Related papers: V1309 SCO - Understanding a merger

The observed Galactic rate of stellar mergers or the initiation of common envelope phases brighter than M_V=-3 (M_I=-4) is of order 0.5 (0.3)/year with 90% confidence statistical uncertainties of 0.24-1.1 (0.14-0.65) and factor of 2…

Massive stars that lose their hydrogen-rich envelope down to a few tenths of a solar mass explode as extended type IIb supernovae, an intriguing subtype that links the hydrogen-rich type II supernovae with the hydrogen-poor type Ib and Ic.…

We study mass loss from the outer Lagrange point (L2) in binary stellar mergers and their luminous transients by means of radiative hydrodynamical simulations. Previously, we showed that for binary mass ratios 0.06 < q < 0.8, synchronous L2…

The only well-studied red nova progenitor (V1309 Sco) was a contact binary with a 1.4-day period. The prospects for searching for similar systems, as well as stellar merger candidates in general, are explored in this work. The photospheric…

Mergers of binaries consisting of two neutron stars, or a black hole and a neutron star, offer a unique opportunity to study a range of physical and astrophysical processes using two different and almost orthogonal probes - gravitational…

We report on the discovery of a merger-driven starburst at z = 1.52, PACS-787, based on high signal-to-noise ALMA observations. CO(5-4) and continuum emission (850um) at a spatial resolution of 0.3" reveal two compact (r_1/2 ~ 1 kpc) and…

One very important object for understanding the nature of red novae is V1309 Sco. Its pre-outburst observations showed that, before its red-nova eruption in 2008, it was a contact binary quickly evolving to the merger of the components. It…

A binary neutron star merger has been observed in a multi-messenger detection of gravitational wave (GW) and electromagnetic (EM) radiation. Binary neutron stars that merge within a Hubble time, as well as many other compact binaries, are…

Gravitational-wave observation together with a large number of electromagnetic observations shows that the source of the latest gravitational-wave event, GW170817, detected primarily by advanced LIGO, is the merger of a binary neutron star.…

We explore the implications of the observed low spin of GW150914 within the context of stellar astrophysics and progenitor models. We conclude that many of the recently proposed scenarios are in marked tension with this observation. We…

Hydrogen-rich supernovae, known as Type II (SNe II), are the most common class of explosions observed following the collapse of the core of massive stars. We use analytical estimates and population synthesis simulations to assess the…

Aims. The ESO SN Ia Progenitor Survey (SPY) aims at finding merging double degenerate binaries as candidates for supernova type Ia (SN Ia) explosions. A white dwarf merger has also been suggested to explain the formation of rare types of…

The protostellar outflows of wide-separation forming binaries frequently appear misaligned. We use magneto-hydrodynamic simulations to investigate the alignment of protostellar spin and molecular outflows for forming binary pairs. We show…

We present optical and infrared spectroscopy of V1309 Sco, an object that erupted in 2008 in a stellar-merger event. During the outburst, V1309 Sco displayed characteristics typical of red transients, a class of objects similar to V838 Mon.…

The orbital decay of binaries containing a primary sub-giant or red giant star and a stellar or substellar companion is investigated. The tide raised in the primary by the companion leads to an exchange of angular momentum between the orbit…

Even after elaborate investigations for 30 years, we still do not know well how the progenitor of SN 1987A has evolved. To explain unusual red-to-blue evolution, previous studies suggest that in a red giant stage either the increase of…

We perform numerical simulations to investigate the stellar wind from interacting binary stars. Our aim is to find analytical formulae describing the outflow structure. In each binary system the more massive star is in the asymptotic giant…

Recent detailed observations of the radio-loud quasar 3C 186 indicate the possibility that a supermassive recoiling black hole is moving away from the host galaxy at a speed of nearly 2100km/s. If this is the case, we can model the mass…

The recent discovery of GW150914, the binary black hole merger detected by Advanced LIGO, has the potential to revolutionize observational astrophysics. But to fully utilize this new window into the universe, we must compare these new…

Binary mass transfer can occur at high rates due to rapid expansion of the donor's envelope. In the case where mass transfer is unstable, the binary can rapidly shrink its orbit and lead to a merger. In this work we consider the appearance…