Circumstantial evidence for a soft nuclear symmetry energy at   supra-saturation densities
  Within an isospin- and momentum-dependent hadronic transport model it is shown that the recent FOPI data on the $\pi^-/\pi^+$ ratio in central heavy-ion collisions at SIS/GSI energies (Willy Reisdorf {\it et al.}, NPA {\bf 781}, 459 (2007)) provide circumstantial evidence suggesting a rather soft nuclear symmetry energy \esym at $\rho\geq 2\rho_0$ compared to the Akmal-Pandharipande-Ravenhall prediction. Some astrophysical implications and the need for further experimental confirmations are discussed. 
Zhigang Xiao, Bao-An Li, Lie-Wen Chen, Gao-Chan Yong and Ming Zhang