Constraining a relativistic mean field model using neutron star mass-radius measurements II: Hyperonic models

TL;DR

This study explores whether future neutron star observations can reveal the presence of hyperons inside neutron stars, showing that simulated data may favor hyperonic models but current measurement precision is insufficient.

Contribution

It introduces a Bayesian inference approach comparing hyperonic and nucleonic models using simulated observational data, highlighting potential to detect hyperons with future telescopes.

Findings

Simulated future data can favor hyperonic models over nucleonic ones.

Current measurement uncertainties are too large to constrain hyperonic model parameters.

Bayes factors can help distinguish models with improved observational data.

Abstract

We investigate whether measurements of the neutron star mass and radius or the tidal deformability can provide information about the presence of hyperons inside a neutron star. This is achieved by considering two inference models, with and without hyperons, based on a field-theoretical approach. While current observations do not distinguish between the two scenarios, we have shown that data simulating expected observations from future large area X-ray timing telescopes could provide some information through Bayes factors. Inference using simulated data generated from an EOS containing hyperons decisively favours the hyperonic model over the nucleonic model. However, a 2\% uncertainty in the mass and radius determination may not be sufficient to constrain the parameters of the model when only six neutron star mass-radius measurements are considered.