Title: Merging of neutron star binaries in full general relativity
Abstract: The merger of a binary system of compact objects is expected to be a
strong source of gravitational waves, but will also be accompanied by an
intense electromagnetic signature. I will overview the rapid recent
progress in this problem and show how the dynamics of a binary of
magnetized neutron stars leads to a rapidly-spinning black hole
surrounded by a hot and highly-magnetized torus. I will also discuss how
this process can be used to model short gamma-ray bursts and infer the
properties of the equation of state for matter at nuclear densities.