Living Rev. Relativity, 15, (2012), 8 LIVINGREVIEWS http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2012-8 in relativity Binary Neutron Star Mergers Joshua A. Faber Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation and School of Mathematical Sciences Rochester Institute of Technology, 85 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester NY 14623, USA email:
[email protected] http://ccrg.rit.edu/people/faber Frederic A. Rasio Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics, and Department of Physics & Astronomy, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston IL 60208, USA email:
[email protected] http://ciera.northwestern.edu/rasio/ Accepted on 22 May 2012 Published on 4 July 2012 Abstract We review the current status of studies of the coalescence of binary neutron star systems. We begin with a discussion of the formation channels of merging binaries and we discuss the most recent theoretical predictions for merger rates. Next, we turn to the quasi-equilibrium formalisms that are used to study binaries prior to the merger phase and to generate initial data for fully dynamical simulations. The quasi-equilibrium approximation has played a key role in developing our understanding of the physics of binary coalescence and, in particular, of the orbital instability processes that can drive binaries to merger at the end of their life- times. We then turn to the numerical techniques used in dynamical simulations, including relativistic formalisms, (magneto-)hydrodynamics, gravitational-wave extraction techniques, and nuclear microphysics treatments. This is followed by a summary of the simulations per- formed across the field to date, including the most recent results from both fully relativistic and microphysically detailed simulations.