Density dependence of the symmetry energy in the post–PREX-CREX era

The recently published CREX results suggest a rather peculiar picture for the density dependence of the symmetry energy. Whereas PREX favors a large neutron skin thickness in ^208Pb, thereby suggesting a stiff equation of state, CREX suggests instead a much softer equation of state. This discrepancy has caused a large spur in the theoretical community, since no model has been able to simultaneously reproduce within 1 the PREX and CREX results. Motivated by a novel correlation between a CREX observable and a combination of bulk symmetry energy parameters, we calibrate three new covariant energy density functionals that reproduce binding energies and charge radii of spherical nuclei---and also accommodate the constraints imposed by PREX and CREX. Given that these models suggest a stiff equation of state at high densities, predictions for neutron star properties are also discussed.