When neutron stars merge, things get messy

What happens when the densest objects in the universe collide? A neutron star merger is a cosmic forge that creates heavy elements like gold and platinum, but it also unleashes "messy" gravitational waves and gamma-ray bursts that can sterilize nearby solar systems. We look at the violent physics of a kilonova.

#science #Kilonova #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Space #Discovery #GravityWaves #NASA

https://www.thefuturist.co/when-neutron-stars-merge-things-get-messy/

Le 17 août 2017 occupe une place spéciale dans la mémoire des astrophysiciens. En cette journée, les caractéristiques d'un événement d'ondes gravitationnelles (GW170817) suggèrent la première détection d'une fusion d'étoiles à neutrons. Un branle-bas de combat digne des meilleurs films d'action allait ensuite animer 70 équipes d'astrophysiciens pendant deux mois!

https://denis-gilbert.ca/fr/2025/04/15/kilonova-fusion-detoiles-a-neutrons-et-ondes-gravitationnelles/

#astronomy #astrophysics #neutronstar #kilonova #GW170817

GOTO065054+593624 - an 8.5 mag amplitude dwarf nova identified in real time via Kilonova Seekers: https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2025/07/aa53823-25/aa53823-25.html -> Public take the lead in discovery of new exploding star: https://warwick.ac.uk/news/pressreleases/public_take_the_lead_in_discovery_of_new_exploding_star.

And last year ... #Kilonova Seekers - the GOTO project for real-time citizen science in time-domain astrophysics: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/533/2/2113/7735340?login=false -> A citizen science project has already identified 20 new astronomical discoveries: https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/news/citizen-science-project-identifies-20-new-astronomical-discoveries

More news coverage – this time from phys.org – of our researchers' recent breakthrough simulation of merging neutron stars.

📄 https://phys.org/news/2025-06-simulation-reveals-emergence-jet-binary.html

#NeutronStars #Relativity #Kilonova #Astrophysics #Astronomy #GRB

Durchbruch bei der Simulation kollidierender Neutronensterne

Die bisher längste konsistente numerisch-relativistische Simulation zeigt Details der Entstehung Schwarzer Löcher und Jets und ist ein wichtiger Schritt für die Multi-Messenger-Astronomie.

ℹ️ https://www.aei.mpg.de/1249399/breakthrough-in-simulating-how-neutron-stars-collide

📄 https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.211407

Bild: K. Hayashi / @mpi_grav

#Neutronensterne #Astrophysik #SchwarzesLoch #MultiMessengerAstronomy #Astronomie #Kilonova #Gravitationswellen

💡 Breakthrough in simulating how neutron stars collide 💥

Longest self-consistent numerical-relativity simulation to date reveals details of black hole and jet formation and advances multi-messenger astronomy.

ℹ️ https://www.aei.mpg.de/1249127/breakthrough-in-simulating-how-neutron-stars-collide

📄 https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.211407

Picture: K. Hayashi / @mpi_grav

#NeutronStar #Astrophysics #BlackHole #MultiMessengerAstronomy #Kilonova #Jet #Astronomy #GravitationalWaves