- Physical Review Journals
All JournalsPhysics Magazine
Access Provided by Xinjiang University

Physical Review D

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Access by Xinjiang University

Asymptotically causal metamodel for neutron star equations of state

Gabriele Montefusco1, Marco Antonelli1, and Francesca Gulminelli1,2

PDF

Phys. Rev. D 114, 103022 – Published 10 November, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/bv9r-hvhm

Abstract

Nuclear metamodels—phenomenological parametrizations of the energy of nuclear matter—are convenient tools to explore the space of realistic neutron star configurations constrained by astrophysical and nuclear data. While much recent work has focused on composition-agnostic barotropic models, the metamodel approach is designed to describe the composition dependence of the relevant thermodynamic potential. We revise a previously proposed nonrelativistic metamodel by introducing a more controlled high-density behavior, improving both its causal properties and its accuracy in reproducing the pressure and the β-equilibrium composition of microscopically motivated equations of state. Since asymptotic causality is enforced by construction, the fraction of discarded models due to superluminal sound speeds is substantially reduced, facilitating metamodel-based explorations of equilibrium neutron star configurations. We further assess our framework by performing a Bayesian inference of neutron star properties beyond standard observables such as masses and radii, exploiting the metamodel’s ability to probe composition-dependent quantities including the dUrca threshold and the Ledoux criterion for g-mode stability.

View figure in article

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

References (159)

