Related papers: Contribution of primordial binary evolution to the…
We present the first study of the dynamical evolution of an isolated star cluster that combines a significant population of primordial binaries with the presence of a central black hole. We use equal-mass direct N-body simulations, with N…
A number of scenarios for the formation of multiple populations in globular clusters (GCs) predict that second generation (2G) stars form in a compact and dense subsystem embedded in a more extended first-generation (1G) system. If these…
We present a state-of-the-art N-body code which includes a detailed treatment of stellar and binary evolution as well as the cluster dynamics. This code is ideal for investigating all aspects relating to the evolution of star clusters and…
The field of the globular cluster M12 (NGC 6218) was monitored between 1995 and 2009 in a search for variable stars. $BV$ light curves were obtained for 36 periodic or likely periodic variables. Thirty-four of these are new detections.…
Dense stellar clusters are natural sites for the origin and evolution of exotic objects such as relativistic binaries (potential gravitational wave sources), blue stragglers, etc. We investigate the secular dynamics of a binary system…
Recent Hubble Space Telescope observations have unveiled the white dwarf cooling sequence of the Galactic bulge. Although the degenerate sequence can be well fitted employing the most up-to-date theoretical cooling sequences, observations…
We present and discuss new BVI CCD photometry in the field of the globular cluster Arp~2, which is considered a member of the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy. The main goal of this investigation is to study of the statistics and spatial…
In this review I first summarize why binaries are key objects in the study of stellar populations, key objects to understand the evolution of star clusters, key objects to understand galaxies and thus the universe. I then focus on 4…
Spectroscopic observations of binary stars in globular clusters are essential to shed light on the poorly constrained period, eccentricity, and mass ratio distributions and to develop an understanding of the formation of peculiar stellar…
Stellar mergers are responsible for a large variety of astrophysical phenomena. They form blue straggler stars, give rise to spectacular transients, and produce some of the most massive stars in the Universe. Here, we focus on mergers from…
I present a simplified analytical model that simulates the evolution of the binary population in a dynamically evolving globular cluster. A number of simulations have been run spanning a wide range in initial cluster and environmental…
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…
About 5-15% of stellar systems are at least triple. About 1% of systems with a primary of $\tgs 1 \Mscun$ are triple with a {\it longer} peri od that is less than 30y, and so may in principle be capable of Roche-lobe overflow in both the…
Observations from optical to centimeter wavelengths have demonstrated that multiple systems of two or more bodies is the norm at all stellar evolutionary stages. Multiple systems are widely agreed to result from the collapse and…
This paper reviews our knowledge on binary central stars of planetary nebulae and presents some personal opinions regarding their evolution. Three types of interactions are distinguished: type I, where the binary companion induces the mass…
The central regions of six Galactic Globular Clusters (GGCs) (M3, M80, M10, M13, M92 and NGC 288) have been imaged using HST-WFPC2 and the ultraviolet (UV) filters (F255W, F336W). The selected sample covers a large range in both central…
The measured characteristics of binary pulsars provide valuable insights into the evolution of these systems. We study the aspects of binary evolution particularly relevant to binary Millisecond Pulsars (MSPs), and the formation of close…
In this paper I present an overview of the main observational properties of a special class of exotic objects (the so-called Blue Straggler Stars, BSSs) in Galactic Globular Clusters (GCs). The BSS specific frequency and their radial…
Accurate determinations of stellar mass functions and ages of stellar populations are crucial to much of astrophysics. We analyse the evolution of stellar mass functions of coeval main sequence stars including all relevant aspects of…
The old open cluster M67 is an ideal testbed for current cluster evolution models because of its dynamically evolved structure and rich stellar populations that show clear signs of interaction between stellar, binary and cluster evolution.…