XQCD 2018

I will discuss the rapid recent progress made in modelling these systems and show how the inspiral and merger of a binary system of neutron stars is more than a strong source of gravitational waves. Indeed, while the gravitational signal can provide tight constraints on the equation of state for matter at nuclear densities, the formation of a black-hole--torus system can explain much of...

QCD with strong electromagnetic fields is relevant for heavy-ion collisions, the early universe and strongly magnetized neutron stars. Amenable to lattice simulations, its thermodynamics shows some unexpected features like inverse magnetic catalysis. I review our numerical results and show that many effects can be understood -- at least qualitatively -- by (otherwise free) fermions in magnetic...