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The fate of stars in the zero-age main-sequence (ZAMS) range ≈8–12 M ⊙ is unclear. They could evolve to form white dwarfs or explode as electron-capture supernovae (SNe) or iron core-collapse SNe (CCSNe). Even though the initial mass function indicates that this mass range should account for over 40% of all CCSN progenitors, few have been observationally confirmed, likely due to the faintness and rapid evolution of some of these transients. In this paper, we present a sample of nine Ca-rich/O-poor Type IIb SNe detected by the Zwicky Transient Facility with progenitors likely in this mass range. These sources have a [Ca ii ] λ λ 7291, 7324/[O i ] λ λ 6300, 6364 flux ratio of ≳2 in their nebular spectra. Comparing the measured [O i ] luminosity (≲1039 erg s−1) and derived oxygen mass (≈0.01 M ⊙) with theoretical models, we infer that the progenitor ZAMS mass for these explosions is less than 12 M ⊙. The ejecta properties (M ej ≲ 1 M ⊙ and E kin ∼ 1050 erg) are also consistent. The low ejecta mass of these sources indicates a class of strongly-stripped SNe that is a transition between the regular stripped-envelope SNe and ultra-stripped SNe. The progenitor could be stripped by a main-sequence companion and result in the formation of a neutron star−main sequence binary. Such binaries have been suggested to be progenitors of neutron star−white dwarf systems that could merge within a Hubble time and be detectable with LISA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present SN 2023zaw—a subluminous ( M _r = −16.7 mag) and rapidly evolving supernova ( t _1/2, _r = 4.9 days), with the lowest nickel mass (≈0.002 M _⊙ ) measured among all stripped-envelope supernovae discovered to date. The photospheric spectra are dominated by broad He i and Ca near-infrared emission lines with velocities of ∼10,000−12,000 km s ^−1 . The late-time spectra show prominent narrow He i emission lines at ∼1000 km s ^−1 , indicative of interaction with He-rich circumstellar material. SN 2023zaw is located in the spiral arm of a star-forming galaxy. We perform radiation-hydrodynamical and analytical modeling of the lightcurve by fitting with a combination of shock-cooling emission and nickel decay. The progenitor has a best-fit envelope mass of ≈0.2 M _☉ and an envelope radius of ≈50 R _⊙ . The extremely low nickel mass and low ejecta mass (≈0.5 M _⊙ ) suggest an ultrastripped SN, which originates from a mass-losing low-mass He-star (zero-age main-sequence mass < 10 M _⊙ ) in a close binary system. This is a channel to form double neutron star systems, whose merger is detectable with LIGO. SN 2023zaw underscores the existence of a previously undiscovered population of extremely low nickel mass (

Based on the current detectable cataclysmic variable (CV) population in Galactic globular clusters (GCs), we show that there is not a clear relation between the number of sources per unit of mass and the stellar encounter rate, the cluster mass, or the cluster central density. If any, only in the case of core-collapsed GCs could there be an anticorrelation with the stellar encounter rate. Our findings contrast with previous studies where clear positive correlations were identified. Our results suggest that correlations between faint X-ray sources, from which often conclusions for the CV population are drawn, and the GC parameters considered here, are likely influenced by other type of X-ray sources, including other types of compact binaries, which have X-ray luminosities similar to CVs. The findings presented here also suggest that the role of primordial systems is more important than previously believed and that dynamical formation has less influence in the current detectable CV population. The long-standing paradigm that GCs are efficient factories of CVs formed via dynamical interactions does not seem to be supported by current observations.

Very recently, a particularly long gamma-ray burst (GRB) 230307A was reported and proposed to originate from a compact binary merger based on its host galaxy property, kilonova, and heavy elements. More intriguingly, a very early plateau followed by a rapid decline in the soft X-ray band was detected in its light curve by the Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy, indicating strong evidence of the existence of a magnetar as the merger product. This Letter explores the magnetar wind internal gradual magnetic dissipation model, in which the radiative efficiency evolves over time, and successfully fits it to the observed data. Our results reinforce the notion that the X-ray plateau serves as a powerful indicator of a magnetar and imply that an evolving efficiency is likely to be a common feature in X-ray plateaus of GRB afterglows. In addition, we also discuss the explanations for the prompt emission, GRB afterglows, as well as kilonova, and predict possible kilonova afterglows in a magnetar central engine.

The recent detection of the live isotopes ^60 Fe and ^244 Pu in deep ocean sediments dating back to the past 3–4 Myr poses a serious challenge to the identification of their production site(s). While ^60 Fe is usually attributed to standard core-collapse supernovae, actinides are r -process nucleosynthesis yields, which are believed to be synthesized in rare events, such as special classes of supernovae or binary mergers involving at least one neutron star. Previous works concluded that a single binary neutron star merger cannot explain the observed isotopic ratio. In this work, we consider a set of numerical simulations of binary neutron star mergers producing long-lived massive remnants expelling both dynamical and spiral-wave wind ejecta. The latter, due to a stronger neutrino irradiation, also produce iron-group elements. Assuming that large-scale mixing is inefficient before the fading of the kilonova remnant and that the spiral-wave wind is sustained over a 100–200 ms timescale, the ejecta emitted at mid-high latitudes provide a ^244 Pu over ^60 Fe ratio compatible with observations. The merger could have happened 80–150 pc away from the Earth and between 3.5 and 4.5 Myr ago. We also compute expected isotopic ratios for eight other live radioactive nuclides showing that the proposed binary neutron star merger scenario is distinguishable from other scenarios proposed in the literature.

We report the observations of two self-lensing pulses from KIC 12254688 in Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) light curves. This system, containing an F2V star and white-dwarf companion, was among the first self-lensing binary systems discovered by the Kepler Space Telescope over the past decade. Each observed pulse occurs when the white dwarf transits in front of its companion star, gravitationally lensing the star’s surface, thus making it appear brighter to a distant observer. These two pulses are the very first self-lensing events discovered in TESS observations. We describe the methods by which the data were acquired and detrended, as well as the best-fit binary parameters deduced from our self-lensing+radial velocity model. We highlight the difficulties of finding new self-lensing systems with TESS, and we discuss the types of self-lensing systems that TESS may be more likely to discover in the future.

Nearly a hundred binary black holes (BBHs) have been discovered with gravitational-wave signals emitted at their merging events. Thus, it is quite natural to expect that significantly more abundant BBHs with wider separations remain undetected in the Universe or even in our Galaxy. We consider a possibility that star–BH binary candidates may indeed host an inner BBH instead of a single BH. We present a detailed feasibility study of constraining the binarity of the currently available two targets, Gaia BH1 and Gaia BH2. Specifically, we examine three types of radial velocity (RV) modulations of a tertiary star in star–BBH triple systems; short-term RV modulations induced by the inner BBH, long-term RV modulations induced by the nodal precession, and long-term RV modulations induced by the von Zeipel-Kozai–Lidov oscillations. Direct three-body simulations combined with approximate analytic models reveal that the Gaia BH1 system may exhibit observable signatures of the hidden inner BBH if it exists at all. The methodology that we examine here is quite generic and is expected to be readily applicable to future star–BH binary candidates in a straightforward manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report optical observations of the millisecond pulsar binary system PSR J1622–0315 with the Lulin 1 m telescope in Taiwan and the Lijiang 2.4 m telescope in China between 2019 and 2021. The companion of the pulsar, which is of V ∼ 19 mag, showed ellipsoidal-distorted orbital variations in its light curves. The best-fit model to the light curves, with the binary code PHOEBE, gives a companion mass of 0.122 ± 0.006 M ⊙. This places PSR J1622–0315 in the spider-system subclass. We compared the properties of PSR J1622–0315 with other spider pulsar binaries for the scalings between the spin-down luminosity derived for the pulsar, irradiation luminosity of the companion, and X-ray luminosity of the binary. We find that pulsar irradiation in PSR J1622–0315 is insignificant and the irradiation luminosity of the transitional millisecond pulsars PSR J1023+0038 and PSR J1227–4853 are the highest among the redback systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discovery and characterization of black holes (BHs), neutron stars (NSs), and white dwarfs (WDs) with detached luminous companions (LCs) in wide orbits are exciting because they are important test beds for dark remnant (DR) formation physics as well as binary stellar evolution models. Recently, 187 candidates have been identified from Gaia's non-single star catalog as wide orbit (P orb/day > 45), detached binaries hosting DRs. We identify UV counterparts for 49 of these sources in the archival GALEX data. Modeling the observed spectral energy distribution (SED) spanning from the FUV-NUV to IR for these sources and stellar evolution models, we constrain the LC properties including mass, bolometric luminosity, and effective temperature for these 49 sources. Using the LC masses, and the astrometric mass function constrained by Gaia, we constrain the DR masses for these sources. We find that nine have masses clearly in the NS or BH mass range. Fifteen sources exhibit significant NUV excess and four show excess both in the FUV and NUV. The simplest explanation for these excess UV fluxes is that the DRs in these sources are WDs. Using SED modeling we constrain the effective temperature and bolometric luminosity for these 15 sources. Our estimated DR masses for all of these 15 sources are lower than the Chandrasekhar mass limit for WDs. Interestingly, five of these sources had been wrongly identified as NSs in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying compact-star binaries and their mergers is integral to determining progenitors for observable transients. Today, compact-star mergers are typically studied via state-of-the-art computational fluid dynamics codes. One such numerical technique, smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), is frequently chosen for its excellent mass, energy, and momentum conservation. The natural treatment of vacuum and the ability to represent highly irregular morphologies make SPH an excellent tool for the study of compact-star binaries and mergers. For many scenarios, including binary systems, the outcome of simulations is only as accurate as the initial conditions. For SPH, it is essential to ensure that the particles are distributed regularly, representing the initial density profile but without long-range correlations. Particle noise in the form of high-frequency local motion and low-frequency global dynamics must be damped out. Damping the latter can be as computationally intensive as the actual simulation. We discuss a new and straightforward relaxation method, halted-pendulum relaxation (HPR), to remove global oscillation modes of SPH particle configurations. In combination with effective external potentials representing gravitational and orbital forces, we show that HPR has an excellent performance in efficiently relaxing SPH particles to the desired density distribution and removing global oscillation modes. We compare the method to frequently used relaxation approaches and test it on a white dwarf binary model at its Roche-lobe overflow limit. We highlight the importance of our method in achieving accurate initial conditions and its effect on achieving circular orbits and realistic accretion rates when compared with other general relaxation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-ray binary systems, a subclass of high-mass X-ray binaries, show nonthermal emissions from radio to TeV. While efficient electron acceleration is considered to take place in them, the nature of the acceleration mechanism and the physical environments in these systems have been a long-standing question. In this work, we report on long-term recurrent patterns in the short-term variability of the soft X-ray emission of LS 5039, one of the brightest gamma-ray binary systems. The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) observed LS 5039 four times from 2018 to 2021. By comparing them with the previous Suzaku and NuSTAR long-exposure observations, we studied the long-term evolution of the orbital light curve in the soft X-ray band. Although the observations by NICER and Suzaku are separated by ∼14 yr, i.e., more than 103 orbits, the orbital light curves show remarkable consistency after calculating their running averages with a window width ≳70 ks. Furthermore, all of the light curves show short-term variability with a timescale of ∼10 ks. Since the column density did not vary when the flux changed abruptly, such a short-term variability seems to be an intrinsic feature of the X-ray emission. We propose that the short-term variability is caused by clumps (or inhomogeneities) of the companion star wind impacting the X-ray production site. The observed timescale matches well with the lifetime of the clumps interacting with the pulsar wind and the dynamical timescale of the relativistic intrabinary shock in the pulsar wind scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

244Pu has recently been discovered in deep-sea deposits spanning the past 10 Myr, a period that includes two 60Fe pulses from nearby supernovae. 244Pu is among the heaviest r -process products, and we consider whether it was created in supernovae, which is disfavored by nucleosynthesis simulations, or in an earlier kilonova event that seeded the nearby interstellar medium with 244Pu that was subsequently swept up by the supernova debris. We discuss how these possibilities can be probed by measuring 244Pu and other r -process radioisotopes such as 129I and 182Hf, both in lunar regolith samples returned to Earth by missions such as Chang'e and Artemis, and in deep-sea deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many cases accretion proceeds from disks onto planets, stars, white dwarfs, and neutron stars via a boundary layer, a region of intense shear where gas transitions from a near-Keplerian speed to that of the surface. These regions are not susceptible to the common magnetorotational and Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities, and instead global modes generated by supersonic shear instabilities are a leading candidate to govern transport in these regions. This work investigates the dynamics of these systems under a range of thermodynamic conditions, surveying both disk sound speeds and cooling rates. Very fast and very slow cooling have little effect on wave dynamics: In the fast-cooling limit, waves propagate in an effectively isothermal manner, and in the slow-cooling limit, wave propagation is effectively adiabatic. However, when the cooling timescale is comparable to the wave period, wave damping becomes extreme. In cases with intermediate cooling rates, mass and angular momentum transport can be suppressed by orders of magnitude compared to isothermal and uncooled cases. Cooling in accretion disks leads to a preference for wavenumbers near and below the Mach number of the disk; the corresponding lower frequencies can (in nonisothermal systems) couple to gravity modes within the star, potentially driving low-frequency variability such as dwarf nova and quasi-periodic oscillations in accreting systems.

