Eur. Phys. J. A (2019) 55: 117
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2019-12780-8

Review

Towards understanding astrophysical effects of nuclear symmetry energy

¹ Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 75429, Commerce, TX, USA
² Research Computing, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, 02138, Cambridge, MA, USA
³ School of Physics and Optoelectronic Technology, South China University of Technology, 510641, Guangzhou, P.R. China
⁴ Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, 264209, Weihai, China

^* e-mail: Bao-An.Li@Tamuc.edu

Received: 18 March 2019
Accepted: 28 May 2019
Published online: 25 July 2019

Abstract

Determining the Equation of State (EOS) of dense neutron-rich nuclear matter is a shared goal of both nuclear physics and astrophysics. Except possible phase transitions, the density dependence of nuclear symmetry is the most uncertain part of the EOS of neutron-rich nucleonic matter especially at supra-saturation densities. Much progresses have been made in recent years in predicting the symmetry energy and understanding why it is still very uncertain using various microscopic nuclear many-body theories and phenomenological models. Simultaneously, significant progresses have also been made in probing the symmetry energy in both terrestrial nuclear laboratories and astrophysical observatories. In light of the GW170817 event as well as ongoing or planned nuclear experiments and astrophysical observations probing the EOS of dense neutron-rich matter, we review recent progresses and identify new challenges to the best knowledge we have on several selected topics critical for understanding astrophysical effects of the nuclear symmetry energy.