Neutron star observations: Prognosis for equation of state constraints

Abstract

Abstract We investigate how current and proposed observations of neutron stars can lead to an understanding of the state of their interiors and the key unknowns: the typical neutron star radius and the neutron star maximum mass. We consider observations made not only with photons, ranging from radio waves to X-rays, but also those involving neutrinos and gravity waves. We detail how precision determinations of structural properties would lead to significant restrictions on the poorly understood equation of state near and beyond the equilibrium density of nuclear matter. To begin, a theoretical analysis of neutron star structure, including general relativistic limits to mass, compactness, and spin rates is made. A review is the made of recent observations such as pulsar timing (which leads to mass, spin period, glitch and moment of inertia estimates), optical and X-ray observations of cooling neutron stars (which lead to estimates of core temperatures and ages and inferences about the internal composition), and X-ray observations of accreting and bursting sources (which shed light on both the crustal properties and internal composition). Next, we discuss neutrino emission from proto-neutron stars and how neutrino observations of a supernova, from both current and planned detectors, might impact our knowledge of the interiors, mass and radii of neutron stars. We also explore the question of how superstrong magnetic fields could affect the equation of state and neutron star structure. This is followed by a look at binary mergers involving neutron stars and how the detection of gravity waves could unambiguously distinguish normal neutron stars from self-bound strange quark matter stars.