  1. M. C. Miller, F. K. Lamb, A. J. Dittmann, S. Bogdanov, Z. Arzoumanian, K. C. Gendreau, S. Guillot, A. K. Harding et al., Astrophys. J. 887, L24 (2019).
  2. M. C. Miller, F. K. Lamb, A. J. Dittmann, S. Bogdanov, Z. Arzoumanian, K. C. Gendreau, S. Guillot, W. C. G. Ho et al., Astrophys. J. 918, L28 (2021).
  3. T. E. Riley et al., Astrophys. J. Lett. 887, L21 (2019).
  4. T. E. Riley et al., Astrophys. J. Lett. 918, L27 (2021).
  5. T. Salmi et al., Astrophys. J. 941, 150 (2022).
  6. S. Vinciguerra, T. Salmi, A. L. Watts, D. Choudhury, T. E. Riley, P. S. Ray, S. Bogdanov, Y. Kini et al., Astrophys. J. 961, 62 (2024).
  7. N. Rutherford, M. Mendes, I. Svensson, A. Schwenk, A. L. Watts, K. Hebeler, J. Keller, C. Prescod-Weinstein et al., Astrophys. J. Lett. 971, L19 (2024).
  8. D. Choudhury, T. Salmi, S. Vinciguerra, T. E. Riley, Y. Kini, A. L. Watts, B. Dorsman, S. Bogdanov et al., Astrophys. J. Lett. 971, L20 (2024).
  9. B. P. Abbott et al. (LIGO Scientific and Virgo Collaborations), Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 161101 (2017).
  10. B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso et al. (LIGO Scientific and Virgo Collaborations), Phys. Rev. X 9, 011001 (2019).
  11. R. Abbott et al. (KAGRA, Virgo, and LIGO Scientific Collaborations), Phys. Rev. X 13, 041039 (2023).
  12. M. Maggiore, C. V. D. Broeck, N. Bartolo, E. Belgacem, D. Bertacca, M. A. Bizouard, M. Branchesi, S. Clesse et al., J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 03 (2020) 050.
  13. M. Evans et al., arXiv:2109.09882.
  14. M. Branchesi, M. Maggiore, D. Alonso, C. Badger, B. Banerjee, F. Beirnaert, E. Belgacem, S. Bhagwat et al., J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 07 (2023) 068.
  15. A. Abac et al., arXiv:2503.12263.
  16. L. Baiotti and L. Rezzolla, Rep. Prog. Phys. 80, 096901 (2017).
  17. D. Radice, S. Bernuzzi, and A. Perego, Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 70, 95 (2020).
  18. C. Ecker, T. Gorda, A. Kurkela, and L. Rezzolla, Nat. Commun. 16, 1320 (2025).
  19. A. Y. Potekhin, J. A. Pons, and D. Page, Space Sci. Rev. 191, 239 (2015).
  20. A. Marino, C. Dehman, K. Kovlakas, N. Rea, J. A. Pons, and D. Viganò, Nat. Astron. 8, 1020 (2024).
  21. A. Montoli, M. Antonelli, F. Magistrelli, and P. M. Pizzochero, Astron. Astrophys. 642, A223 (2020).
  22. M. Antonelli, A. Montoli, and P. Pizzochero, Insights Into the Physics of Neutron Star Interiors from Pulsar Glitches (World Scientific, Singapore, 2022), pp. 219–281.
  23. E. Annala, T. Gorda, A. Kurkela, and A. Vuorinen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 172703 (2018).
  24. I. Tews, J. Margueron, and S. Reddy, Eur. Phys. J. A 55, 97 (2019).
  25. S. Huth, P. T. H. Pang, I. Tews, T. Dietrich, A. Le Fèvre, A. Schwenk, W. Trautmann, K. Agarwal et al., Nature (London) 606, 276 (2022).
  26. C. Y. Tsang, M. B. Tsang, W. G. Lynch, R. Kumar, and C. J. Horowitz, Nat. Astron. 8, 328 (2024).
  27. R. Kumar, V. Dexheimer, J. Jahan, J. Noronha, J. Noronha-Hostler, C. Ratti, N. Yunes, A. R. Nava Acuna et al., Living Rev. Relativity 27, 3 (2024).
  28. H. Koehn, H. Rose, P. T. H. Pang, R. Somasundaram, B. T. Reed, I. Tews, A. Abac, O. Komoltsev et al., Phys. Rev. X 15, 021014 (2025).
  29. J. S. Read, B. D. Lackey, B. J. Owen, and J. L. Friedman, Phys. Rev. D 79, 124032 (2009).
  30. L. Suleiman, M. Fortin, J. L. Zdunik, and C. m. c. Providência, Phys. Rev. C 106, 035805 (2022).
  31. L. Lindblom, Phys. Rev. D 82, 103011 (2010).
  32. L. Lindblom and N. M. Indik, Phys. Rev. D 86, 084003 (2012).
  33. F. Özel and D. Psaltis, Phys. Rev. D 80, 103003 (2009).
  34. M. G. Alford, G. F. Burgio, S. Han, G. Taranto, and D. Zappalà, Phys. Rev. D 92, 083002 (2015).
  35. I. Tews, J. Carlson, S. Gandolfi, and S. Reddy, Astrophys. J. 860, 149 (2018).
  36. S. K. Greif, G. Raaijmakers, K. Hebeler, A. Schwenk, and A. L. Watts, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 485, 5363 (2019).
