Re: Two neutron stars on a collision course?

Tim Little wrote:
> Total fragmentation couldn't happen even theoretically unless they
> were merging at a decent fraction of lightspeed initially - the
> gravitational binding energy is far too great for that.  Actual mass
> conversion to energy is unlikely, but it could dissipate quite some
> fraction of the kinetic energy built up as they fall into each other,
> which would not be a negligible fraction of their rest mass/energy.

If the neutron stars don't hit head-on and instead spiral inward I 
recall seeing simulations showing lots of material pulling off due to 
tidal effects. I imagine even in a head-on collision there'd be a lot of 
"spray". Since neutron star material isn't stable in the absence of 
neutron star gravity, might the decay of all that neutronium produce a 
significant amount of energy?

Perhaps not significant compared to the kinetic energy involved in the 
collision, but still, it'll be pretty. :)