Effects of dense matter on the tidal deformations of binary neutron star inspirals and gravitational waves

TL;DR

This paper investigates how dense matter properties influence the tidal deformability and gravitational wave signals of binary neutron star inspirals using unified, nuclear physics-based equations of state.

Contribution

It introduces a set of thermodynamically consistent equations of state derived from nuclear energy-density functional theory for modeling neutron stars.

Findings

Dense matter properties significantly affect tidal deformability.

Unified equations of state improve modeling accuracy.

Results inform gravitational wave data interpretation.

Abstract

The role of the dense matter properties on the tidal deformability and gravitational waveforms of binary neutron stars is studied using a set of unified equations of state. Based on the nuclear energy-density functional theory, these equations of state provide a thermodynamically consistent treatment of all regions of the stars and were calculated using functionals that were precision fitted to experimental and theoretical nuclear data.