Astro Seminar: Carolyn Raithel

Date and Time: Monday, January 13 at 2:15 PM

Speaker: Carolyn Raithel (Swarthmore College)

Place: Auditorium A (Zoom)

Title: Probing Dense Matter with Neutron Star Mergers 

Abstract: Neutron star mergers provide a unique probe of the dense matter equation of state (EOS) across a wide range of parameter space, from the cold, equilibrium conditions of the inspiral, to the hot and dynamical environment of the post-merger evolution. In this talk, I will start by discussing what we can learn about the EOS from the current observations of binary neutron star inspirals. I will then highlight some additional EOS constraints that we may be able to extract from a future measurement of gravitational waves emitted by the hot and massive remnant neutron star that forms after the merger. I will present a series of numerical simulations of neutron star mergers that use a phenomenological framework to explore new parts of the EOS parameter space, to study this post-merger regime. I will conclude by discussing the prospects for detecting these new EOS effects with current and upcoming gravitational wave detectors.