Dense matter equation of state and neutron star properties from nuclear theory and experiment

The equation of state of dense matter determines the structure of neutron stars, their typical radii, and maximum masses. Recent improvements in theoretical modeling of nuclear forces from the low-energy effective field theory of QCD has led to tighter constraints on the equation of state of neutron-rich matter at and somewhat above the densities of atomic nuclei, while the equation of state and composition of matter at high densities remains largely uncertain and open to a multitude of theoretical speculations. In the present work we review the latest advances in microscopic modeling of the nuclear equation of state and demonstrate how to consistently include also empirical nuclear data into a Bayesian posterior probability distribution for the model parameters. Derived bulk neutron star properties such as radii, moments of inertia, and tidal deformabilities are computed, and we discuss as well the limitations of our modeling.