Overview

Neutron star mergers provide an extreme test bed for the properties of dense matter and they may provide clues about how the heaviest elements in our solar system were produced. The gravitational waves they emit in the last few orbits before merger encode information about their internal structure and the electromagnetic radiation they produce gives clues about the conditions encountered during the merger and the properties of the exotic, neutron-rich material that was potentially unbound from the system. These events are essentially multi-physics problems involving nuclear physics, gravitational physics, weak interactions, radiation transport, and (magneto-)hydrodynamics. Understanding what they tell us about dense matter and the origin of the r-process will require interactions between the communities working in all of these areas.

Joint gravitational wave and electromagnetic observations of the single binary neutron star merger GW170817 provided a wealth of information on the nuclear equation of state and the origin of the r-process nuclei. Currently, the LIGO and Virgo detectors are engaged in their third observing run, which is expected to detect between 1 and 40 NSNS mergers and possibly BHNS mergers. As a result, there will be significant new gravitational wave and electromagnetic data about these events available at the time of this workshop. Therefore, the goal of this program is to bring together gravitational wave astronomers, astrophysicists, and nuclear physicists to discuss and further interpret these anticipated new results.

The third week of the program will be a workshop focused on the presentation of the latest results related to observing run 3. The rest of the other weeks will have one to two talks per day, allowing ample time for discussion amongst participants. Each week will focus on a specific theme:

1. Progress on the equation of state of dense matter
2. Gravitational wave modeling and analysis: status, challenges, and prospects
3. Workshop: A workshop registration fee may apply. The registration fee includes participation in the workshop, lectures, and coffee breaks.
4. Electromagnetic counterparts: modeling and implications
5. Neutron star mergers and the origin of r-process elements