  37. M. F. O’Boyle, C. Markakis, N. Stergioulas, and J. S. Read, Phys. Rev. D 102, 083027 (2020).
  38. L. Brandes, W. Weise, and N. Kaiser, Phys. Rev. D 107, 014011 (2023).
  39. P. Landry and R. Essick, Phys. Rev. D 99, 084049 (2019).
  40. R. Essick, P. Landry, and D. E. Holz, Phys. Rev. D 101, 063007 (2020).
  41. B. Sun, T. Zhao, and J. M. Lattimer, arXiv:2601.04294.
  42. P. Haensel, A. Y. Potekhin, and D. G. Yakovlev, Neutron Stars 1: Equation of State and Structure (Springer, New York, USA, 2007), Vol. 326.
  43. M. Oertel, M. Hempel, T. Klähn, and S. Typel, Rev. Mod. Phys. 89, 015007 (2017).
  44. G. Fiorella Burgio and A. F. Fantina, in The Physics and Astrophysics of Neutron Stars, Astrophysics and Space Science Library Vol. 457, edited by L. Rezzolla, P. Pizzochero, D. I. Jones, N. Rea, and I. Vidaña (Springer, Cham, 2018), p. 255.
  45. G. F. Burgio, H.-J. Schulze, I. Vidaña, and J.-B. Wei, Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. 120, 103879 (2021).
  46. J. M. Lattimer, C. J. Pethick, M. Prakash, and P. Haensel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 2701 (1991).
  47. T. Klähn, D. Blaschke, S. Typel, E. N. E. van Dalen, A. Faessler, C. Fuchs, T. Gaitanos, H. Grigorian et al., Phys. Rev. C 74, 035802 (2006).
  48. D. Lai, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 270, 611 (1994).
  49. R. F. Sawyer, Phys. Rev. D 39, 3804 (1989).
  50. L. Gavassino, M. Antonelli, and B. Haskell, Classical Quantum Gravity 38, 075001 (2021).
  51. G. Camelio, L. Gavassino, M. Antonelli, S. Bernuzzi, and B. Haskell, Phys. Rev. D 107, 103031 (2023).
  52. S. P. Harris, arXiv:2407.16157.
  53. Y. Yang, M. Hippert, E. Speranza, and J. Noronha, Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 222702 (2025).
  54. S. P. Harris, Phys. Rev. C 112, 035806 (2025).
  55. L. S. Finn, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 227, 265 (1987).
  56. A. Reisenegger and P. Goldreich, Astrophys. J. 395, 240 (1992).
  57. A. R. Counsell, F. Gittins, and N. Andersson, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 531, 1721 (2024).
  58. G. Montefusco, M. Antonelli, and F. Gulminelli, Astron. Astrophys. 694, A150 (2025).
  59. T. Zhao, P. B. Rau, A. Haber, S. P. Harris, C. Constantinou, and S. Han, Astrophys. J. 993, 161 (2025).
  60. M. Fortin, C. Providência, A. R. Raduta, F. Gulminelli, J. L. Zdunik, P. Haensel, and M. Bejger, Phys. Rev. C 94, 035804 (2016).
  61. M. Ferreira and C. Providência, Universe 6, 220 (2020).
  62. L. Suleiman, M. Fortin, J. L. Zdunik, and P. Haensel, Phys. Rev. C 104, 015801 (2021).
  63. P. J. Davis, H. Dinh Thi, A. F. Fantina, F. Gulminelli, M. Oertel, and L. Suleiman, Astron. Astrophys. 687, A44 (2024).
  64. S. Burrello, F. Gulminelli, M. Antonelli, M. Colonna, and A. F. Fantina, Phys. Rev. C 112, 035802 (2025).
  65. P. Klausner, M. Antonelli, and F. Gulminelli, Phys. Rev. C 113, 025808 (2026).
  66. J. Margueron, R. Hoffmann Casali, and F. Gulminelli, Phys. Rev. C 97, 025805 (2018).
  67. J. Margueron, R. Hoffmann Casali, and F. Gulminelli, Phys. Rev. C 97, 025806 (2018).
  68. S. Huth, C. Wellenhofer, and A. Schwenk, Phys. Rev. C 103, 025803 (2021).
  69. Y. Lim and A. Schwenk, Phys. Rev. C 109, 035801 (2024).
  70. H. Dinh Thi, C. Mondal, and F. Gulminelli, Universe 7, 373 (2021).
  71. L. Brandes, W. Weise, and N. Kaiser, Phys. Rev. D 108, 094014 (2023).
  72. L. Brandes and W. Weise, Phys. Rev. D 111, 034005 (2025).
  73. I. Tews, J. Margueron, and S. Reddy, Phys. Rev. C 98, 045804 (2018).
  74. T. Carreau, F. Gulminelli, and J. Margueron, Phys. Rev. C 100, 055803 (2019).
  75. R. Somasundaram, C. Drischler, I. Tews, and J. Margueron, Phys. Rev. C 103, 045803 (2021).
  76. R. Maiti and D. Chatterjee, Nucl. Phys. A1066, 123267 (2026).
  77. S. Antić, D. Chatterjee, T. Carreau, and F. Gulminelli, J. Phys. G 46, 065109 (2019).
  78. H. Dinh Thi, T. Carreau, A. F. Fantina, and F. Gulminelli, Astron. Astrophys. 654, A114 (2021).
