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Title: Constraining the neutron-matter equation of state with gravitational waves

Abstract

We demonstrate how observations of gravitational waves from binary neutron star (BNS) mergers over the next few years can be combined with insights from nuclear physics to obtain useful constraints on the equation of state (EoS) of dense matter. In particular, the neutron-matter EoS between 1 and 2 times the nuclear saturation density $$n_0$$ ≈ 0.16 fm–3 can be constrained to within 20%, given the simulated data from about 15 merger events. Using Fisher information methods, we combine observational constraints from simulated BNS merger events drawn from various population models with independent measurements of the neutron star radii expected from x-ray astronomy [the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer observations in particular] to directly constrain nuclear physics parameters. To parametrize the nuclear EoS, we use a different approach, expanding from pure nuclear matter rather than from symmetric nuclear matter to make use of recent quantum Monte Carlo calculations. This method eschews the need to invoke the so-called parabolic approximation to extrapolate from symmetric nuclear matter, allowing us to directly constrain the neutron-matter EoS. Using a principal component analysis, we identify the combination of parameters most tightly constrained by observational data. We discuss sensitivity to various effects such as different component masses through population-model sensitivity, phase transitions in the core EoS, and large deviations from the central parameter values.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]; ORCiD logo [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
  2. Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune (India)
  3. Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
  4. Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Hannover (Germany); Leibniz Universität Hannover (Germany)
  5. Syracuse Univ., NY (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust; National Science Foundation (NSF); Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)
OSTI Identifier:
1799981
Grant/Contract Number:  
FG02-00ER41132; PHY-1430152; SB/FTP/PS-067/2014
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review. D.
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 100; Journal Issue: 8; Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; Astronomy & Astrophysics; Physics

Citation Formats

Forbes, Michael McNeil, Bose, Sukanta, Reddy, Sanjay, Zhou, Dake, Mukherjee, Arunava, and De, Soumi. Constraining the neutron-matter equation of state with gravitational waves. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1103/physrevd.100.083010.
Forbes, Michael McNeil, Bose, Sukanta, Reddy, Sanjay, Zhou, Dake, Mukherjee, Arunava, & De, Soumi. Constraining the neutron-matter equation of state with gravitational waves. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.100.083010
Forbes, Michael McNeil, Bose, Sukanta, Reddy, Sanjay, Zhou, Dake, Mukherjee, Arunava, and De, Soumi. Tue . "Constraining the neutron-matter equation of state with gravitational waves". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.100.083010. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1799981.
@article{osti_1799981,
title = {Constraining the neutron-matter equation of state with gravitational waves},
author = {Forbes, Michael McNeil and Bose, Sukanta and Reddy, Sanjay and Zhou, Dake and Mukherjee, Arunava and De, Soumi},
abstractNote = {We demonstrate how observations of gravitational waves from binary neutron star (BNS) mergers over the next few years can be combined with insights from nuclear physics to obtain useful constraints on the equation of state (EoS) of dense matter. In particular, the neutron-matter EoS between 1 and 2 times the nuclear saturation density $n_0$ ≈ 0.16 fm–3 can be constrained to within 20%, given the simulated data from about 15 merger events. Using Fisher information methods, we combine observational constraints from simulated BNS merger events drawn from various population models with independent measurements of the neutron star radii expected from x-ray astronomy [the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer observations in particular] to directly constrain nuclear physics parameters. To parametrize the nuclear EoS, we use a different approach, expanding from pure nuclear matter rather than from symmetric nuclear matter to make use of recent quantum Monte Carlo calculations. This method eschews the need to invoke the so-called parabolic approximation to extrapolate from symmetric nuclear matter, allowing us to directly constrain the neutron-matter EoS. Using a principal component analysis, we identify the combination of parameters most tightly constrained by observational data. We discuss sensitivity to various effects such as different component masses through population-model sensitivity, phase transitions in the core EoS, and large deviations from the central parameter values.},
doi = {10.1103/physrevd.100.083010},
journal = {Physical Review. D.},
number = 8,
volume = 100,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Tue Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

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