The GW170817 neutron star merger event and the PREX-2 experiment probing neutron skin thickness provide crucial clues for understanding the nuclear equation of state (EoS). However, an apparent inconsistency exists between the tidal polarizability ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}^{1.4}$ inferred from GW170817 and the neutron skin thickness $R_{\mathrm{np}}^{208}$ of ${}^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ measured by PREX-2, based on relativistic energy density functionals (EDFs). This Letter employs both relativistic and nonrelativistic EDFs to identify a multipole correlation involving ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}^{1.4}$, $R_{\mathrm{np}}^{208}$, and the symmetry energy curvature $K_{\mathrm{sym}}$ at saturation density. We demonstrate the essential role of $K_{\mathrm{sym}}$ in reconciling the conflicting ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}^{1.4}\text{−}{R}_{\mathrm{np}}^{208}$ correlations derived from nonrelativistic versus relativistic EDFs and in resolving the discrepancy between the GW170817 and PREX-2 data constraints. Furthermore, we obtain a joint constraint on $K_{\mathrm{sym}}$ from these datasets, providing a vital constraint on the symmetry energy of the nuclear EoS.

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• Equations of state of nuclear matter
• Nuclear astrophysics
• Nuclear density functional theory