  79. G. Grams, R. Somasundaram, J. Margueron, and S. Reddy, Phys. Rev. C 105, 035806 (2022).
  80. G. Grams, N. N. Shchechilin, T. Diverrès, A. F. Fantina, N. Chamel, and F. Gulminelli, Universe 11, 172 (2025).
  81. S. Ng, I. Legred, L. Suleiman, P. Landry, L. Traylor, and J. Read, Classical Quantum Gravity 42, 205008 (2025).
  82. X. Grundler and B.-A. Li, Phys. Rev. D 112, 103012 (2025).
  83. B.-A. Li, X. Grundler, W.-J. Xie, and N.-B. Zhang, Astrophys. J. 998, 262 (2026).
  84. P. Klausner, M. Antonelli, G. Coló, F. Gulminelli, X. Roca-Maza, and E. Vigezzi, Phys. Rev. C 114, 014302 (2026).
  85. T. Diverrès, G. Montefusco, A. F. Fantina, and F. Gulminelli, Astron. Astrophys. 712, A160 (2026).
  86. C. Mondal, M. Antonelli, F. Gulminelli, M. Mancini, J. Novak, and M. Oertel, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 524, 3464 (2023).
  87. J. J. Li and A. Sedrakian, Phys. Rev. C 100, 015809 (2019).
  88. T. Malik, M. Ferreira, B. K. Agrawal, and C. Providência, Astrophys. J. 930, 17 (2022).
  89. J.-J. Li and A. Sedrakian, Astrophys. J. 957, 41 (2023).
  90. T. Malik, H. Pais, and C. Providência, Astron. Astrophys. 689, A242 (2024).
  91. C. Huang, T. Malik, J. Cartaxo, S. Sourav, W. Yuan, T. Zhou, X. Liu, J. Groger et al., arXiv:2411.14615.
  92. L. Scurto, H. Pais, and F. Gulminelli, Phys. Rev. D 109, 103015 (2024).
  93. P. Char, C. Mondal, F. Gulminelli, and M. Oertel, Phys. Rev. D 108, 103045 (2023).
  94. L. Scurto, H. Pais, M. Antonelli, and F. Gulminelli, Astron. Astrophys. 703, A200 (2025).
  95. L. Gavassino and M. Antonelli, Classical Quantum Gravity 37, 025014 (2020).
  96. X. Roca-Maza and N. Paar, Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. 101, 96 (2018).
  97. I. Vidaña, Nuovo Cimento C 41, 179 (2019).
  98. B.-A. Li, B.-J. Cai, W.-J. Xie, and N.-B. Zhang, Universe 7, 182 (2021).
  99. J. M. Lattimer, Particles 6, 30 (2023).
  100. B. Jancovici, Nuovo Cimento (1955–1965) 25, 428 (1962).
  101. G. Faussurier, Phys. Plasmas 23, 122704 (2016).
  102. J. Xu and P. Papakonstantinou, Phys. Rev. C 105, 044305 (2022).
  103. P. Klausner, G. Colò, X. Roca-Maza, and E. Vigezzi, Phys. Rev. C 111, 014311 (2025).
  104. P. Haensel, J. Phys. G 3, 373 (1977).
  105. E. Chabanat, P. Bonche, P. Haensel, J. Meyer, and R. Schaeffer, Nucl. Phys. A627, 710 (1997).
  106. M. Dutra, O. Lourenço, J. S. Sá Martins, A. Delfino, J. R. Stone, and P. D. Stevenson, Phys. Rev. C 85, 035201 (2012).
  107. C. Drischler, J. W. Holt, and C. Wellenhofer, Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 71, 403 (2021).
  108. G. Grams, R. Somasundaram, J. Margueron, and E. Khan, Phys. Rev. C 106, 044305 (2022).
  109. N. Kaiser, Phys. Rev. C 91, 065201 (2015).
  110. G. A. Miller and W. T. H. V. Oers, in Symmetries and Fundamental Interactions in Nuclei, edited by W. C. Haxton and E. M. Henley and et al. (World Scientific, Singapore, 1995), pp. 127–167.
  111. Y. B. Zeldovich, Sov. Phys. JETP 14, 1143 (1962) [Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 41, 1609 (1961)].
  112. M. G. Alford, L. Brodie, A. Haber, and I. Tews, Phys. Rev. C 106, 055804 (2022).
  113. B. Biswas, Phys. Rev. D 113, 123032 (2026).
  114. W. M. Seif and D. N. Basu, Phys. Rev. C 89, 028801 (2014).
  115. B.-J. Cai and B.-A. Li, Phys. Rev. C 92, 011601 (2015).
  116. S. L. Shapiro and S. A. Teukolsky, Black Holes, White Dwarfs, and Neutron Stars: The Physics of Compact Objects (Wiley, New York, 1983).
  117. Neutron star cores: Nucleons and hyperons, in Neutron Stars 1, edited by P. Haensel, A. Y. Potekhin, and D. G. Yakovlev (Springer New York, 2007), pp. 207–280.
  118. P. Haensel, K. P. Levenfish, and D. G. Yakovlev, Astron. Astrophys. 394, 213 (2002).
  119. E. D. Van Oeveren and J. L. Friedman, Phys. Rev. D 95, 083014 (2017).
  120. N. Chamel and P. Haensel, Living Rev. Relativity 11, 10 (2008).
  121. T. Carreau, F. Gulminelli, and J. Margueron, Eur. Phys. J. A 55, 188 (2019).
