Variations on Gravity - Time scales in compact object mergers

TL;DR

This paper reviews the various time scales involved in compact object mergers and their potential observable effects, especially in relation to gamma-ray bursts, enhancing understanding of these cosmic events.

Contribution

It provides a detailed overview of the different stages and time scales in compact object mergers and discusses their significance for interpreting gamma-ray burst observations.

Findings

Different stages have distinct time scales affecting observables

Understanding these time scales aids in interpreting GRB signals

Current knowledge gaps exist in modeling merger stages

Abstract

Compact object mergers, or their collisions in dense stellar environments, involve different time scales. Each of these has its own tempo and dictates a characteristic set of consequences which may, or may not, be observable in what we see as a gamma-ray burst (GRB). I detail here these stages, the state of our knowledge about them, and how they may be important for our understanding of this class of progenitors.