Constraining a relativistic mean field model using neutron star mass–radius measurements II: hyperonic models

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.