  We used a newtonian SPH (smooth-particle hydrodynamics) code to follow the
final stages of evolution of a coalescing binary system of a neutron star and a
black hole. We find that the outcome of the "merger" is very sensitive to the
equation of state describing the neutron star. A neutron star with a soft
equation of state (polytrope with index Gamma=5/3) is completely disrupted, and
a fairly large and long-lived accretion torus is formed.
