Related papers: Pre-supernova evolution, compact object masses and…
The formation histories of compact binary mergers, especially stellar-mass binary-black hole mergers, have recently come under increased scrutiny and revision. In this paper we revisit the question of the dominant formation channel and…
Stripped-envelope supernovae (Types IIb, Ib, and Ic) that show little or no hydrogen comprise roughly one-third of the observed explosions of massive stars. Their origin and the evolution of their progenitors are not yet fully understood.…
We perform a systematic study of merging black hole (BH) binaries with compact star (CS) companions, including black hole--white dwarf (BH--WD), black hole--neutron star (BH--NS) and black hole--black hole (BH--BH) systems. Previous studies…
We systematically examine how the presence in a binary affects the final core structure of a massive star and its consequences for the subsequent supernova explosion. Interactions with a companion star may change the final rate of rotation,…
Mergers of black hole-neutron star (BHNS) binaries have now been observed by GW detectors with the recent announcement of GW200105 and GW200115. Such observations not only provide confirmation that these systems exist, but will also give…
Many supernovae (SNe) imply an interaction of the SN ejecta with matter (CSM) surrounding the progenitor star. This suggests that many massive stars may undergo various degrees of envelope stripping shortly before exploding, and produce a…
By using direct N-body numerical simulations, we model the dynamical co-evolution of two supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and the surrounding stars in merging galaxies. In order to investigate how different stellar components evolve during…
Gravitational wave detectors are observing compact object mergers from increasingly far distances, revealing the redshift evolution of the binary black hole (BBH) -- and soon the black hole-neutron star (BHNS) and binary neutron star (BNS)…
Mergers of neutron stars (NSs) and black holes (BHs) are nowadays observed routinely thanks to gravitational-wave (GW) astronomy. In the isolated binary-evolution channel, a common-envelope (CE) phase of a red supergiant (RSG) and a compact…
Observations of X-ray binaries indicate a dearth of compact objects in the mass range from $\sim 2-5 M_{\odot}$. The existence of this (first mass) gap has been used to discriminate between proposed engines behind core-collapse supernovae.…
Following the collapse of their cores, some of the massive binary stars that populate our Universe are expected to form merging binaries composed of black holes and neutron stars. Gravitational-wave observations of the resulting compact…
Stripped-envelope supernovae (SESNe) mark the deaths of massive stars without hydrogen-rich envelopes. Most SESNe likely originate from binary systems where a companion stripped the progenitor of its envelope. Years of HST imaging of nearby…
The majority of core-collapse supernova (CCSN) progenitors are massive stars in multiple systems, and their evolution and final fate are affected by interactions with their companions. These interactions can explain the presence of…
Massive stars mainly form in close binaries, where their mutual interactions can profoundly alter their evolutionary paths. Evolved binaries consisting of a massive OB-type main-sequence star with a stripped helium star or a compact…
Recent discoveries of gravitational wave (GW) events most likely originating from black hole (BH) + neutron star (NS) mergers reveal the existence of BH+NS binaries. The formation of BH+NS binaries and their merger rates through isolated…
Massive stars are usually found in binaries, and binaries with periods less than 10 days may have a preference for near equal component masses. In this paper we investigate the evolution of these binaries all the way to contact and the…
The majority of massive stars are formed in binary systems. It is hence reasonable to expect that most core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) take place in binaries and the existence of a companion star may leave some imprints in observed…
Binary neutron stars have been observed as millisecond pulsars, gravitational-wave sources, and as the progenitors of short gamma-ray bursts and kilonovae. Massive stellar binaries that evolve into merging double neutron stars are believed…
In binary black-hole mergers from isolated binary-star evolution, both black holes are from progenitor stars that have lost their hydrogen-rich envelopes by binary mass transfer. Envelope stripping is known to affect the pre-supernova core…
Binary supermassive black holes (SMBH) are expected to form naturally during galaxy mergers. After the dynamical friction phase, when the two SMBHs become gravitationally bound to each other, and a brief stage of initial rapid hardening,…