In gamma-ray binaries neutron star is orbiting a companion that produces a strong stellar wind. We demonstrate that observed properties of ‘stellar wind’–‘pulsar wind’ interaction depend both on the overall wind thrust ratio, as well as more subtle geometrical factors: the relative direction of the pulsar’s spin, the plane of the orbit, the direction of motion, and the instantaneous line of sight. Using fully 3D relativistic magnetohydrodynamical simulations we find that the resulting intrinsic morphologies can be significantly orbital phase-dependent: a given system may change from tailward-open to tailward-closed shapes. As a result, the region of unshocked pulsar wind can change by an order of magnitude over a quarter of the orbit. We calculate radiation maps and synthetic light curves for synchrotron (X-ray) and inverse-Compton emission (GeV-TeV), taking into account $\gamma $–$\gamma $ absorption. Our modelled light curves are in agreement with the phase-dependent observed light curves of LS5039.

To detect additional bodies in binary systems, we performed a potent approach of orbital period variation analysis. In this work, we present 90 new mid-eclipse times of a short-period eclipsing binary system. Observations were made using two telescopes from 2014 to 2024, extending the time span of the $O-C$ diagram to 24 yr. The data obtained in the last seven years indicate significant deviations in the $O-C$ diagram from the models obtained in previous studies. We investigated whether this variation could be explained by mechanisms such as the LTT effect or Applegate. To investigate the cyclic behaviour observed in the system with the light travel time effect, we modelled the updated $O-C$ diagram using different models including linear/quadratic terms and additional bodies. The updated $O-C$ diagram is statistically consistent with the most plausible solutions of models that include multiple brown dwarfs close to each other. However, it has been found that the orbit of the system is unstable on short time scales. Using three different theoretical definitions, we have found that the Applegate mechanism cannot explain the variation in the orbital period except for the model containing the fifth body. Therefore, due to the complex nature of the system, further mid-eclipse time is required before any conclusions can be drawn about the existence of additional bodies.

Low metallicity (Z) massive stars are among the main feedback agents in the early Universe and in present-day blue dwarf galaxies. The nearby star-forming SMC galaxy offers conditions which resemble those at redshift z∼2 i.e. where modern galaxies formed and star formation peaked. Here we present the recent results about the nature of the eclipsing O-type binary in the SMC, AzV 476, to gain insights on the properties of massive stars and binaries at earlier cosmic epochs. We find that the primary has surprisingly low mass while being much brighter and hotter than the secondary. To place the measured stellar properties in the evolutionary context we modeled the system and confirm that AzV 476 is a post-interaction binary with the primary already being core helium (He) burning, while still having a hydrogen-rich (H-rich) envelope. These results constrain massive binary evolutionary scenarios and guide the searches of stripped stars in low-Z environments.

Whether it be due to rapid rotation or binary interactions, deviations from spherical symmetry are common in massive stars. These deviations from spherical symmetry are known to cause non-uniform distributions of various parameters across the surface including temperature, which can drive internal mixing processes within the envelopes of these massive stars. Despite how common these 3D distortions are, they are often neglected in spectroscopic analyses. We present a new spectral analysis code called spamms (Spectroscopic PAtch Model for Massive Stars) specifically designed to analyze non-spherical systems. We discuss how the code works and discuss its assumptions. Furthermore, we demonstrate how spamms can be applied to a variety of different types of systems and we show how it can model 3D effects in a way that current analysis techniques are not able to.

We model evolution of exoplanets of S-type in close binary systems at the stage when the companion starts to lose mass via a slow stellar wind. At this stage an accretion disc is formed around the planets’ host. Detailed structure of such discs is calculated in quasi-stationary and non-stationary approaches. We model migration of planets embedded in these discs.

Close binary evolution is widely invoked to explain the formation of axisymmetric planetary nebulae, after a brief common envelope phase. The evolution of the primary would be interrupted abruptly, its still quite massive envelope being fully ejected to form the PN, which should be more massive than a planetary nebula coming from the same star, were it single. We test this hypothesis by investigating the ionised and molecular masses of a sample consisting of 21 post-common-envelope planetary nebulae, roughly one fifth of their known total population, and comparing them to a large sample of regular planetary nebulae (not known to host close-binaries). We find that post-common-envelope planetary nebulae arising from single-degenerate systems are, on average, neither more nor less massive than regular planetary nebulae, whereas post-common-envelope planetary nebulae arising from double-degenerate systems are considerably more massive, and show substantially larger linear momenta and kinetic energy than the rest. Reconstruction of the common envelope of four objects further suggests that the mass of single-degenerate nebulae actually amounts to a very small fraction of the envelope of their progenitor stars. This leads to the uncomfortable question of where the rest of the envelope is, raising serious doubts on our understanding of these intriguing objects.

