Bayesian Analysis of Hybrid Neutron Star EOS Constraints Within an Instantaneous Nonlocal Chiral Quark Matter Model

We present a physics-informed Bayesian analysis of equation of state constraints using observational data for masses, radii and tidal deformability of pulsars and a generic class of hybrid neutron star equation of state with color superconducting quark matter on the basis of a recently developed nonlocal chiral quark model. The nuclear matter phase is described within a relativistic density functional model of the DD2 class and the phase transition is obtained by a Maxwell construction. We find the region in the two-dimensional parameter space spanned by the vector meson coupling and the scalar diquark coupling, where three conditions are fulfilled: (1) the Maxwell construction can be performed, (2) the maximum mass of the hybrid neutron star is not smaller than 2.0 M⊙ and (3) the onset density of the phase transition is not below the nuclear saturation density n0=0.15 fm−3. The result of this study shows that the favorable neutron star equation of state has low onset masses for the occurrence of a color superconducting quark matter core between 0.5–0.7 M⊙ and maximum masses in the range 2.15–2.22 M⊙. In the typical mass range of 1.2–2.0 M⊙, the radii of these stars are between 11.9 and 12.4 km, almost independent of the mass. In principle, hybrid stars would allow for larger maximum masses than provided by the hadronic reference equation of state.