Probing properties of neutron stars with terrestrial nuclear reactions.

Heavy-ion reactions induced by neutron-rich nuclei provide the unique opportunity in terrestrial laboratories to constrain the nuclear symmetry energy Esym in a broad density range. A conservative constraint, 32(ρ/ρ0)0.7 < Esym(ρ) < 32(ρ/ρ0)1.1, around the nuclear matter saturation density ρ0 has recently been obtained from analyzing the isospin diffusion data within a transport model for intermediate energy heavy-ion reactions. This subsequently puts a stringent constraint on properties of neutron stars, especially their radii and cooling mechanisms. © 2006 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]