Density functional approach to finite temperature nuclear properties and the role of a momentum dependent isovector interaction

Using a density functional approach based on a Skyrme interaction, thermodynamic properties of finite nuclei are investigated at non-zero temperture. The role of a momentum dependent isovector term is now studied besides volume, symmetry, surface and Coulomb effects. Various features associated with both mechanical and chemical instability and the liquid-gas coexistence curve are sensitive to the Skyrme interaction. The separated effects of the isoscalar term and the isovector term of momentum dependent interaction are studied for a modified SKM($m^{\ast }=m$) interaction. The frequently used Skyrme interaction SLy4 is one of the cases considered and is shown to have better features for neutron star studies due to a larger symmetry energy.