Amortized Simulation-Based Inference of Relativistic Mean-Field Couplings for Neutron-Star Equations of State
Prashant Thakur, Tuhin Malik
astro-ph.HE, nucl-th
Submitted: 2026-06-24
Comments: 7 figures, 3 Tables
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The gist: We present a simulation-based inference framework for constraining microscopic relativistic mean-field parameters of neutron-star equations of state.
Terminology
Abstract
We present a simulation-based inference framework for constraining microscopic relativistic mean-field parameters of neutron-star equations of state. Neural posterior estimation is applied to two representative RMF families, a density-dependent DDB model and a nonlinear RMF-NL model, using nuclear saturation properties, chiral effective-field-theory pure-neutron-matter pressures, and the maximum-mass constraint as conditioning observables. The inferred posteriors are validated against the conventional nested sampler (PyMultiNest) calculations and tested with the TARP coverage diagnostic. For both RMF parametrizations, the neural posterior reproduces the nested-sampling constraints on model couplings, nuclear-matter properties, and neutron-star observables with no significant bias. The amortized estimator generates 3 times 10 4 posterior samples in about 2.5, s on a CPU, enabling a rapid inference workflow without the need for retraining for updated data. This constitutes a proof of concept that NPE-emulated RMF models, once validated, can be safely used for superfast exploratory inference. As an additional mock-observation test, imposing R 1.4=12, km and M max>1.97,M leads to consistent predictions for the maximum-mass configuration, with DDB giving M max=2.10+0.09-0.07,M, R max=10.71+0.14-0.21, km and RMF-NL giving M max=2.05+0.10-0.06,M, R max=10.69+0.18-0.19, km; although fixing R 1.4 confines both families to a narrow EOS region, RMF-NL remains marginally softer than DDB at high density, consistent with its slightly lower maximum mass.
Sources
- Constraining the dense matter equation of state with joint analysis of NICER and LIGO/Virgo measurements
- Constraints on the dense matter equation of state and neutron star properties from NICER's mass-radius estimate of PSR J0740+6620 and multimessenger observations
- A Trust Crisis In Simulation-Based Inference? Your Posterior Approximations Can Be Unfaithful
- Learning Bayesian posteriors with neural networks for gravitational-wave inference
- Real-time gravitational-wave science with neural posterior estimation
- Neural Importance Sampling for Rapid and Reliable Gravitational-Wave Inference
- Real-time gravitational-wave inference for binary neutron stars using machine learning
- Neural Posterior Estimation of Neutron Star Equations of State
- Neural Simulation-Based Inference of the Neutron Star Equation of State directly from Telescope Spectra
- Covariant Energy Density Functionals for Neutron Star Matter Equation of State Modeling: Cross-Comparison Analysis Using \texttt{CompactObject}
- Neutron Star Observations: Prognosis for Equation of State Constraints
- Neutron Stars and the Nuclear Equation of State
- GW170817: Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Neutron Star Inspiral
- A NICER View of PSR J0030+0451: Millisecond Pulsar Parameter Estimation
- PSR J0030+0451 Mass and Radius from NICER Data and Implications for the Properties of Neutron Star Matter
- A NICER View of the Massive Pulsar PSR J0740+6620 Informed by Radio Timing and XMM-Newton Spectroscopy
- The Radius of PSR J0740+6620 from NICER and XMM-Newton Data
- A NICER View of PSR J1231$-$1411: A Complex Case
- Equation of state and neutron star properties constrained by nuclear physics and observation
- Neutron matter at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order in chiral effective field theory
Related papers
- Numerical Studies of Accretion Flows onto a Neutron Star Engulfed in a Massive Star
- Collisionless Accretion of Finite-Angular-Momentum Plasma onto a Spinning Black Hole
- Impact of Magnetic Field Topology on Electromagnetic and Gravitational Waves from Binary Neutron Star Merger Remnants
- XRISM Resolve Spectroscopy of GX 5-1: Constraints on Iron Spectral Features in a Luminous Neutron-Star Binary
- SN 1006: A Cosmic Laboratory for Investigating Shock Acceleration Physics
- Neutrino Spectral Pinching in 3D Core-Collapse Supernovae: Late-Time Convergence, Failed-Explosion Signatures, and Viewing-Angle Dispersion