The nuclear equation of state (nEOS), particularly the isovector sector usually termed as symmetry energy, is a key input to understand the evolution properties of dense stellar object and the merging of neutron stars (NS). The observation of GW170817 further heat up the studies on nEOS using heavy ion reactions (HIR) in terrestrial laboratories. In this talk, I will briefly review the catalysis of NS merger on the studies of nEOS, particularly of the symmetry energy. Then I will present our recent studies on isospin dynamics in HIR which may allow us to constrain stringently the nuclear symmetry energy. Future experimental program will also be introduced.
Zhigang Xiao graduated from Beijing Normal University in 1995 with bachelor degree in physics. He obtained his doctoral degree from the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2001. He worked in GSI and Heidelberg University with the FOPI collaboration before joining the Department of Physics, Tsinghua University as a tenure-track assistant professor in 2007. He was promoted to full professorship with tenure in 2017. He published more than 200 papers on peer-review journals and won the Yu-Hsun Woo prize issued by Chinese Physical Society in 2019.