Asymmetric nuclear matter and neutron skin in an extended relativistic mean-field model

The density dependence of the symmetry energy, instrumental in understanding the behavior of the asymmetric nuclear matter, is investigated within the extended relativistic mean-field (ERMF) model, which includes the contributions from the self- and mixed-interaction terms for the scalar-isoscalar (σ), vector-isoscalar (ω), and vector-isovector (ρ) mesons up to the quartic order. Each of the 26 different parametrizations of the ERMF model employed is compatible with the bulk properties of the finite nuclei. The behavior of the symmetry energy for several parameter sets is found to be consistent with the empirical constraints on them as extracted from the analyses of the isospin diffusion data. The neutron-skin thickness in the ²⁰⁸Pb nucleus for these parameter sets of the ERMF model lies in the range of ~0.20-0.24 fm, which is in harmony with the thickness predicted by the Skyrme Hartree-Fock model. We also investigate the role of various mixed-interaction terms that are crucial for the density dependence of the symmetry energy.