The neutron lifetime anomaly, dark baryons, and their impact on neutron star mergers

One motivation for the existence of a dark sector is the neutron lifetime anomaly, where two different measurements of the neutron lifetime give different results. This discrepancy can be resolved if the neutron, in vacuum, sometimes decays into dark sector particles, for example, a dark baryon and a light scalar. If these particles exist, they could appear in dense astrophysical environments like supernovae and neutron stars. I will discuss the consequences of the existence of dark baryons on supernovae and neutron star mergers, including the impact of the additional neutron (dark) decay channel on the bulk viscosity of dense matter, and the possible time-dependent softening of the equation of state due to the production of dark baryons.