Relativistic Binaries in Globular Clusters

Abstract

The galactic population of globular clusters are old, dense star systems, with a typical cluster containing $10^4-10^6$ stars. As an old population of stars, globular clusters contain many collapsed and degenerate objects. As a dense population of stars, globular clusters are the scene of many interesting close dynamical interactions between stars. These dynamical interactions can alter the evolution of individual stars and can produce tight binary systems containing one or two compact objects. In this review, we discuss the theoretical models of globular cluster evolution and binary evolution, techniques for simulating this evolution which lead to relativistic binaries, and current and possible future observational evidence for this population. Globular cluster evolution will focus on the properties that boost the production of hard binary systems and on the tidal interactions of the galaxy with the cluster, which tend to alter the structure of the globular cluster with time. The interaction of the components of hard binary systems alters the evolution of both bodies and can lead to exotic objects. Direct $N$-body integrations and Fokker-Planck simulations of the evolution of globular clusters that incorporate tidal interactions and lead to predictions of relativistic binary populations are also discussed. We discuss the current observational evidence for cataclysmic variables, millisecond pulsars, and low-mass X-ray binaries as well as possible future detection of relativistic binaries with gravitational radiation.

Updated version, 58 pages, 10 figures. Minor revisions to sections 1, 2, and 4. Substantial additions to sections 3 (to incorporate new observations) and 5 (to include new population synthesis models). Added roughly 60 new references

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Cited by in corpus (13)

• Intermediate-Mass Black Holes
• The Evolution of Binary Fractions in Globular Clusters
• Post-Circular Expansion of Eccentric Binary Inspirals: Fourier-Domain Waveforms in the Stationary Phase Approximation
• Inspiralling compact binaries in quasi-elliptical orbits: The complete third post-Newtonian energy flux
• Comparisons of eccentric binary black hole simulations with post-Newtonian models
• Gravitational Radiation from Intermediate-Mass Black Holes
• Third post-Newtonian gravitational waveforms for compact binary systems in general orbits: Instantaneous terms
• The Current Status of Binary Black Hole Simulations in Numerical Relativity
• Gravitational Wave Background of Neutron Star-White Dwarf Binaries
• Gravitational wave source localization for eccentric binary coalesce with a ground-based detector network
• Alternative model of the Antonov problem
• Linear momentum flux from inspiralling compact binaries in quasi-elliptical orbits at 2.5 Post-Newtonian order
• Inferring host environment properties and gravitational-wave decay time from the eccentricity measurement of dynamically captured binaries