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The collision of neutron stars produces gravitational waves from "summary" of The Science of Interstellar by Kip Thorne
When two neutron stars spiral into each other and collide, the event generates a cataclysmic release of energy in the form of gravitational waves. These waves are ripples in the fabric of spacetime itself, carrying information about the violent merger across the universe at the speed of light. Neutron stars are incredibly dense remnants of massive stars that have exploded in supernovae, packing more mass than the sun into a sphere just a few kilometers across. As the neutron stars spiral closer and closer together due to their mutual gravitational attraction, they eventually reach a point where the tidal forces between them become so strong that they deform and break apart. This process, known as tidal disruption, releases a tremendous amount of energy in the form of gravitational waves. These waves propagate outward in all directions, spreading the signal of the collision far and wide. The detection of gravitational waves from the collision of neutron stars represents a monumental achievement in astrophysics, opening a new window onto the universe and allowing scientists to probe some of the most extreme phenomena in the cosmos. By studying the signal...
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