SIGMA MESON AND PROPERTIES OF NUCLEAR MATTER

Abstract

We have calculated the saturation observables of symmetric nuclear matter and nuclear symmetry energy in the framework of Brueckner-Hartree-Fock (BHF) formalism with Bonn-B potential as two-body interaction, including modification of hadronic parameter inside nuclear medium. We have found that it is possible to understand all the saturation observables of symmetric nuclear matter by incorporating in-medium modification of the parameters of sigma meson alone. Linear density dependent reduction of σ-nucleon coupling constant by about 6.8% and density independent reduction σ-meson mass by about 3.5% is sufficient to understand nuclear matter saturation observables. We find with the calculated symmetry energy that neutron skin thickness of 208Pb is 0.20 fm and the radius of 1.4 solar mass neutron stars as 11.98 ± 0.75 km.