Detall

Probing subatomic physics with gravitational waves from binary neutron star inspirals

By: Tanja Hinderer, Utrecht University

Date: Thursday, 8 May, 2025 at 12:00

Place: Aula Magna Enric Casassas and YouTube Live

Abstract: The gravitational wave signals from inspiraling binaries carry unique information about the nature and internal structure of the compact objects. For neutron stars, which contain matter compressed by strong gravity to supranuclear densities, this opens unique opportunities to advance our understanding of subatomic physics in largely unexplored regimes, and gain insights into the nonlinear interplay of gravity and matter. I will discuss examples of characteristic signatures of matter in gravitational waves due to tidal interactions and recent advances in understanding and modeling them. I will also discuss what we have learned from recent measurements and conclude with an outlook onto the remaining challenges and exciting prospects for the next years as gravitational-wave science continues to move towards an era of precision physics.