*Nuclear Incompressibility: Does It Depend on Nuclear Structure?*

Umesh Garg
University of Notre Dame


The nuclear incompressibility parameter is one of three important
components characterizing the nuclear equation of state. It has crucial
bearing on diverse nuclear and astrophysical phenomena, including radii of
neutron stars, strength of supernova collapse, and collective flow in
medium- and high-energy nuclear collisions.

The only direct experimental measurement of this quantity comes from the
compression-mode giant resonances—the isoscalar giant monopole resonance
(ISGMR) and the isoscalar giant dipole resonance (ISGDR). There have been
some experimental results recently suggesting that nuclear structure
effects may influence the energy of the isoscalar giant monopole resonance
and, hence, the nuclear incompressibility. However, this being a bulk
property of nuclear matter, one expects structure effects to play no role
in it.


In this talk, I will review the current status of determination of nuclear
incompressibility, and critically examine how, and if, nuclear structure
effects play a role.