  122. H. Dinh Thi, A. F. Fantina, and F. Gulminelli, Eur. Phys. J. A 57, 296 (2021).
  123. F. Douchin and P. Haensel, Astron. Astrophys. 380, 151 (2001).
  124. S. Goriely, N. Chamel, and J. M. Pearson, Phys. Rev. C 88, 024308 (2013).
  125. S. Goriely, N. Chamel, and J. M. Pearson, Phys. Rev. C 88, 061302 (2013).
  126. J. M. Pearson, N. Chamel, A. Y. Potekhin, A. F. Fantina, C. Ducoin, A. K. Dutta, and S. Goriely, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 481, 2994 (2018); 486, 768(E) (2019).
  127. S. Typel, G. Röpke, T. Klähn, D. Blaschke, and H. H. Wolter, Phys. Rev. C 81, 015803 (2010).
  128. M. Hempel and J. Schaffner-Bielich, Nucl. Phys. A837, 210 (2010).
  129. W.-C. Chen and J. Piekarewicz, Phys. Rev. C 90, 044305 (2014).
  130. H. Shen, H. Toki, K. Oyamatsu, and K. Sumiyoshi, Nucl. Phys. A637, 435 (1998).
  131. H. Shen, F. Ji, J. Hu, and K. Sumiyoshi, Astrophys. J. 891, 148 (2020).
  132. CompOSE Core Team, S. Typel, M. Oertel, T. Klähn, D. Chatterjee, V. Dexheimer, C. Ishizuka, M. Mancini et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 58, 221 (2022).
  133. I. Vidaña, Front. Phys. 9, 660622 (2021).
  134. G. Grams and J. Margueron, arXiv:2401.13590.
  135. G. Grams, J. Margueron, R. Somasundaram, and S. Reddy, Few-Body Syst. 62, 116 (2021).
  136. L. Mauviard, S. Guillot, T. Salmi, D. Choudhury, B. Dorsman, D. González-Caniulef, M. Hoogkamer, D. Huppenkothen et al., arXiv:2506.14883.
  137. E. Fonseca, H. T. Cromartie, T. T. Pennucci, P. S. Ray, A. Y. Kirichenko, S. M. Ransom, P. B. Demorest, I. H. Stairs et al., Astrophys. J. Lett. 915, L12 (2021).
  138. H. Güven, K. Bozkurt, E. Khan, and J. Margueron, Phys. Rev. C 102, 015805 (2020).
  139. N.-B. Zhang, B.-A. Li, and J. Xu, Astrophys. J. 859, 90 (2018).
  140. S. Altiparmak, C. Ecker, and L. Rezzolla, Astrophys. J. Lett. 939, L34 (2022).
  141. R. Machleidt and F. Sammarruca, Phys. Scr. 91, 083007 (2016).
  142. W. J. Huang, M. Wang, F. G. Kondev, G. Audi, and S. Naimi, Chin. Phys. C 45, 030002 (2021).
  143. J. Antoniadis, P. C. C. Freire, N. Wex, T. M. Tauris, R. S. Lynch, M. H. van Kerkwijk, M. Kramer, C. Bassa et al., Science 340, 448 (2013).
  144. T. H. J. Salmi, D. Choudhury, Y. Kini, T. E. Riley, S. Vinciguerra, A. L. Watts, M. T. Wolff, Z. Arzoumanian et al., Astrophys. J. 974, 294 (2024).
  145. P. Landry, R. Essick, and K. Chatziioannou, Phys. Rev. D 101, 123007 (2020).
  146. D. Mroczek, M. Coleman Miller, J. Noronha-Hostler, and N. Yunes, J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 2536, 012006 (2023).
  147. R. Somasundaram, I. Tews, and J. Margueron, Phys. Rev. C 107, L052801 (2023).
  148. B. K. Pradhan, D. Chatterjee, M. Lanoye, and P. Jaikumar, Phys. Rev. C 106, 015805 (2022).
  149. A. Sedrakian, Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 171401 (2024).
  150. T. Malik, B. K. Agrawal, and C. Providência, Phys. Rev. C 106, L042801 (2022).
  151. B. P. Abbott et al., Phys. Rev. X 9, 031040 (2019).
  152. S. J. Magnall, C. Ecker, L. Rezzolla, P. D. Lasky, and S. R. Goode, Astrophys. J. Lett. 988, L75 (2025).
  153. P. Char and C. Mondal, Phys. Rev. D 111, 103024 (2025).
  154. D. Mroczek, M. C. Miller, J. Noronha-Hostler, and N. Yunes, Phys. Rev. D 110, 123009 (2024).
  155. P. Jaikumar, A. Semposki, M. Prakash, and C. Constantinou, Phys. Rev. D 103, 123009 (2021).
  156. V. A. Dommes and M. E. Gusakov, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 455, 2852 (2016).
  157. V. Tran, S. Ghosh, N. Lozano, D. Chatterjee, and P. Jaikumar, Phys. Rev. C 108, 015803 (2023).
  158. T. Zhao and J. M. Lattimer, Phys. Rev. D 106, 123002 (2022).
  159. C. Mondal and F. Gulminelli, Phys. Rev. D 105, 083016 (2022).

Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. D 114, 103022– Published 10 November, 2026
  • Received 9 April 2026
  • Accepted 26 August 2026
Crossmark - Check for updates button

© 2026 American Physical Society

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation