Neutron star merger, gravitational waves, and the dense matter equation of state

The equation of state of dense matter that determines properties of the neutron star also characterizes the dynamics and gravitational waveforms emitted during binary neutron-star mergers. Understanding the effects of the equation of state on them requires numerical-relativity simulations of the mergers and a number of strategies for extracting information of equation of sate from gravitational waves have been proposed. Furthermore, recent numerical-relativity simulations also clarified that the neutron-star equation of state has a significant impact on the r-process nucleosynthesis which proceeds in the neutron-rich ejecta of the mergers. The r-process in the mergers has been accumulated wide interests both as a possible origin of heavy nuclei and a promising electro-magnetic counterpart to gravitational waves. I will review these topics and discuss possible feedbacks to the nuclear physics.