2016ApJ...832...28G

We numerically investigate global properties of rotating neutron stars (NSs) using the allowed band of QCD equations of state derived by Kurkela et al. This band is constrained by chiral effective theory at low densities and perturbative QCD at high densities, and is thus, in essence, a controlled constraint from first-principles physics. Previously, this band of equations of state was used to investigate non-rotating NSs only; in this work, we extend these results to any rotation frequency below the mass-shedding limit. We investigate mass-radius curves, allowed mass-frequency regions, radius-frequency curves for a typical 1.4M_☉ star, and the values of the moment of inertia of the double pulsar PSR J0737-3039A, a pulsar for which the moment of inertia may be constrained observationally in a few years. We present limits on observational data coming from these constraints, and identify values of observationally relevant parameters that would further constrain the allowed region for the QCD equation of state. We also discuss how much this region would be constrained by a measurement of the moment of inertia of the double pulsar PSR J0737-3039A.