Global performance of covariant energy density functionals: Ground state observables of even-even nuclei and the estimate of theoretical uncertainties

Abstract

Covariant density functional theory is a modern theoretical tool for the description of nuclear structure phenomena. The current investigation aims at the global assessment of the accuracy of the description of the ground state properties of even-even nuclei. We also estimate theoretical uncertainties defined here as the spreads of predictions within four covariant energy density functionals in known regions of the nuclear chart and their propagation towards the neutron drip line. Large-scale axial relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov calculations are performed for all $Z\ensuremath{\le}104$ even-even nuclei between the two-proton and two-neutron drip lines with four modern covariant energy density functionals such as NL3*, DD-ME2, DD-ME$\ensuremath{\delta}$, and DD-PC1. The physical observables of interest include the binding energies, two-particle separation energies, charge quadrupole deformations, isovector deformations, charge radii, neutron skin thicknesses, and the positions of the two-proton and two-neutron drip lines. The predictions for the two-neutron drip line are also compared in a systematic way with the ones obtained in nonrelativistic models.