Situation with highly magnetized neutron stars in binary systems is not yet certain. On the one hand, all best studied magnetars seem to be isolated objects. On the other, there are many claims based on model-dependent analysis of spin properties or/and luminosity of neutron stars in X-ray binaries in favour of large fields. In addition, there are a few results suggesting a magnetar-like activity of neutron stars in close binary systems. Most of theoretical considerations do not favour even existence, not speaking about active decay, of magnetar-scale fields in neutron stars older than ∼106 yrs. However, alternative scenarios of the field evolution exist. I provide a brief review of theoretical and observational results related to the presence of neutron stars with large magnetic field in binaries and discuss perspectives of future studies.

So far detached compact binaries containing neutron stars have been observed either at intermediate stages of the evolution by radio telescopes or at merger by ground-based gravitational wave detectors. Sensitive to gravitational waves from binaries millions to thousands years prior to the merger, the future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be crucial for bridging the gap between the currently accessible regimes. Depending on the binary type, LISA could potentially discover from a few to several hundreds in the entirely new regime throughout the Milky Way. Here we provide a concise summary of the current expectation for the detection of Galactic binaries containing neutron stars with LISA, focusing on double neutron stars and neutron star - white dwarf binaries. We outline a few examples of science investigations that LISA data will enable for these binaries.

The Lidov-Kozai (LK) resonance is one of the most widely discussed topics since the discovery of exoplanets in eccentric orbits. It constitutes a secular protection mechanism for systems with high mutual inclinations, although large variations in eccentricity and inclination are observed. This review aims to illustrate how the LK resonance influences the dynamics of the three-body problem at different scales, namely i) for two-planet extrasolar systems where the orbital variations occur in a coherent way such that the system remains stable, ii) for inclined planets in protoplanetary discs where the LK cycles are produced by the gravitational force exerted by the disc on the planet, iii) for migrating planets in binary star systems, whose dynamical evolution is strongly affected by the LK resonance even without experiencing a resonance capture, and iv) for triple-star systems for which the migration through LK cycles combined with tidal friction is a possible explanation for the short-period pile-up observed in the distribution of multiple stars.

This paper presents a short review on the current state of SN Ia progenitor origin. Type Ia supernova explosions (meaning thermonuclear disruption of a white dwarf) are observed to be widely diverse in peak luminosity, lightcurve width and shape, spectral features, and host stellar population environment. In the last decade alone, theoretical simulations and observational data have come together to seriously challenge the long-standing paradigm that all SNe Ia arise from explosions of Chandrasekhar mass white dwarfs. In this review I highlight some of the major developments (and changing views) of our understanding of the nature of SN Ia progenitor systems. I give a brief overview of binary star configurations and their plausible explosion mechanisms, and infer links between some of the various (observationally-categorized) SN Ia sub-classes and their progenitor origins from a theoretical standpoint.

The features and make up of the population of X-ray sources in Galactic star clusters reflect the properties of the underlying stellar environment. Cluster age, mass, stellar encounter rate, binary frequency, metallicity, and maybe other properties as well, determine to what extent we can expect a contribution to the cluster X-ray emission from low-mass X-ray binaries, millisecond pulsars, cataclysmic variables, and magnetically active binaries. Sensitive X-ray observations withXMM-Newton and certainlyChandra have yielded new insights into the nature of individual sources and the effects of dynamical encounters. They have also provided a new perspective on the collective X-ray properties of clusters, in which the X-ray emissivities of globular clusters and old open clusters can be compared to each other and to those of other environments. I will review our current understanding of cluster X-ray sources, focusing on star clusters older than about 1 Gyr, illustrated with recent results.

. Different accretion regimes onto magnetized NSs in HMXBs are considered: wind-fed supersonic (Bondi) regime at high accretion rates <math/> g s-1, subsonic settling regime at lower <math/> and supercritical disc accretion during Roche lobe overflow. In wind-fed stage, NSs in HMXBs reach equilibrium spin periods P* proportional to binary orbital period Pb. At supercritical accretion stage, the system may appear as a pulsating ULX. Population synthesis of Galactic HMXBs using standard assumptions on the binary evolution and NS formation is presented. Comparison of the model P* – Pb (the Corbet diagram), P* – Lx and Pb – Lx distributions with those for the observed HMXBs (including Be X-ray binaries) and pulsating ULXs suggests the importance of the reduction of P* in non-circular orbits, explaining the location of Be X-ray binaries in the model Corbet diagram, and the universal parameters of pulsating ULXs depending only on the NS magnetic fields.

The progenitors of many core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are expected to be in binary systems. By performing a series of three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations, we investigate how CCSN explosions affect their binary companion. We find that the amount of removed stellar mass, the resulting impact velocity, and the chemical contamination of the companion that results from the impact of the SN ejecta, strongly increases with decreasing binary separation and increasing explosion energy. Also, it is foud that the impact effects of CCSN ejecta on the structure of main-sequence (MS) companions, and thus their long term post-explosion evolution, are in general not dramatic.

