Binary neutron stars: inspiral and merger

Binary neutron stars: inspiral and merger

Equal-mass magnetized neutron star binaries

A simulation of colliding neutron stars helps to explain what could lie behind short gamma-ray bursts.

Credits:
L. Rezzolla (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics & Institute for Theoretical Physics, Frankfurt), M. Koppitz (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics & Zuse Institute Berlin)

Note: Publication of these images requires proper credits and written permission. Please contact aei_zib_images@aei.mpg.de in advance of publication.

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Colliding neutron stars create a black hole and a gamma-ray burst

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow9JCXy1QdY

Unequal-mass neutron star binaries

Inspiraling neutron stars merge and form a black hole. Mass ratio of the neutron stars: 0.8 or 0.94.

L. Rezzolla, L. Baiotti, B. Giacomazzo, D. Link, J. A. Font
Accurate evolutions of unequal-mass neutron-star binaries: properties of the torus and short GRB engines
Class. Quantum Grav. 27 114105 (2010)
Source
DOI

Credits:
L. Baiotti (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics), L. Rezzolla (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics & Institute for Theoretical Physics, Frankfurt), M. Koppitz (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics & Zuse Institute Berlin)

Note: Publication of these images requires proper credits and written permission. Please contact aei_zib_images@aei.mpg.de in advance of publication.

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Inspiral and merger of equal-mass relativistic neutron stars

Inspiraling neutron stars merge and form a black hole. High-mass, polytropic equation of state.

Credits:
L. Baiotti, B. Giacomazzo (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics), L. Rezzolla (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics & Institute for Theoretical Physics, Frankfurt), R. Kähler (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics & Zuse Institute Berlin)

Note: Publication of these images requires proper credits and written permission. Please contact aei_zib_images@aei.mpg.de in advance of publication.

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Inspiral and merger of equal-mass relativistic neutron stars (low-mass, polytropic equation of state)

The images show the simulation of two neutron stars merging into a single object: an hypermassive neutron star (HMNS). Shown with different colours are different values of the density with green for the high density and orange for the low density. Although very hot, the HMNS will not be able to resist gravity and will collapse to produce a black hole after a fraction of a second. The low-density (orange) material will then produce a torus orbiting the black hole, leading to the configuration which is expected behind gamma-ray bursts.

Credits:
L. Baiotti, B. Giacomazzo (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics), L. Rezzolla (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics & Institute for Theoretical Physics, Frankfurt), R. Kähler (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics & Zuse Institute Berlin)

Note: Publication of these images requires proper credits and written permission. Please contact aei_zib_images@aei.mpg.de in advance of publication.

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Inspiral and merger of equal-mass relativistic neutron stars (high-mass, ideal-fluid equation of state)

The images show the evolution of a binary system of neutron stars (NSs) as these inspiral and merger. The product of the merger is a NS that is too massive to resist gravity and soon collapses to produce a black hole (BH). During this process a bit of the matter composing the NS is "left out" and forms a disc which more slowly accretes onto the BH. The torus is very hot (~ 1011 - 1012 K) and can produce lectron-positron pairs. This is what is expected as the origin of gamma-ray burts (GRBs), the most powerful sources of energy in the universe.

Credits:
L. Baiotti, B. Giacomazzo (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics), L. Rezzolla (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics & Institute for Theoretical Physics, Frankfurt), R. Kähler (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics & Zuse Institute Berlin)

Note: Publication of these images requires proper credits and written permission. Please contact aei_zib_images@aei.mpg.de in advance of publication.

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