neutron stars, are governed by the same underlying physics, which is enshrined in the EoS. An accurate and model-independent determination of the neutron-skin thickness of heavy nuclei, using parity-violating electron scattering, provides significant constraints on the density dependence of the nuclear symmetry energy, a key parameter of the EoS. The currently most precise determination of the neutron-skin thickness of $^{208}$Pb by the PREX collaboration suggests that the EoS at nuclear densities is stiff, which is in slight tension with the prediction based on astronomical measurements. To help clarify this tension, the Mainz Radius EXperiment (MREX) at MESA will determine the neutron-skin thickness of $^{208}$Pb with unprecedented precision. Status and prospects of the parity-violation measurement program will be presented.
| speaker affiliation | Institute of Nuclear Physics, JGU Mainz |
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