Gamma-ray binary LS I+61° 303 consists of a neutron star orbiting around a Be star with a period of P _orb ≃ 26.5 days. Apart from orbital modulations, the binary shows long-term flux variations with a superorbital period of ${P}_{\sup }\simeq 4.6\,{\rm{y}}{\rm{r}}$ as seen in nearly all wavelengths. The origin of this superorbital modulation is still not well understood. Under the pulsar wind–stellar outflow interaction scenario, we propose that the superorbital modulations of LS I+61° 303 could be caused by the precession of the Be disk. Assuming X-rays arise from synchrotron radiation of the intrabinary shock, we develop an analytical model to calculate expected flux modulations over the orbital and superorbital phases. The asymmetric two-peak profiles in orbital light curves and sinusoidal-like long-term modulations are reproduced under the precessing disk scenario. The observed orbital phase drifting of the X-ray peak and our fitting of long-term X-ray data indicate that the neutron star is likely orbiting around the star with a small eccentricity and periastron phase around Φ _p ∼ 0.6. We compare the Corbet diagrams of LS I+61° 303 with other Be/X-ray binaries, and the linear correlation in the ${P}_{\sup }\mbox{--}{P}_{\mathrm{orb}}$ diagram suggests that the precession of the Be disk in LS I+61° 303 is induced by the tidal torque of its neutron star companion.

The precise origin of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) is unknown despite their value to numerous areas in astronomy. While it is a long-standing consensus that they arise from the explosion of a carbon/oxygen white dwarf, the exact progenitor configurations and explosion mechanisms that lead to SNe Ia are still debated. One popular theory is the double detonation, in which a helium layer, accreted from a binary companion, detonates on the surface of the primary star, leading to a converging shock-induced detonation of the underlying core. It has recently been seen in simulations that a helium-rich degenerate companion may undergo its own explosion triggered by the impact from the ejecta of the primary star. We show 2D simulations that approximate a white dwarf undergoing a double detonation, which triggers the explosion of the degenerate companion, leading to either a triple or quadruple detonation. We also present the first multidimensional radiative transfer results from the triple and quadruple detonation scenario. We find that within a range of mass configurations of the degenerate binary, the synthetic light curves and spectra of these events match observations as well as theoretical models of isolated double detonations do. Notably, double and quadruple detonations that are spectrally similar and reach the same peak brightnesses have drastically different ejecta masses and produce different amounts of Si- and Fe-group elements. Further understanding of this scenario is needed in order to determine if at least some observed SNe Ia actually originate from two stars exploding.

Soft X-ray transients (SXTs) are a subclass of the low-mass X-ray binaries that occasionally show a sudden rise in their soft X-ray luminosity; otherwise, they remain in an extremely faint state. We investigate the accretion properties of the SXT XTE J1856+053 during its 2023 outburst obtained by NICER and NuSTAR data in July. We present detailed results on the timing and spectral analysis of the X-ray emission during the outburst. The power spectral density shows no quasi-periodic oscillation features. The source’s spectrum on July 19 can be well fitted with a multicolor blackbody component, a power-law component, and a reflection component with a broadened iron emission line. NICER spectra can be well fitted by considering a combination of a blackbody and a power law. The source exhibits a transition within just 5 days from a soft state to an intermediate state during the outburst decline phase. The inner accretion disk has a low inclination angle (∼18°). The spectral analysis also suggests a high-spin ( a > 0.9) black hole as the central accreting object.

Pulsar–black hole (BH) close binary systems, which have not been found yet, are unique laboratories for testing theories of gravity and understanding the formation channels of gravitational-wave sources. We study the self-gravitational lensing effect in a pulsar–BH system on the pulsar’s emission. Because this effect occurs once per orbital period for almost edge-on binaries, we find that it could generate apparently ultralong period (minutes to hours) radio signals when the intrinsic pulsar signal is too weak to detect. Each of such lensed signals, or “pulse,” is composed of a number of amplified intrinsic pulsar pulses. We estimate that a radio telescope with a sensitivity of 10 mJy could detect a few systems that emit such signals in our Galaxy. The model is applied to three recently found puzzling long-period radio sources: GLEAM-X J1627, PSR J0901-4046, and GPM J1839-10. To explain their observed signal durations and periods, the masses of their lensing components are estimated as ∼10 ^4 M _⊙ , ∼4 M _⊙ , and 10 ^3−6 M _⊙ , respectively, with their binary coalescence times ranging from a few tens to thousands of years. However, the implied merger rates (as high as ∼10 ^3−4 Myr ^−1 per galaxy) and the large period decay rates (>10 ^−8 s s ^−1 ) tend to disfavor this self-lensing scenario for these three sources. Despite this, our work still provides observational characteristics for self-lensed pulsar–BH binaries, which could help the detection of related sources in the future. Finally, for a binary containing a millisecond pulsar and a stellar-mass BH, the Shapiro delay effect would cause a ≥10% variation of the profile width for the subpulses in such lensed signals.

The duration of orbital decay induced by gravitational waves (GWs) is often the bottleneck of the evolutionary phases going from star formation to a merger. We show here that kicks imparted to the newly born compact object during the second collapse generically result in a GW merger time distribution behaving like ${dN}/d\mathrm{log}t\propto {t}^{2/7}$ at short durations, leading to ultrafast mergers. Namely, a nonnegligible fraction of neutron star binaries, formed in this way, will merge on a timescale as short as 10 Myr, and a small fraction will merge even on a timescale less than 10 kyr. The results can be applied to different types of compact binaries. We discuss here the implications for binary neutron star mergers. These include unique short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), eccentric and misaligned mergers, r -process enrichment in the very early Universe and in highly star-forming regions, and possible radio precursors. Interestingly, we conclude that among the few hundred short GRBs detected so far, a few must have formed via this ultrafast channel.

The dynamical formation channels of gravitational wave (GW) sources typically involve a stage when the compact object binary source interacts with the environment, which may excite its eccentricity, yielding efficient GW emission. For the wide eccentric compact object binaries, the GW emission happens mostly near the pericenter passage, creating a unique, burst-like signature in the waveform. This work examines the possibility of stellar-mass bursting sources in the mHz band for future LISA detections. Because of their long lifetime (∼10 ^7 yr) and promising detectability, the number of mHz bursting sources can be large in the local Universe. For example, based on our estimates, there will be ∼3–45 bursting binary black holes in the Milky Way, with ∼10 ^2 –10 ^4 bursts detected during the LISA mission. Moreover, we find that the number of bursting sources strongly depends on their formation history. If certain regions undergo active formation of compact object binaries in the recent few million years, there will be a significantly higher bursting source fraction. Thus, the detection of mHz GW bursts not only serves as a clue for distinguishing different formation channels, but also helps us understand the star formation history in different regions of the Milky Way.

Gravitational waves have been instrumental in providing deep insights into the nature of gravity. Next-generation detectors, such as the Einstein Telescope, are predicted to have a higher detection rate given the increased sensitivity and lower cutoff frequency. However, this increased sensitivity raises challenges concerning parameter estimation due to the foreseeable overlap of signals from multiple sources. Overlapping signals (OSs), if not properly identified, may introduce biases in estimating post-Newtonian (PN) coefficients in parameterized tests of general relativity (GR). We investigate how OSs affect −1PN to 2PN terms in parameterized GR tests, examining their potential to falsely suggest GR deviations. We estimate the prevalence of such misleading signals in next-generation detectors, and their collective influence on GR tests. We compare the effects of OSs on coefficients at different PN orders, concluding that overall the 1PN coefficient suffers the most. Our findings also reveal that while a nonnegligible portion of OSs exhibit biases in PN coefficients that might individually prefer to conclude deviations from GR, collectively, the direction to deviate is random and a statistical combination will still be in favor of GR.

