Tim Dietrich - Nuclear physics and multi-messenger astrophysics studies of neutron stars

Nuclear physics and multi-messenger astrophysics studies of neutron stars

by Tim Dietrich (Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik)

Abstract: Throughout the Universe, many high-energy, cataclysmic astrophysical collisions of neutron stars are continuously occurring. These collisions provide an excellent testbed to probe the properties of supranuclear-dense matter, to study the production of heavy elements, and to allow for an independent measurement of the expansion rate of our Universe. Essential for such studies are reliable models describing the merger dynamics. We show how these models can be used to derive new constraints on the equation of state governing neutron-star matter and the Hubble constant. For this purpose, we analyze the gravitational waves and electromagnetic signals emitted from the binary neutron star merger GW170817 together with other gravitational-wave measurements, as well as, X-ray and radio observation of single neutron stars. Finally, we compare the constraints derived from our multi-messenger analysis with heavy-ion collisions of gold nuclei, showing a remarkable consistency between macroscopic collisions of compact binaries and microscopic collisions in particle colliders.

Contact: C. Feruglio