TAPIR Seminar

In person: 370 Cahill. To Join via Zoom: 851 0756 7442

Abstract: Binary interactions are known to drive many of the most energetic stellar transients, yet most close binaries reside in triples, where dynamical perturbations and coupled evolution can profoundly alter their fates. Using models of hierarchical triple evolution, we find that triples can produce a substantial fraction of the Galactic double white dwarf population, comparable to the contribution from isolated binaries. In parallel, triple interactions significantly enhance the formation of Type Ia supernova progenitors, both through circular mergers and eccentric collisions, yielding rates comparable to those from binaries. In this talk, I will present population statistics demonstrating that triple star evolution is a key but often overlooked channel in the formation of compact binaries and supernova Ia progenitors.