LS 2018/2019: Thursdays 10:40 – 12:10 in KVAS at ÚTF
The goal of this class is to learn how to gain understanding of complex, unsolved problems with the origin and evolution of gravitational wave sources as a working example. The class will include order-of-magnitude exercises and literature reading. Credit will be given for class participation, homeworks, and final exam.
Class syllabus
- Existing and future GW detectors and their sensitivities (LIGO, VIRGO, PTA, LISA)
- Overview of existing detections in contrast to other known astronomical populations of compact objects
- Evolution of single stars to compact objects (white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes)
- Evolution of binary stars to compact object binaries
- Unconventional binary star evolution, dynamical formation of binaries (captures)
- Physics of the merger
- Electromagnetic and multi-messenger signatures of the merger
- Introduction to the physics of astronomical transients
- Core-collapse supernovae
- The zoo of astronomical transients
- Future sources: stochastic GW from big bang, white dwarf binaries, supermassive blackholes, EMRIs
Lecture 1 (February 19 2019) – lecture notes
- Existing and future GW detectors and their sensitivities (LIGO, VIRGO, PTA, LISA)
- Overview of existing detections in contrast to other known astronomical populations of compact objects
Lecture 2 (February 28 2019) – lecture notes
- how to approach complex, unsolved problems
- GW strain from gravitationally bound binaries
- GW decay timescale of binaries
- Separation of timescales in stars
- Basics of stellar structure
- Homology relations
- Overview of standard stellar evolution
- Reading for Lecture 3: Toward Realistic Progenitors of Core-collapse Supernovae
Lecture 3 (March 7 2019) – lecture notes
- Late stages of stellar evolution (nuclear burning, neutrino losses, convection, semi-convection, overshoot, rotation, magnetic fields, mass loss)
- Boundary between white dwarfs and core collapse
- Reading for Lecture 4: Failure of a Neutrino-driven Explosion after Core-collapse May Lead to a Thermonuclear Supernova
Lecture 4 (March 14 2019) – lecture notes
- Pair instability
- Initiating core-collapse
- Collapse of the core and the resulting supernova
- Reading for Lecture 5:
- The Double Pulsar
- Colloquium: Measuring the neutron star equation of state using x-ray timing
- The Mass Distribution of Stellar Black Holes
- Black hole, neutron star and white dwarf candidates from microlensing with OGLE-III
Lecture 5 (SPECIAL DATE: 12:00 on March 22 2019)
- Winds and accretion
- Review of observed properties of neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes
- Reading for Lecture 6: Virial shocks in galactic haloes?
Lecture 6 (March 28 2019) – lecture notes
- Evolution of binary stars to compact objects
- Roche potential
- Mass transfer/loss (nuclear, thermal, dynamical) and response of the stars
- Darwin instability
- Reading for Lecture 7: Binary Interaction Dominates the Evolution of Massive Stars and The Incidence of Stellar Mergers and Mass Gainers among Massive Stars
Lecture 7 outline (April 4 2019) – lecture notes
- Common envelope
- Chemically-homogeneous evolution
Lecture 8 (April 11 2019) – lecture notes
- Close binaries from few-body systems (Lidov-Kozai)
- Close binaries from N-body cluster dynamics
- Reading for Lectures 9 and 10:
The rate of WD-WD head-on collisions may be as high as the SNe Ia rate and The minimum mass ratio of W Ursae Majoris binaries
Lecture 9 (May 2 2019) – lecture notes
- Merger, tidal disruption, plunge
- Subsequent evolution of the remnant
Lecture 10 (SPECIAL DATE: 12:00 May 3 2019) – lecture notes
- Electromagnetic and multi-messenger signatures of the merger
- r-process
Lecture 11 (SPECIAL DATE: 12:00 May 10 2019)
- Physics of astronomical transients
Lecture 12 (May 16 2019)
- Panel discussion on the physical model of ASASSN-15lh
- Review of observations and theories: ASASSN-15lh: A highly super-luminous supernova, ASASSN-15lh: A Superluminous Ultraviolet Rebrightening Observed by Swift and Hubble, The unexpected, long-lasting, UV rebrightening of the superluminous supernova ASASSN-15lh, The Most Luminous Supernovae
- Magnetar spindown model: Supernova Light Curves Powered by Young Magnetars, The diversity of transients from magnetar birth in core collapse supernovae
- Circumstellar matter interaction, Nickel-56, pair instability: Extreme Supernova Models for the Super-luminous Transient ASASSN-15lh, How much radioactive nickel does ASASSN-15lh require?, Shell-shocked Diffusion Model for the Light Curve of SN 2006gy
- Tidal disruption event: The superluminous transient ASASSN-15lh as a tidal disruption event from a Kerr black hole, Tidal disruption by extreme mass ratio binaries and application to ASASSN-15lh
Lecture 13 (May 23 2019) – lecture notes
- GW170817
- The zoo of astroomical transients
- Future sources of GW