Academia Sinica Logo

【Abstract】

Gravitational wave observations of neutron star collisions offer a unique avenue into a regime where gravity and matter entangle strongly and evolve dynamically. As these waves travel essentially undistorted through the cosmos to reach the detectors, they constitute the most promising messenger to probe into nuclear physics at extreme densities and low temperatures, as well as the fundamental nature of gravity. Extracting and interpreting gravitational wave signals buried in instrumental noise requires highly accurate waveform models that map signal morphologies to physical parameters — including some tied to unresolved questions and potential new physics. In this talk, I will highlight how the gravitational wave data can illuminate the physics of neutron stars, including their composition and mutual interactions under extreme conditions, and how insights into deviations from General Relativity can be revealed.