We present upgraded infrastructure for Searches After Gravitational waves Using ARizona Observatories (SAGUARO) during LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA’s fourth gravitational-wave (GW) observing run (O4). These upgrades implement many of the lessons we learned after a comprehensive analysis of potential electromagnetic counterparts to the GWs discovered during the previous observing run. We have developed a new web-based target and observation manager (TOM) that allows us to coordinate sky surveys, vet potential counterparts, and trigger follow-up observations from one centralized portal. The TOM includes software that aggregates all publicly available information on the light curves and possible host galaxies of targets, allowing us to rule out potential contaminants like active galactic nuclei, variable stars, solar system objects, and preexisting supernovae, as well as to assess the viability of any plausible counterparts. We have also upgraded our image-subtraction pipeline by assembling deeper reference images and training a new neural-network-based real–bogus classifier. These infrastructure upgrades will aid coordination by enabling the prompt reporting of observations, discoveries, and analysis to the GW follow-up community, and put SAGUARO in an advantageous position to discover kilonovae in the remainder of O4 and beyond. Many elements of our open-source software stack have broad utility beyond multimessenger astronomy, and will be particularly relevant in the “big data” era of transient discoveries by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.

Galactic compact binaries with orbital periods shorter than a few hours emit detectable gravitational waves (GWs) at low frequencies. Their GW signals can be detected with the future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). Crucially, they may be useful in the early months of the mission operation in helping to validate LISA's performance in comparison to prelaunch expectations. We present an updated list of 55 candidate LISA-detectable binaries with measured properties, for which we derive distances based on Gaia Data Release 3 astrometry. Based on the known properties from electromagnetic observations, we predict the LISA detectability after 1, 3, 6, and 48 months using Bayesian analysis methods. We distinguish between verification and detectable binaries as being detectable after 3 and 48 months, respectively. We find 18 verification binaries and 22 detectable sources, which triples the number of known LISA binaries over the last few years. These include detached double white dwarfs, AM CVn binaries, one ultracompact X-ray binary, and two hot subdwarf binaries. We find that across this sample the GW amplitude is expected to be measured to ≈10% on average, while the inclination is expected to be determined with ≈15° precision. For detectable binaries, these average errors increase to ≈50% and ≈40°, respectively.

We study the effects of general relativity (GR) on the evolution and alignment of circumbinary disks around binaries on all scales. We implement relativistic apsidal precession of the binary into the hydrodynamics code phantom . We find that the effects of GR can suppress the stable polar alignment of a circumbinary disk, depending on how the relativistic binary apsidal precession timescale compares to the disk nodal precession timescale. Studies of circumbinary disk evolution typically ignore the effects of GR, which is an appropriate simplification for low-mass or widely separated binary systems. In this case, polar alignment occurs, provided that the disks initial misalignment is sufficiently large. However, systems with a very short relativistic precession timescale cannot polar align and instead move toward coplanar alignment. In the intermediate regime where the timescales are similar, the outcome depends upon the properties of the disk. Polar alignment is more likely in the wavelike disk regime (where the disk viscosity parameter is less than the aspect ratio, α < H / r ), since the disk is in good radial communication. In the viscous disk regime, disk breaking is more likely. Multiple rings can destructively interact with one another, resulting in short disk lifetimes and the disk moving toward coplanar alignment. Around main-sequence star or stellar mass black hole binaries, polar alignment may be suppressed far from the binary, but in general, the inner parts of the disk can align to polar. Polar alignment may be completely suppressed for disks around supermassive black holes for close binary separations.

Premerger localization of binary neutron stars (BNSs) is one of the most important scientific goals for the third-generation (3G) gravitational-wave detectors. It will enable the electromagnetic observation of the whole process of BNS coalescence, especially for the premerger and merger phases, which have not been observed yet, opening a window for deeper understandings of compact objects. To reach this goal, we describe a novel combination of multiband matched filtering and semianalytical localization algorithms to achieve early-warning localization of long BNS signals in 3G detectors. Using our method we are able to efficiently simulate one month of observations with a three-detector 3G network, and show that it is possible to provide accurate sky localizations more than 30 minutes before the merger. Our simulation shows that there could be ∼10 (∼100) BNS events localized within 100 deg ^2 , 20 (6) minutes before merger, per month of observation.

PSR J1953+1844 (i.e., M71E) is a millisecond pulsar in a 53 minute binary orbit discovered by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope. The mass function from pulsar timing is 2.3 × 10 ^−7 M _⊙ . The possible redback origin of this system has been discussed by Pan et al. We discuss here an alternative evolution track for this binary system, namely that PSR J1953+1844 is a descendant of an ultracompact X-ray binary (UCXB), which has a hydrogen-poor donor accreting onto a neutron star (NS) with an orbital period of ≤1 hr. We noticed that some UCXB systems hold an accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar (AMXP) and a donor with a mass of about 0.01 M _⊙ . M71E has a very similar orbit to those of AMXPs, indicating that it might be evolved from a UCXB similar to PSR J1653–0158. The companion star of M71E should be significantly bloated and it most probably has a carbon and oxygen composition, otherwise a low inclination angle of the orbit is required for a helium companion. The discovery of this M71E binary system may shed light on when and how an NS in a UCXB turns into a radio pulsar.

We present the first numerical simulations that track the evolution of a black hole–neutron star (BH–NS) merger from premerger to r ≳ 10 ^11 cm. The disk that forms after a merger of mass ratio q = 2 ejects massive disk winds (3–5 × 10 ^−2 M _⊙ ). We introduce various postmerger magnetic configurations and find that initial poloidal fields lead to jet launching shortly after the merger. The jet maintains a constant power due to the constancy of the large-scale BH magnetic flux until the disk becomes magnetically arrested (MAD), where the jet power falls off as L _j ∼ t ^−2 . All jets inevitably exhibit either excessive luminosity due to rapid MAD activation when the accretion rate is high or excessive duration due to delayed MAD activation compared to typical short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs). This provides a natural explanation for long sGRBs such as GRB 211211A but also raises a fundamental challenge to our understanding of jet formation in binary mergers. One possible implication is the necessity of higher binary mass ratios or moderate BH spins to launch typical sGRB jets. For postmerger disks with a toroidal magnetic field, dynamo processes delay jet launching such that the jets break out of the disk winds after several seconds. We show for the first time that sGRB jets with initial magnetization σ _0 > 100 retain significant magnetization ( σ ≫ 1) at r > 10 ^10 cm, emphasizing the importance of magnetic processes in the prompt emission. The jet–wind interaction leads to a power-law angular energy distribution by inflating an energetic cocoon whose emission is studied in a companion paper.

