ALBERT

Description: Supernova remnants (SNRs) have a variety of overall morphology as well as rich structures over a wide range of scales. Quantitative study of these structures can potentially reveal fluctuations of density and magnetic field originating from the interaction with ambient medium and turbulence in the expanding ejecta. We have used 1.5 GHz (L band) and 5 GHz (C band) VLA data to estimate the angular power spectrum Cℓ of the synchrotron emission fluctuations of the Kepler SNR. This is done using the novel, visibility-based, Tapered Gridded Estimator of Cℓ. We have found that, for ℓ = (1.9–6.9) × 104, the power spectrum is a broken power law with a break at ℓ = 3.3 × 104, and power-law index of −2.84 ± 0.07 and −4.39 ± 0.04 before and after the break, respectively. The slope −2.84 is consistent with 2D Kolmogorov turbulence and earlier measurements for the Tycho SNR. We interpret the break to be related to the shell thickness of the SNR (0.35 pc) which approximately matches ℓ = 3.3 × 104 (i.e. 0.48 pc). However, for ℓ 〉 6.9 × 104, the estimated Cℓ of L band is likely to have dominant contribution from the foregrounds while for C band the power-law slope −3.07 ± 0.02 is roughly consistent with 3D Kolmogorov turbulence like that observed at large ℓ for Cas A and Crab SNRs.

Description: We have implemented prescriptions for modelling pulsars in the rapid binary population synthesis code Compact Object Mergers: Population Astrophysics and Statistics. We perform a detailed analysis of the double neutron star (DNS) population, accounting for radio survey selection effects. The surface magnetic field decay time-scale (∼1000 Myr) and mass-scale (∼0.02 M⊙) are the dominant uncertainties in our model. Mass accretion during common envelope evolution plays a non-trivial role in recycling pulsars. We find a best-fitting model that is in broad agreement with the observed Galactic DNS population. Though the pulsar parameters (period and period derivative) are strongly biased by radio selection effects, the observed orbital parameters (orbital period and eccentricity) closely represent the intrinsic distributions. The number of radio observable DNSs in the Milky Way at present is about 2500 in our model, corresponding to approximately 10 per cent of the predicted total number of DNSs in the Galaxy. Using our model calibrated to the Galactic DNS population, we make predictions for DNS mergers observed in gravitational waves. The DNS chirp mass distribution varies from 1.1 to 2.1 M⊙ and the median is found to be 1.14 M⊙. The expected effective spin χeff for isolated DNSs is ≲0.03 from our model. We predict that 34 per cent of the current Galactic isolated DNSs will merge within a Hubble time, and have a median total mass of 2.7 M⊙. Finally, we discuss implications for fast radio bursts and post-merger remnant gravitational waves.

Description: Mergers of black hole–neutron star (BHNS) binaries have now been observed by gravitational wave (GW) detectors with the recent announcement of GW200105 and GW200115. Such observations not only provide confirmation that these systems exist but will also give unique insights into the death of massive stars, the evolution of binary systems and their possible association with gamma-ray bursts, r-process enrichment, and kilonovae. Here, we perform binary population synthesis of isolated BHNS systems in order to present their merger rate and characteristics for ground-based GW observatories. We present the results for 420 different model permutations that explore key uncertainties in our assumptions about massive binary star evolution (e.g. mass transfer, common-envelope evolution, supernovae), and the metallicity-specific star formation rate density, and characterize their relative impacts on our predictions. We find intrinsic local BHNS merger rates spanning $mathcal {R}_{ m {m}}^0 approx$ 4–830 $, m {Gpc}^{-3}$$, m {yr}^{-1}$ for our full range of assumptions. This encompasses the rate inferred from recent BHNS GW detections and would yield detection rates of $mathcal {R}_{ m {det}} approx 1$–180$, m {yr}^{-1}$ for a GW network consisting of LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA at design sensitivity. We find that the binary evolution and metallicity-specific star formation rate density each impacts the predicted merger rates by order $mathcal {O}(10)$. We also present predictions for the GW-detected BHNS merger properties and find that all 420 model variations predict that $lesssim 5{{ m per cent}}$ of the BHNS mergers have BH masses $m_{ m {BH}} gtrsim 18, m {M}_{odot }$, total masses $m_{ m {tot}} gtrsim 20, m {M}_{odot }$, chirp masses ${mathcal {M}}_{ m {c}} gtrsim 5.5, m {M}_{odot }$, and mass ratios qf ≳ 12 or qf ≲ 2. Moreover, we find that massive NSs with $m_{ m {NS}} gt 2, m {M}_{odot }$ are expected to be commonly detected in BHNS mergers in almost all our model variations. Finally, a wide range of $sim 0{{ m per cent}}$ to $70{{ m per cent}}$ of the BHNS mergers are predicted to eject mass during the merger. Our results highlight the importance of considering variations in binary evolution and cosmological models when predicting, and eventually evaluating, populations of BHNS mergers.