Related papers: An Analytic Model for Blue Straggler Formation in …
Observations and theoretical work suggest that globular clusters may be born with initially very large binary fractions. We present first results from our newly modified Monte-Carlo cluster evolution code, which treats binary interactions…
Blue straggler stars present as secure members in the Galactic open clusters form a major challenge to the conventional picture of evolutionary population synthesis based on the stellar evolution theory of single stars, as illustrated in…
We present a technique to identify the most probable dynamical formation scenario for an observed binary or triple system containing one or more merger products or, alternatively, to rule out the possibility of a dynamical origin. Our…
We present a homogeneous catalogue for blue straggler, red giant branch, horizontal branch and main-sequence turn-off stars in a sample of 35 clusters taken from the ACS Survey for Globular Clusters. As a result of the superior photometry…
We present a homogeneous study of blue straggler stars across ten outer halo globular clusters, three classical dwarf spheroidal and nine ultra-faint galaxies based on deep and wide-field photometric data taken with MegaCam on the…
We discuss some aspects of stellar evolution in binary systems. While single stars can swell following the chemical evolution of their interior, stars belonging to binary systems cannot overflow the size of the Roche lobe and hydrostatic…
Collisions of main sequence stars occur frequently in dense star clusters. In open and globular clusters, these collisions produce merger remnants that may be observed as blue stragglers. Detailed theoretical models of this process require…
High-resolution {\sl Hubble Space Telescope} imaging observations show that the radial distribution of the field-decontaminated sample of 162 'blue straggler' stars (BSs) in the $11.7^{+0.2}_{-0.1}$ Gyr-old Large Magellanic Cloud cluster…
Recent observations of blue stragglers by De Marco et al. (2004) have revealed continuum deficits on the blue side of the Balmer discontinuity, leading these authors to infer the presence of discs around the stars. This intriguing…
The galactic population of globular clusters are old, dense star systems, with a typical cluster containing $10^4 - 10^6$ stars. As an old population of stars, globular clusters contain many collapsed and degenerate objects. As a dense…
Galactic globular clusters are old, dense star systems typically containing 10\super{4}--10\super{7} stars. As an old population of stars, globular clusters contain many collapsed and degenerate objects. As a dense population of stars,…
We model the dynamics of test binaries in isotropic, multi-mass models of galactic globular clusters. The evolution of binary orbits through the cluster potentials is modeled, including second order diffusion terms, and probabilities for…
Context. The study of blue straggler stars (BSS) provides insight into the mechanisms of stellar mass exchange during binary stellar evolution and the complex gravitational interactions within dense stellar systems. In combination, they…
Bifurcated patterns of blue straggler stars in their color--magnitude diagrams have atracted significant attention. This type of special (but rare) pattern of two distinct blue straggler sequences is commonly interpreted as evidence of…
The importance of stellar encounters in producing stellar exotica in dense stellar clusters is reviewed. We discuss how collisions between main-sequence stars may be responsible for the production of blue stragglers in globular clusters. We…
We report the results of new SPH calculations of parabolic collisions between main-sequence (MS) stars. The stars are assumed to be close to the MS turn-off point in a globular cluster and are therefore modeled as $n=3$, $\Gamma=5/3$…
In dense stellar systems the frequent dynamical interactions between stars play a crucial role in the formation and evolution of compact binaries. We study these processes using a novel approach combining a state-of-the-art binary…
The old (7 Gyr) open cluster NGC 188 has yielded a wealth of astrophysical insight into its rich blue straggler population. Specifically, the NGC 188 blue stragglers are characterized by: A binary frequency of 80% for orbital periods less…
Dense stellar clusters are expected to house the ideal conditions for binary black hole (BBH) formation, both through binary stellar evolution and through dynamical encounters. We use theoretical arguments as well as $N$-body simulations to…
Most stars are members of binaries, and the evolution of a star in a close binary system differs from that of an ioslated star due to the proximity of its companion star. The components in a binary system interact in many ways and binary…