title: Has a thick neutron skin in 208Pb been ruled out?
abstract: The Lead Radius Experiment has provided the first model-independent evidence in favor of a neutron-rich skin in 208Pb. Although the error bars are large, the reported large central value of 0.33 fm is particularly intriguing. To test whether such a thick neutron skin in 208Pb is already incompatible with laboratory experiments or astrophysical observations, we employ relativistic models with neutron-skin thickness in 208Pb ranging from 0.16 to 0.33 fm to compute ground-state properties of finite nuclei, their collective monopole and dipole response, and mass-versus-radius relations for neutron stars. No compelling reason was found to rule out models with large neutron skins in 208Pb from the set of observables considered in this Letter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, Texas 75429, USA.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Fattoyev
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piekarewicz