Dynamical Tides and Gravitational Waveforms of Binary Neutron Star Mergers

Abstract

The interior of neutron stars has been a subject of uncertainty for decades, as the interaction of supranuclear densities and relatively low temperatures is not currently replicable in terrestrial laboratories. In order to constrain the behavior of matter in such conditions, one typically turns to astrophysical observables of neutron stars, such as radius, mass, and tidal deformability. Most relevant to this thesis is the last quantity, which is inferred from the gravitational waves emitted by binary neutron star mergers. Current models of tidal interactions rely on quasi-static tidal deformations, which are only meaningfully approximate during the early part of the late inspiral. As the stars progress throughout the late inspiral stage, the tidal deformations become dynamical and nonlinear. This thesis aims to analytically model Newtonian tidal deformation contributions up to nonlinear terms. By identifying the derived dynamical corrections to the phase of the waveform, this thesis establishes a foundation for future modeling of linear and nonlinear PN contributions, ultimately aiming to help constrain the EoS of neutron stars using gravitational wave observations.