  The Skyrme effective interaction, with its multitude of parameterisations,
along with its implemen- tation using the static and time-dependent density
functional (TDHF) formalism have allowed for a range of microscopic
calculations of low-energy heavy-ion collisions. These calculations allow
variation of the effective interaction along with an interpretation of the
results of this variation informed by a comparison to experimental data.
Initial progress in implementing TDHF for heavy-ion collisions necessarily used
many approximations in the geometry or the interaction. Over the last decade or
so, the implementations have overcome all restrictions, and studies have begun
to be made where details of the effective interaction are being probed. This
review surveys these studies in low energy heavy-ion reactions, finding
significant effects on observables from the form of the spin-orbit interaction,
the use of the tensor force, and the inclusion of time-odd terms in the density
functional.

Nuclear Theory