Project B07: Equation of state and nucleosynthesis in neutron star mergers

Nuclear physics and the observables of neutron star mergers are tightly linked. The nuclear equation of state determines the dynamics of the coalescence and thus the gravitational-wave signal, the matter outflows, and the onset of black-hole formation. In addition, the reactions forming heavy nuclei through the r-process in the ejecta depend sensitively on nuclear models and affect the final elemental abundance of the outflow and the kilonova electromagnetic emission. We will establish the link between the underlying nuclear physics and merger observables by means of detailed hydrodynamical models and nucleosynthesis calculations, connecting the CRC to a range of astrophysical observations.