Massive star population synthesis with binaries

TL;DR

This paper reviews the history and key aspects of modeling massive star populations with binaries, focusing on binary codes, initial conditions, and population simulation results.

Contribution

It highlights important factors like binary frequency and stellar ratios, emphasizing differences in population synthesis codes for massive stars with binaries.

Findings

Binary population codes vary in key ingredients.

Initial binary frequency significantly impacts population outcomes.

Predicted ratios of stellar types and supernovae are discussed.

Abstract

We first give a short historical overview with some key facts of massive star population synthesis with binaries. We then discuss binary population codes and focus on two ingredients which are important for massive star population synthesis and which may be different in different codes. Population simulations with binaries is the third part where we consider the initial massive binary frequency, the RSG/WR and WC/WN and SNII/SNIbc number ratio's, the probable initial rotational velocity distribution of massive stars.