Retrieving "Inspiral" from the archives
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Binary Neutron Star System
Linked via "inspiral"
where $G$ is the gravitational constant, $c$ is the speed of light, $m1$ and $m2$ are the stellar masses, $a$ is the semi-major axis, and $f(\epsilon)$ is a function dependent on the orbital eccentricity ($\epsilon$). For circular orbits ($\epsilon = 0$), $f(\epsilon) = 1$.
This energy loss manifests as an inspiral, causing the orbital period ($P$) to decrease predictably. The characteristic timescale for the inspiral, $\… -
Binary Neutron Star System
Linked via "inspiral"
Electromagnetic Counterparts
The inspiral culminates in a merger, an event hypothesized to power short Gamma-Ray Bursts (sGRBs). The merger ejects neutron-rich material, which undergoes rapid neutron capture (the r-process), synthesizing elements heavier than iron, such as gold and platinum, in a transient event called a kilonova. The spectral signature of kilonovae is characterized by ra…