Speaker: Alexander Haber, Washington University in St. Louis
Abstract: Transport processes in hot and dense matter are an important way to improve our understanding of fundamental interactions and might be accessible via gravitational wave observations. In this talk I will especially focus on modified and direct Urca processes in nuclear matter under conditions that we expect in binary neutron star mergers. Nuclear Urca processes have shown to be a potential significant source of bulk viscosity under merger conditions. I will explain how a correct relativistic treatment can alter the rates and the true beta equilibrium significantly.