Observations of mergers of multi-compact object systems offer insights to the formation processes of massive stars in globular clusters. Simulations of stellar clusters, may be used to understand and interpret observations. Simulations generally adopt an Initial Mass Function (IMF) with a Salpeter slope at the high mass end, for the initial distribution of stellar masses. However, observations of the nearest high mass star forming regions point to the IMF at the high mass end being flatter than Salpeter, in regions where the stellar densities are high. We explore the impact of this on the formation rate of potential GW sources, estimated from standard considerations. Globular clusters being significant contributors to the ionization history of the universe, the results have implications for the same. It impacts our ability to explore the putative mass gap, between the upper limit for neutron star masses and the lower limit for black hole masses, also.

We have developed a new version of the SD model for type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in which a common envelope (CE) is assumed to form if the mass-transfer rate between a carbon/oxygen white dwarf (CO WD) and its companion exceeds a critical accretion rate. Based on this model, we found that both SN 2002cx-like and SN Ia-CSM objects may share a similar origin, i.e. these peculiar objects may originate from the explosion of hybrid carbon/oxygen/neon white dwarfs (CONe WDs) in SD systems, where SNe Ia-CSM explode in systems with a massive CE of ∼1 M⊙, while SN 2002cx-like events correspond to events without a massive CE.

Common envelope evolution (CEE) occurs in some binary systems involving asymptotic giant branch (AGB) or red giant branch (RGB) stars, and understanding this process is crucial for understanding the origins of various transient phenomena. CEE has been shown to be highly asymmetrical and global 3D simulations are needed to help understand the dynamics. We perform and analyze hydrodynamic CEE simulations with the adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) code AstroBEAR, and focus on the role of accretion onto the companion star. We bracket the range of accretion rates by comparing a model that removes mass and pressure using a subgrid accretion prescription with one that does not. Provided a pressure-release valve, such as a bipolar jet, is available, super-Eddington accretion could be common. Finally, we summarize new results pertaining to the energy budget, and discuss the overall implications relating to the feasibility of unbinding the envelope in CEE simulations.

Previous theoretical studies can only explain part of the observed intermediate-mass binary pulsars (IMBPs) with short orbital periods. Note that an ONe white dwarf (WD) accreting mass from a He star may experience the accretion-induced collapse process and eventually form IMBPs, known as the ONe WD+He star scenario. By investigating the evolution of a large number of ONe WD+He star binaries, we found that the ONe WD+He star scenario can form IMBPs including pulsars with 5 – 340 ms spin periods, and the orbital periods range from 0.04 to 900 d. Compared with the observed IMBPs, this scenario can cover almost all of the IMBPs with short orbital periods. Thus, we suggest that the ONe WD+He star channel is responsible for the formation of IMBPs with short orbital periods.

WD+AGB star systems have been suggested as an alternative way for producing type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), known as the core-degenerate (CD) scenario. In the CD scenario, SNe Ia are produced at the final phase during the evolution of common-envelope through a merger between a carbon-oxygen (CO) WD and the CO core of an AGB secondary. However, the rates of SNe Ia from this scenario are still uncertain. In this work, I carried out a detailed investigation on the CD scenario based on a binary population synthesis approach. I found that the Galactic rates of SNe Ia from this scenario are not more than 20% of total SNe Ia due to more careful treatment of mass transfer, and that their delay times are in the range of ∼90 − 2500 Myr, mainly contributing to the observed SNe Ia with short and intermediate delay times.

We have used LOFAR to perform targeted millisecond pulsar surveys of Fermi γ-ray sources. Operating at a center frequency of 135 MHz, the surveys use a novel semi-coherent dedispersion approach where coherently dedispersed trials at coarsely separated dispersion measures are incoherently dedispersed at finer steps. Three millisecond pulsars have been discovered as part of these surveys. We describe the LOFAR surveys and the properties of the newly discovered pulsars.

The extended observational program for study of cataclysmic variables is realized in Sternberg Astronomical Institute during the last years. A few telescopes of Crimean Observational Station equipped with a different devices, — UBV photometer and two CCD camera, are used for observations. Among the close binary systems (CBS), cataclysmic variables are the most interesting objects because of the outburst activity and variety of their observational features. They could serve a good laboratory for study of physical processes in CBS. GAIA provides astronomers with a new ample opportunity for investigation of cataclysmic variables. Though the relative faintness of detected objects it is still possible to carry out a high accuracy ground-based observations with our equipment. Obtained ground-based data permit us to confirm classification of detected CV-candidates, to determine the physical characteristics with a sample of new cods and improve the current understanding of their nature.