The ongoing LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA observing run O4 provides an opportunity to discover new multimessenger events, including binary neutron star (BNS) mergers such as GW170817 and the highly anticipated first detection of a multimessenger black hole–neutron star (BH–NS) merger. While BNS mergers were predicted to exhibit early optical emission from mildly relativistic outflows, it has remained uncertain whether the BH–NS merger ejecta provides the conditions for similar signals to emerge. We present the first modeling of early near-ultraviolet/optical emission from mildly relativistic outflows in BH–NS mergers. Adopting optimal binary properties, a mass ratio of q = 2, and a rapidly rotating BH, we utilize numerical relativity and general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations to follow the binary’s evolution from premerger to homologous expansion. We use an M1 neutrino transport GRMHD simulation to self-consistently estimate the opacity distribution in the outflows and find a bright near-ultraviolet/optical signal that emerges due to jet-powered cocoon cooling emission, outshining the kilonova emission at early time. The signal peaks at an absolute magnitude of ∼−15 a few hours after the merger, longer than previous estimates, which did not consider the first principles–based jet launching. By late 2024, the Rubin Observatory will have the capability to track the entire signal evolution or detect its peak up to distances of ≳1 Gpc. In 2026, ULTRASAT will conduct all-sky surveys within minutes, detecting some of these events within ∼200 Mpc. The BH–NS mergers with higher mass ratios or lower BH spins would produce shorter and fainter signals.

The gamma-ray burst GRB 211211A and its associated kilonova-like emission were reported recently. A significant difference between this association event and GRB 170817A/AT 2017gfo is that GRB 211211A has a very long duration. In this Letter, we show that this association event may arise from a neutron star–white dwarf (NS–WD) merger if the central engine leaves a magnetar behind. Within the NS–WD merger, the main burst of GRB 211211A could be produced by magnetic bubble eruptions from toroidal magnetic field amplification of the premerger NS. This toroidal field amplification can be induced by the runaway accretion from the WD debris disk if the disk is in low initial entropy and efficient wind, while the extended emission of GRB 211211A is likely involved with magnetic propelling. The observed energetics and duration of the prompt emission of GRB 211211A can be fulfilled in comparison with those of accretion in a hydrodynamical thermonuclear simulation, as long as the WD has a mass ≳1 M _⊙ . Moreover, if the X-ray plateau in GRB afterglows is due to the magnetar spin-down radiation, GRB optical afterglows and kilonova-like emission can be jointly well modeled combining the standard forward shock with the radioactive decay power of ^56 Ni adding a rotational power input from the postmerger magnetar.

The spectral properties of the post-merger gravitational-wave signal from a binary of neutron stars encodes a variety of information about the features of the system and of the equation of state describing matter around and above nuclear saturation density. Characterizing the properties of such a signal is an “old” problem, which first emerged when a number of frequencies were shown to be related to the properties of the binary through “quasi-universal” relations. Here we take a new look at this old problem by computing the properties of the signal in terms of the Weyl scalar ψ _4 . In this way, and using a database of more than 100 simulations, we provide the first evidence for a new instantaneous frequency, ${f}_{0}^{{\psi }_{4}}$ , associated with the instant of quasi-time-symmetry in the dynamics, and which also follows a quasi-universal relation. We also derive a new quasi-universal relation for the merger frequency ${f}_{\mathrm{mer}}^{h}$ , which provides a description of the data that is 4 times more accurate than previous expressions while requiring fewer fitting coefficients. Finally, consistent with the findings of numerous studies before ours, and using an enlarged ensemble of binary systems, we point out that the ℓ = 2, m = 1 gravitational-wave mode could become comparable with the traditional ℓ = 2, m = 2 mode on sufficiently long timescales, with strain amplitudes in a ratio ∣ h ^21 ∣/∣ h ^22 ∣ ∼ 0.1–1 under generic orientations of the binary, which could be measured by present detectors for signals with a large signal-to-noise ratio or by third-generation detectors for generic signals should no collapse occur.

We present an analysis of new and archival data to the 20.506 minute LISA verification binary J052610.42+593445.32 (J0526+5934). Our joint spectroscopic and photometric analysis finds that the binary contains an unseen M _1 = 0.89 ± 0.11 M _⊙ CO-core white dwarf primary with an M _2 = 0.38 ± 0.07 M _⊙ post-core-burning subdwarf, or low-mass white dwarf, companion. Given the short orbital period and relatively large total binary mass, we find that LISA will detect this binary with signal-to-noise ratio 44 after 4 yr of observations. J0526+5934 is expected to merge within 1.8 ± 0.3 Myr and likely result in a D ^6 scenario Type Ia supernova or form a He-rich star that will evolve into a massive single white dwarf.

The fate of stars in the zero-age main-sequence (ZAMS) range ≈8–12 M _⊙ is unclear. They could evolve to form white dwarfs or explode as electron-capture supernovae (SNe) or iron core-collapse SNe (CCSNe). Even though the initial mass function indicates that this mass range should account for over 40% of all CCSN progenitors, few have been observationally confirmed, likely due to the faintness and rapid evolution of some of these transients. In this paper, we present a sample of nine Ca-rich/O-poor Type IIb SNe detected by the Zwicky Transient Facility with progenitors likely in this mass range. These sources have a [Ca ii ] λ λ 7291, 7324/[O i ] λ λ 6300, 6364 flux ratio of ≳2 in their nebular spectra. Comparing the measured [O i ] luminosity (≲10 ^39 erg s ^−1 ) and derived oxygen mass (≈0.01 M _⊙ ) with theoretical models, we infer that the progenitor ZAMS mass for these explosions is less than 12 M _⊙ . The ejecta properties ( M _ej ≲ 1 M _⊙ and E _kin ∼ 10 ^50 erg) are also consistent. The low ejecta mass of these sources indicates a class of strongly-stripped SNe that is a transition between the regular stripped-envelope SNe and ultra-stripped SNe. The progenitor could be stripped by a main-sequence companion and result in the formation of a neutron star−main sequence binary. Such binaries have been suggested to be progenitors of neutron star−white dwarf systems that could merge within a Hubble time and be detectable with LISA.

Double white dwarf (DWD) mergers are relevant astrophysical sources expected to produce massive, highly magnetized white dwarfs (WDs), supernovae (SNe) Ia, and neutron stars (NSs). Although they are expected to be numerous sources in the sky, their detection has evaded the most advanced transient surveys. This article characterizes the optical transient expected from DWD mergers in which the central remnant is a stable (sub-Chandrasekhar) WD. We show that the expansion and cooling of the merger’s dynamical ejecta lead to an optical emission peaking at 1–10 days postmerger, with luminosities of 10 ^40 –10 ^41 erg s ^−1 . We present simulations of the light curves, spectra, and the color evolution of the transient. We show that these properties, together with the estimated rate of mergers, are consistent with the absence of detection, e.g., by the Zwicky Transient Facility. More importantly, we show that the Legacy Survey of Space and Time of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will likely detect a few/several hundred per year, opening a new window to the physics of WDs, NSs, and SNe Ia.

