Precise constraint on properties of neutron stars through new universal relations and astronomical observations

Abstract: In view of the great uncertainty of the equation of state (EOS) of high-density nuclear matter, establishing EOS-independent universal relations between global properties of neutron stars provides a practical way to constrain the unobservable or difficult-to-observe properties through astronomical observations. It is common to construct universal relations between EOS-dependent properties (e.g., moment of inertia, tidal deformation, etc.) or combined properties (e.g., compactness). Improving the precision of the universal relations may provide stricter constraint on the properties of neutron star. We find that in 3-dimensional space with mass and radius as the base coordinates, the points corresponding to a certain property of neutron star described by different EOSs are almost located in the same surface. Thus the universal relation between the property and the stellar mass-radius can be expressed through describing the surface. It is shown that the resulting universal relations have higher precisions. As an example, we construct high-precision universal relations for the moment of inertia, the $f$-mode frequency, and the dimensionless tidal deformation respect to the mass-radius. As the observational data of neutron star mass and radius from NICER grows in data and accuracy, these universal relations allow for more precise constraints on the unobservable or difficult-to-observe properties.