Hydrodynamic Calculations of Coalescing Compact Binaries

合并致密双星(两个中子星或一个中子星和一个黑洞的合并)的理论计算将在并行超级计算机上使用3-D流体力学技术进行。这些计算将首次包括对所有最低阶后牛顿效应(即爱因斯坦广义相对论对牛顿引力最重要的修正)的完整处理。这些计算将为我们提供对双星聚结过程更准确的描述，包括对引力辐射信号的更准确的理论预测，这些信号可能很快就会被激光干涉仪探测器如LIGO探测到。它们还将帮助我们理解产生天文学家在整个可见宇宙中观测到的最强伽马射线暴的重要机制。

Theoretical calculations of coalescing compact binaries (mergers of two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole) will be performed using 3-D hydrodynamic techniques on parallel supercomputers. These calculations will include, for the first time ever, a complete treatment of all lowest-order post-Newtonian effects (i.e., the most important corrections to Newtonian gravity imposed by Einstein's general theory of relativity). In particular, the dissipative effects due to the emission of gravitational waves will be included in the hydrodynamics.These calculations will provide us with a much more accurate description of the binary coalescence process, including more accurate theoretical predictions for the gravitational radiation signals that may soon become detectable by laser interferometer detectors such as LIGO. They will also help us understand the mechanisms that may be important for producing the most powerful gamma-ray bursts observed by astronomers throughout the visible Universe.