Nearly a hundred binary black holes (BBHs) have been discovered with gravitational-wave signals emitted at their merging events. Thus, it is quite natural to expect that significantly more abundant BBHs with wider separations remain undetected in the Universe or even in our Galaxy. We consider a possibility that star–BH binary candidates may indeed host an inner BBH instead of a single BH. We present a detailed feasibility study of constraining the binarity of the currently available two targets, Gaia BH1 and Gaia BH2. Specifically, we examine three types of radial velocity (RV) modulations of a tertiary star in star–BBH triple systems; short-term RV modulations induced by the inner BBH, long-term RV modulations induced by the nodal precession, and long-term RV modulations induced by the von Zeipel-Kozai–Lidov oscillations. Direct three-body simulations combined with approximate analytic models reveal that the Gaia BH1 system may exhibit observable signatures of the hidden inner BBH if it exists at all. The methodology that we examine here is quite generic and is expected to be readily applicable to future star–BH binary candidates in a straightforward manner.

One of the goals of gravitational-wave astrophysics is to infer the number and properties of the formation channels of binary black holes (BBHs); to do so, one must be able to connect various models with the data. We explore benefits and potential issues with analyses using models informed by population synthesis. We consider five possible formation channels of BBHs, as in Zevin et al. (2021b). First, we confirm with the GWTC-3 catalog what Zevin et al. (2021b) found in the GWTC-2 catalog, i.e., that the data are not consistent with the totality of observed BBHs forming in any single channel. Next, using simulated detections, we show that the uncertainties in the estimation of the branching ratios can shrink by up to a factor of ∼1.7 as the catalog size increases from 50 to 250, within the expected number of BBH detections in LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA's fourth observing run. Finally, we show that this type of analysis is prone to significant biases. By simulating universes where all sources originate from a single channel, we show that the influence of the Bayesian prior can make it challenging to conclude that one channel produces all signals. Furthermore, by simulating universes where all five channels contribute but only a subset of channels are used in the analysis, we show that biases in the branching ratios can be as large as ∼50% with 250 detections. This suggests that caution should be used when interpreting the results of analyses based on strongly modeled astrophysical subpopulations.

We report optical observations of the millisecond pulsar binary system PSR J1622–0315 with the Lulin 1 m telescope in Taiwan and the Lijiang 2.4 m telescope in China between 2019 and 2021. The companion of the pulsar, which is of V ∼ 19 mag, showed ellipsoidal-distorted orbital variations in its light curves. The best-fit model to the light curves, with the binary code PHOEBE , gives a companion mass of 0.122 ± 0.006 M _⊙ . This places PSR J1622–0315 in the spider-system subclass. We compared the properties of PSR J1622–0315 with other spider pulsar binaries for the scalings between the spin-down luminosity derived for the pulsar, irradiation luminosity of the companion, and X-ray luminosity of the binary. We find that pulsar irradiation in PSR J1622–0315 is insignificant and the irradiation luminosity of the transitional millisecond pulsars PSR J1023+0038 and PSR J1227–4853 are the highest among the redback systems.

Gamma-ray binary systems, a subclass of high-mass X-ray binaries, show nonthermal emissions from radio to TeV. While efficient electron acceleration is considered to take place in them, the nature of the acceleration mechanism and the physical environments in these systems have been a long-standing question. In this work, we report on long-term recurrent patterns in the short-term variability of the soft X-ray emission of LS 5039, one of the brightest gamma-ray binary systems. The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) observed LS 5039 four times from 2018 to 2021. By comparing them with the previous Suzaku and NuSTAR long-exposure observations, we studied the long-term evolution of the orbital light curve in the soft X-ray band. Although the observations by NICER and Suzaku are separated by ∼14 yr, i.e., more than 10 ^3 orbits, the orbital light curves show remarkable consistency after calculating their running averages with a window width ≳70 ks. Furthermore, all of the light curves show short-term variability with a timescale of ∼10 ks. Since the column density did not vary when the flux changed abruptly, such a short-term variability seems to be an intrinsic feature of the X-ray emission. We propose that the short-term variability is caused by clumps (or inhomogeneities) of the companion star wind impacting the X-ray production site. The observed timescale matches well with the lifetime of the clumps interacting with the pulsar wind and the dynamical timescale of the relativistic intrabinary shock in the pulsar wind scenario.

We report observations of four asteroid-crossing events in Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite light curves masquerading as self-lensing pulses from binary systems containing main-sequence stars and black hole or neutron-star companions. The observed changes in flux and the durations of the events appear to be consistent with self-lensing pulses provided that (a) the compact-object mass is greater than 2 solar masses, and (b) the transit is not a perfect alignment, i.e., the center of the lens is not passing directly in front of the center of the source. We examine the relationship between the physical characteristics of these asteroid crossings and the derived parameters of our self-lensing model fits to the data sets. As the search for new self-lensing systems continues, we caution observers about such false-positive signals imitating real self-lensing pulses.

Discovery and characterization of black holes (BHs), neutron stars (NSs), and white dwarfs (WDs) with detached luminous companions (LCs) in wide orbits are exciting because they are important test beds for dark remnant (DR) formation physics as well as binary stellar evolution models. Recently, 187 candidates have been identified from Gaia’s non-single star catalog as wide orbit ( P _orb /day > 45), detached binaries hosting DRs. We identify UV counterparts for 49 of these sources in the archival GALEX data. Modeling the observed spectral energy distribution (SED) spanning from the FUV-NUV to IR for these sources and stellar evolution models, we constrain the LC properties including mass, bolometric luminosity, and effective temperature for these 49 sources. Using the LC masses, and the astrometric mass function constrained by Gaia, we constrain the DR masses for these sources. We find that nine have masses clearly in the NS or BH mass range. Fifteen sources exhibit significant NUV excess and four show excess both in the FUV and NUV. The simplest explanation for these excess UV fluxes is that the DRs in these sources are WDs. Using SED modeling we constrain the effective temperature and bolometric luminosity for these 15 sources. Our estimated DR masses for all of these 15 sources are lower than the Chandrasekhar mass limit for WDs. Interestingly, five of these sources had been wrongly identified as NSs in the literature.

Studying compact-star binaries and their mergers is integral to determining progenitors for observable transients. Today, compact-star mergers are typically studied via state-of-the-art computational fluid dynamics codes. One such numerical technique, smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), is frequently chosen for its excellent mass, energy, and momentum conservation. The natural treatment of vacuum and the ability to represent highly irregular morphologies make SPH an excellent tool for the study of compact-star binaries and mergers. For many scenarios, including binary systems, the outcome of simulations is only as accurate as the initial conditions. For SPH, it is essential to ensure that the particles are distributed regularly, representing the initial density profile but without long-range correlations. Particle noise in the form of high-frequency local motion and low-frequency global dynamics must be damped out. Damping the latter can be as computationally intensive as the actual simulation. We discuss a new and straightforward relaxation method, halted-pendulum relaxation (HPR), to remove global oscillation modes of SPH particle configurations. In combination with effective external potentials representing gravitational and orbital forces, we show that HPR has an excellent performance in efficiently relaxing SPH particles to the desired density distribution and removing global oscillation modes. We compare the method to frequently used relaxation approaches and test it on a white dwarf binary model at its Roche-lobe overflow limit. We highlight the importance of our method in achieving accurate initial conditions and its effect on achieving circular orbits and realistic accretion rates when compared with other general relaxation methods.

