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Degeneracy in the Inference of Phase Transitions in the Neutron Star Equation of State from Gravitational Wave Data
Carolyn A Raithel1, Elias R Most1
1School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, 1 Einstein Drive, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, USA; Princeton Center for Theoretical Science, Jadwin Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA and Princeton Gravity Initiative, Jadwin Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA.
Abstract:
Gravitational wave (GW) detections of binary neutron star inspirals will be crucial for constraining the dense matter equation of state (EOS). We demonstrate a new degeneracy in the mapping from tidal deformability data to the EOS, which occurs for models with strong phase transitions. We find that there exists a new family of EOS with phase transitions that set in at different densities and that predict neutron star radii that differ by up to ∼500 m but that produce nearly identical tidal deformabilities for all neutron star masses. Next-generation GW detectors and advances in nuclear theory may be needed to resolve this degeneracy.
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