Equation of state for dense nucleonic matter from metamodeling. II. Predictions for neutron star properties

Employing recently proposed metamodeling for the nucleonic matter equation of state, we analyze neutron star global properties such as masses, radii, momentum of inertia, and others. The impact of the uncertainty on empirical parameters on these global properties is analyzed in a Bayesian statistical approach. Physical constraints, such as causality and stability, are imposed on the equation of state and different hypotheses for the direct Urca (dUrca) process are investigated. In addition, only metamodels with maximum masses above $2{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ are selected. Our main results are the following: the equation of state exhibits a universal behavior against the dUrca hypothesis under the condition of charge neutrality and $\ensuremath{\beta}$ equilibrium; neutron stars, if composed exclusively of nucleons and leptons, have a radius of $12.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4$ km for masses ranging from 1 up to $2{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$; a small radius lower than 11 km is very marginally compatible with our present knowledge of the nuclear empirical parameters; and finally, the most important empirical parameters which are still affected by large uncertainties and play an important role in determining the radius of neutrons stars are the slope and curvature of the symmetry energy (${L}_{\mathrm{sym}}$ and ${K}_{\mathrm{sym}}$) and, to a lower extent, the skewness parameters (${Q}_{\mathrm{sat}/\mathrm{sym}}$).