The formation path to ultracompact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) with black hole (BH) accretors is still unclear. In the classical formation scenario, it is difficult to eject the massive envelope of the progenitor star of the BH via the common envelope process. Given that some neutron stars (NSs) in binary systems evidently have birth masses close to ∼2.0 M _⊙ , we explore here the possibility that BH-UCXBs may form via the accretion-induced collapse (AIC) of accreting NSs, assuming that these previously evolved in low-mass X-ray binaries to masses all the way up to the maximum limit of an NS. We demonstrate this formation path by modeling a few cases of NS-UCXBs with initial NS masses close to the maximum mass of an NS that evolve into BH-UCXBs after the NS accretes material from its He white dwarf (WD) companion. We follow the evolution of the post-AIC BH-UCXB and, based on simple arguments, we anticipate that there is about one BH-UCXB with an AIC origin and a He WD donor within the current sample of known UCXBs and that two to five such BH-UCXBs may be detected in gravitational waves by LISA. In addition, we find that the X-ray luminosity of NS-UCXBs near their orbital period minimum exceeds ∼10 ^39 erg s ^−1 , and thus, such systems may appear as ultraluminous X-ray sources.

We present the results from our ongoing spectroscopic survey targeting low-mass white dwarf binaries, focusing on the southern sky. We used a Gaia DR2- and eDR3-based selection and identified 28 new binaries, including 19 new extremely low-mass (ELM) white dwarfs, one short period, likely eclipsing, DABZ, and two potential LISA binaries. We present the orbital and atmospheric parameters for each new binary based on our spectroscopic follow up. Four of our new binaries show periodic photometric variability in TESS 2 minutes cadence data, including one new eclipsing double-lined spectroscopic binary. Three others show periodic photometric variability in ZTF, including one new eclipsing binary. We provide estimates for the inclinations and scaled component radii for these ZTF variables, based on light-curve modeling of our high-speed photometric follow-up observations. Our observations have increased the sample of ELM Survey binaries identified in the southern sky to 41, an increase of 64%. Future time domain surveys, such as BlackGEM and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time, will efficiently identify photometric variables in the southern sky and significantly increase the population of southern sky low-mass white dwarf binaries, leading to a more complete all-sky population of these systems.

Modern astronomers enjoy access to all-sky images across a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum from long-wavelength radio to high-energy gamma rays. The most prominent feature in many of these images is our own Galaxy, with different features revealed in each wave band. Gravitational waves (GWs) have recently been added to the astronomers’ toolkit as a nonelectromagnetic messenger. To date, all identified GW sources have been extra-Galactic and transient. However, the Milky Way hosts a population of ultracompact binaries (UCBs), which radiate persistent GWs in the milliHertz band that is not observable with today’s terrestrial gravitational-wave detectors. Space-based detectors such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna will measure this population and provide a census of their location, masses, and orbital properties. In this work, we will show how this data can be used to form a false-color image of the Galaxy that represents the intensity and frequency of the gravitational waves produced by the UCB population. Such images can be used to study the morphology of the Galaxy, identify interesting multimessenger sources through cross-matching, and for educational and outreach purposes.

^244 Pu has recently been discovered in deep-sea deposits spanning the past 10 Myr, a period that includes two ^60 Fe pulses from nearby supernovae. ^244 Pu is among the heaviest r -process products, and we consider whether it was created in supernovae, which is disfavored by nucleosynthesis simulations, or in an earlier kilonova event that seeded the nearby interstellar medium with ^244 Pu that was subsequently swept up by the supernova debris. We discuss how these possibilities can be probed by measuring ^244 Pu and other r -process radioisotopes such as ^129 I and ^182 Hf, both in lunar regolith samples returned to Earth by missions such as Chang’e and Artemis, and in deep-sea deposits.

The origin and distribution of stellar-mass black hole spins are a rare window into the progenitor stars and supernova events that create them. Swift J1728.9-3613 is an X-ray binary, likely associated with the supernova remnant (SNR) G351.9-0.9. An NuSTAR X-ray spectrum of this source during its 2019 outburst reveals reflection from an accretion disk extending to the innermost stable circular orbit. Modeling of the relativistic Doppler shifts and gravitational redshifts imprinted on the spectrum measures a dimensionless spin parameter of a = 0.86 ± 0.02 (1 σ confidence), a small inclination angle of the inner accretion disk θ < 10°, and a subsolar iron abundance in the disk A _Fe < 0.84. This high spin value rules out a neutron star primary at the 5 σ level of confidence. If the black hole is located in a still visible SNR, it must be young. Therefore, we place a lower limit on the natal black hole spin of a > 0.82, concluding that the black hole must have formed with a high spin. This demonstrates that black hole formation channels that leave an SNR, and those that do not (e.g., Cyg X-1), can both lead to high natal spin with no requirement for subsequent accretion within the binary system. Emerging disparities between the population of high-spin black holes in X-ray binaries and the low-spin black holes that merge in gravitational wave events may therefore be explained in terms of different stellar conditions prior to collapse, rather than different environmental factors after formation.

Of the more than 3000 radio pulsars currently known, only ∼300 are in binary systems, and only five of these consist of young pulsars with massive nondegenerate companions. We present the discovery and initial timing, accomplished using the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) telescope, of the sixth such binary pulsar, PSR J2108+4516, a 0.577 s radio pulsar in a 269 day orbit of eccentricity 0.09 with a companion of minimum mass 11 M _⊙ . Notably, the pulsar undergoes periods of substantial eclipse, disappearing from the CHIME 400–800 MHz observing band for a large fraction of its orbit, and displays significant dispersion measure and scattering variations throughout its orbit, pointing to the possibility of a circumstellar disk or very dense stellar wind associated with the companion star. Subarcsecond resolution imaging with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array unambiguously demonstrates that the companion is a bright, V ≃ 11 OBe star, EM* UHA 138, located at a distance of 3.26(14) kpc. Archival optical observations of EM* UHA 138 approximately suggest a companion mass ranging from 17.5 M _⊙ < M _c < 23 M _⊙ , in turn constraining the orbital inclination angle to 50.°3 ≲ i ≲ 58.°3. With further multiwavelength follow-up, PSR J2108+4516 promises to serve as another rare laboratory for the exploration of companion winds, circumstellar disks, and short-term evolution through extended-body orbital dynamics.

