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Astronomy Colloquium

Wednesday, September 29, 2021
4:00pm to 5:00pm
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Cahill, Hameetman Auditorium
Stars Stripped in Binaries: From Theory to Observation
Ylva Goetberg, Alvin E. Nashman Postdoctoral Fellow, Theoretical Astrophysics, Carnegie Observatories,

Stars stripped of their hydrogen-rich envelopes via interaction with a binary companion are predicted to be responsible for most hydrogen-poor supernovae and also constitute two necessary steps in the formation of neutron stars that merge in gravitational wave events. In addition, because these stripped stars are the exposed cores of their progenitors, they are so hot that most of their radiation is emitted in ionizing wavelengths. This can both affect the appearance of bursty star-forming galaxies and contribute to cosmic reionization. Despite their importance, only one intermediate-mass stripped star has been published to date. Based on theoretical predictions, we designed an observational search for stars stripped in binaries in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. I will share the first results from this ongoing survey, including the identification and characterization of a first observed sample.

To view this talk via YouTube, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-zYBv_IqFp2f9huYQA1VSw

For more information, please contact Jim Fuller by email at [email protected] or visit http://www.astro.caltech.edu.