Arunava Mukherjee
Abstract:
The true equation of state (EoS) of a neutron star is unknown, even nearly half a century after their discovery. The core of a neutron star consists of dense degenerate matter having a very high chemical potential and very low temperature. Properties of such matter are not only challenging to estimate from terrestrial laboratory experiments but also difficult to derive theoretically from first principles of QCD-interaction. Astronomical observations of neutron stars provide a promising path to unravel this mystery. I will give a brief overview of the constraints on the neutron star EoS coming from astronomical observations achieved till date. GW observations of binary neutron stars by the second generation GW detectors might allow us to measure the tidal deformability of neutron stars through its imprint on the GW signal. This can potentially be used to constrain the neutron star EoS. I will briefly highlight the present status and prospects of such constraints. Moreover, modern numerical simulations predict EoS-dependent signatures in the merger GW signal. This can also potentially help containing the EoS of the neutron stars.