While there have been many studies examining the stability of hierarchical triple systems, the meaning of “stability” is somewhat vague and has been interpreted differently in previous literatures. The present paper focuses on “Lagrange stability,” which roughly refers to the stability against the escape of a body from the system, or “disruption” of the triple system, in contrast to “Lyapunov-like stability,” which is related to the chaotic nature of the system dynamics. We compute the evolution of triple systems using direct N -body simulations up to 10 ^7 P _out , which is significantly longer than previous studies (with P _out being the initial orbital period of the outer body). We obtain the resulting disruption timescale T _d as a function of the triple orbital parameters with particular attention to the dependence on the mutual inclination between the inner and outer orbits, i _mut . By doing so, we have clarified explicitly the difference between Lagrange and Lyapunov stabilities in astronomical triples. Furthermore, we find that the von Zeipel–Kozai–Lidov oscillations significantly destabilize inclined triples (roughly with 60° < i _mut < 150°) relative to those with i _mut = 0°. On the other hand, retrograde triples with i _mut > 160° become strongly stabilized with much longer disruption timescales. We show the sensitivity of the normalized disruption timescale T _d / P _out to the orbital parameters of triple system. The resulting T _d / P _out distribution is practically more useful in a broad range of astronomical applications than the stability criterion based on the Lyapunov divergence.

Fast neutron-rich material ejected dynamically over ≲10 ms during the merger of a binary neutron star (BNS) can give rise to distinctive electromagnetic counterparts to the system’s gravitational-wave emission that serve as a “smoking gun” to distinguish between a BNS and an NS–black hole merger. We present novel ab initio modeling of the kilonova precursor and kilonova afterglow based on 3D general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of BNS mergers with nuclear, tabulated, finite-temperature equations of state (EOSs), weak interactions, and approximate neutrino transport. We analyze dynamical mass ejection from 1.35–1.35 M _⊙ binaries, consistent with properties of the first observed BNS merger GW170817, using three nuclear EOSs that span the range of allowed compactness of 1.35 M _⊙ -neutron stars. Nuclear reaction network calculations yield a robust second-to-third-peak r -process. We find few ×10 ^−6 M _⊙ of fast ( v > 0.6 c ) ejecta that give rise to broadband synchrotron emission on ∼years timescales, consistent with tentative evidence for excess X-ray/radio emission following GW170817. We find ≈2 × 10 ^−5 M _⊙ of free neutrons that power a kilonova precursor on ≲ hours timescale. A boost in early UV/optical brightness by a factor of a few due to previously neglected relativistic effects, with enhancements up to ≲10 hr post-merger, is promising for future detection with UV/optical telescopes like Swift or ULTRASAT. We find that a recently predicted opacity boost due to highly ionized lanthanides at ≳70,000 K is unlikely to affect the early kilonova based on the obtained ejecta structures. Azimuthal inhomogeneities in dynamical ejecta composition for soft EOSs found here (“lanthanide/actinide pockets”) may have observable consequences for both early kilonova and late-time nebular emission.

We present the study of multiwavelength observations of an unidentified Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) source, 4FGL J1910.7−5320, a new candidate redback millisecond pulsar binary. In the 4FGL 95% error region of 4FGL J1910.7−5320, we find a possible binary with a 8.36 hr orbital period from the Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey, confirmed by optical spectroscopy using the SOAR telescope. This optical source was recently independently discovered as a redback pulsar by the TRAPUM project, confirming our prediction. We fit the optical spectral energy distributions of 4FGL J1910.7−5320 with a blackbody model, inferring a maximum distance of 4.1 kpc by assuming that the companion fills its Roche lobe with a radius of R = 0.7 R _☉ . Using a 12.6 ks Chandra X-ray observation, we identified an X-ray counterpart for 4FGL J1910.7−5320, with a spectrum that can be described by an absorbed power law with a photon index of 1.0 ± 0.4. The spectrally hard X-ray emission shows tentative evidence for orbital variability. Using more than 12 yr of Fermi-LAT data, we refined the position of the γ -ray source, and the optical candidate still lies within the 68% positional error circle. In addition to 4FGL J1910.7−5320, we find a variable optical source with a periodic signal of 4.28 hr inside the 4FGL catalog 95% error region of another unidentified Fermi source, 4FGL J2029.5−4237. However, the γ -ray source does not have a significant X-ray counterpart in an 11.7 ks Chandra observation, with a 3 σ flux upper limit of 2.4 × 10 ^−14 erg cm ^−2 s ^−1 (0.3–7 keV). Moreover, the optical source is outside our updated Fermi-LAT 95% error circle. These observational facts all suggest that this new redback millisecond pulsar powers the gamma-ray source 4FGL J1910.7−5320 while 4FGL J2029.5−4237 is unlikely the γ -ray counterpart to the 4.28 hr variable.

Most massive stars are members of a binary or a higher-order stellar system, where the presence of a binary companion can decisively alter their evolution via binary interactions. Interacting binaries are also important astrophysical laboratories for the study of compact objects. Binary population synthesis studies have been used extensively over the last two decades to interpret observations of compact-object binaries and to decipher the physical processes that lead to their formation. Here, we present POSYDON , a novel, publicly available, binary population synthesis code that incorporates full stellar structure and binary-evolution modeling, using the MESA code, throughout the whole evolution of the binaries. The use of POSYDON enables the self-consistent treatment of physical processes in stellar and binary evolution, including: realistic mass-transfer calculations and assessment of stability, internal angular-momentum transport and tides, stellar core sizes, mass-transfer rates, and orbital periods. This paper describes the detailed methodology and implementation of POSYDON , including the assumed physics of stellar and binary evolution, the extensive grids of detailed single- and binary-star models, the postprocessing, classification, and interpolation methods we developed for use with the grids, and the treatment of evolutionary phases that are not based on precalculated grids. The first version of POSYDON targets binaries with massive primary stars (potential progenitors of neutron stars or black holes) at solar metallicity.

We report the observation of a compact binary coalescence involving a 22.2–24.3 M _⊙ black hole and a compact object with a mass of 2.50–2.67 M _⊙ (all measurements quoted at the 90% credible level). The gravitational-wave signal, GW190814, was observed during LIGO’s and Virgo’s third observing run on 2019 August 14 at 21:10:39 UTC and has a signal-to-noise ratio of 25 in the three-detector network. The source was localized to 18.5 deg ^2 at a distance of ${241}_{-45}^{+41}$ Mpc; no electromagnetic counterpart has been confirmed to date. The source has the most unequal mass ratio yet measured with gravitational waves, ${0.112}_{-0.009}^{+0.008}$ , and its secondary component is either the lightest black hole or the heaviest neutron star ever discovered in a double compact-object system. The dimensionless spin of the primary black hole is tightly constrained to ≤0.07. Tests of general relativity reveal no measurable deviations from the theory, and its prediction of higher-multipole emission is confirmed at high confidence. We estimate a merger rate density of 1–23 Gpc ^−3 yr ^−1 for the new class of binary coalescence sources that GW190814 represents. Astrophysical models predict that binaries with mass ratios similar to this event can form through several channels, but are unlikely to have formed in globular clusters. However, the combination of mass ratio, component masses, and the inferred merger rate for this event challenges all current models of the formation and mass distribution of compact-object binaries.