What have we learned about binary neutron stars since the discovery of GW170817? (video) Duncan Brown, Charles Brightman Professor of Physics, Syracuse University

The detection of the binary neutron star merger GW170817 by Advanced LIGO and Virgo has allowed us to explore the nature of dense matter using gravitational waves. The gravitational waves radiated during the merger encode the physical properties of the binary, including the masses, spins, and tidal deformability of the stars. Measuring these quantities allows us to probe the dense matter equation of state. The observation of GW17017 in light and gravitational waves has provided unprecedented insight into the nuclear equation of state. I will review what we have learned so far from GW170817 and discuss what future observations might tell us about the nature of neutron stars.