Symmetry energy of nuclear matter at low densities and clustering at the nuclear surface

Abstract

We present a density functional theory which connects nuclear matter equation of state, which incorporates clustering at low densities, with clustering in medium and heavy nuclei at the nuclear surface. This explains the large values of symmetry energy reported by Natowitz et al for densities < 0.01 fm -3 in addition to the binding energies and charge rms radii of 367 spherical nuclei. The present theory which is partly macroscopic competes with other high quality microscopic-macroscopic approaches. Merits of the results with clustering and no-clustering are discussed. We also make connection with realistic interactions (AV18+UIX/IL2) which have been used in ab initio calculations in s- and p-shell nuclei and neutron matter. Theory predicts new situations and regimes to be explored both theoretically and experimentally. It is demonstrated that, due to clustering, the neutron skin thickness reduces significantly.