Isospin asymmetry in nuclei and nuclear symmetry energy

Binding energy of isospin asymmetric nuclei can be accessed with minimally modified formula along the lines of the liquid droplet model by partitioning the symmetry term into volume and surface terms. The volume symmetry energy coefficient extracted from finite nuclei provides a constraint on the nuclear symmetry energy. This approach also yields the neutron skin of a finite nucleus through its relationship with the volume and surface symmetry terms and the Coulomb energy coefficient. The symmetry energy at saturation density obtained from the isoscalar as well as isovector components of the density dependent M3Y effective interaction is found to be in close agreement with the volume symmetry energy coefficient extracted from the measured atomic masses.