2020/07/14 by E. R. Stanway, J. J. Eldridge, A A Chrimes +1
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Binary number #Binary star #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Mass ratio #Metallicity #Neutron star #Physics #Population #Star formation #Stars #Stellar evolution #Stellar mass #Stellar mass loss #Stellar population #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Supernova #Wolf–Rayet star #X-ray binary #astro-ph.GA #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/mnras/staa2089
10 pages, accepted for publication in MNRAS. Author's accepted version
arxiv created 2020/07/14 · openalex publication_date 2020/07/15 · arxiv updated 2020/07/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
ABSTRACT The binary fraction of a stellar population can have pronounced effects on its properties, and, in particular, the number counts of different massive star types, and the relative subtype rates of the supernovae (SNe) that end their lives. Here we use binary population synthesis models with a binary fraction that varies with initial mass to test the effects on resolved stellar pops and SNe, and ask whether these can constrain the poorly-known binary fraction in different mass and metallicity regimes. We show that Wolf–Rayet (WR) star subtype ratios are valuable binary diagnostics, but require large samples to distinguish by models. Uncertainties in which stellar models would be spectroscopically classified as WR stars are explored. The ratio of thermonuclear, stripped-envelope, and other core-collapse SNe may prove a more accessible test and upcoming surveys will be sufficient to constrain both the high- and low-mass binary fraction in the z < 1 galaxy population.