Unbiased interpolated neutron-star EoS at finite T for modified gravity studies

TL;DR

This paper extends neutron star equation of state uncertainty bands to finite temperatures up to 30 MeV, aiding tests of gravity theories against astrophysical observations without bias from prior astrophysics computations.

Contribution

It introduces temperature-dependent uncertainty bands for neutron star equations of state, based on nuclear physics calculations, for use in modified gravity studies.

Findings

Uncertainty bands extended to 30 MeV temperature.

Temperature-dependent EoS boundaries provided via repositories.

Supports unbiased tests of gravity theories with neutron star data.

Abstract

Neutron stars and their mergers provide the highest-density regime in which Einstein's equations in full (with a matter source) can be tested against modified theories of gravity. But doing so requires a priori knowledge of the Equation of State from nuclear and hadron physics, where no contamination from computations of astrophysics observables within General Relativity has been built in. We extend the nEoS uncertainty bands, useful for this very purpose, to finite (but small) temperatures up to 30 MeV, given that the necessary computations in ChPT and in pQCD at already available in the literature. The temperature-dependent band boundaries will be provided through the COMPOSE repository and our own website.