Radii of neutron drops probed via the neutron skin thickness of nuclei

Multineutron systems are crucial to understanding the physics of neutron-rich nuclei and neutron stars. Neutron drops, neutrons confined in an external field, are investigated systematically in both nonrelativistic and relativistic density functional theories and with ab initio calculations. We demonstrate a new strong linear correlation, which is universal in the realm of mean-field models, between the rms radii of neutron drops and the neutron skin thickness of ²⁰⁸Pb and ⁴⁸Ca, i.e., the difference between the neutron and proton rms radii of a nucleus. Due to its high quality, this correlation can be used to deduce the radii of neutron drops from the measured neutron skin thickness in a model-independent way, and the radii obtained for neutron drops can provide a useful constraint for realistic three-neutron forces. We also present a new correlation between the slope L of the symmetry energy and the radii of neutron drops, and provide the first validation of such a correlation by using density-functional models and ab initio calculations. These newly established correlations, together with more precise measurements of the neutron skin thicknesses of ²⁰⁸Pb and ⁴⁸Ca and/or accurate determinations of L, will have an enduring impact on the understanding of multineutron interactions, neutron-rich nuclei, neutron stars, etc.