Modeling the outcome of supernova explosions in binary population synthesis using the stellar compactness

Understand

Following the collapse of their cores, some of the massive binary stars that populate our Universe are expected to form merging binaries composed of black holes and neutron stars.

• Gravitational-wave observations of the resulting compact binaries can reveal precious details on the inner workings of the supernova mechanism and the subsequent formation of compact objects.
• Within the framework of the population-synthesis code MOBSE, we present the implementation of a new supernova model that relies on the compactness of the collapsing star.
• The model has two free parameters, namely the compactness threshold that separates the formation of black holes and that of neutron stars, and the fraction of the envelope that falls back onto the newly formed black holes.