Neutron stars are gold mines

Neutron stars are not only mines for clues to dense matter physics but may also be the auspicious sources of half of all nuclei heavier than A = 60 in the universe, including the auric isotopes. Although the cold dense matter above the nuclear saturation density cannot be directly explored in the laboratory, gilded constraints on the properties of matter from 1 to 10 times higher density can now be panned from neutron star observations. We show how upcoming observations, such as gravitational wave from mergers, precision timing of pulsars, neutrinos from neutron star birth and X-rays from bursts and thermal emissions, will provide the bullion from which further advances can be smelted.