The multi-messenger signatures of binary neutron star mergers
by
Nikhil Sarin(Nordita)
→
Europe/Stockholm
https://stockholmuniversity.zoom.us/j/530682073
https://stockholmuniversity.zoom.us/j/530682073
Description
Two neutron stars merge somewhere in the Universe approximately every 10 to 100 seconds, creating violent explosions potentially observable in gravitational waves and across the electromagnetic spectrum. The transformative coincident gravitational-wave and electromagnetic observations of the binary neutron star merger GW170817 gave invaluable insights into these cataclysmic collisions.However, despite the wealth of information, it is still unclear when the remnant of GW170817 collapsed to form a black hole. The observational signatures associated with a binary neutron star merger are intrinsically connected to the fate of the merger remnant. I will discuss the different observational signatures expected in binary neutron star mergers and what kilonovae and short gamma-ray burst observations tell us about the fate of other binary mergers. I will discuss how these observations can shed light onto fundamental questions, such as the behaviour of nuclear matter in supranuclear densities, the jet-launching mechanism of gamma-ray bursts and r-process nucleosynthesis. I will also look to the future, and discuss what we can learn by maximising the value of different messengers in the gravitational-wave multi-messenger era.
