  Coalescing compact binaries with neutron star (NS) or black hole (BH)
components are important sources of gravitational waves for the
laser-interferometer detectors currently under construction, and may also be
sources of gamma-ray bursts at cosmological distances. This paper focuses on
the final hydrodynamic coalescence and merger of NS--NS binaries, and addresses
the question of whether black hole formation is the inevitable final fate of
these systems.
