Neutron star structure in alternative theories of gravity

We study the structure of neutron stars in a broad class of alternative theories of gravity. In particular, we focus on scalar-tensor theories and $f(R)$ theories of gravity. We construct static and slowly rotating stars numerically for a set of equations of state, including a polytropic model and more realistic equations of state motivated by nuclear physics. Observable quantities such as masses, radii, etc are calculated for a set of parameters of the theories. We also calculate the sensitivity of the mass of the models to variations in the asymptotic value of the scalar field at infinity. These quantities enter post-Newtonian equations of motion and gravitational waveforms of two body systems that are used for gravitational-wave parameter estimation, in order to test these theories against observations.