Triple Evolution Pathways to Black Hole Low-Mass X-ray Binaries: Insights from V404 Cygni

Understand

A recent discovery shows that V404 Cygni, a prototypical black hole low-mass X-ray binary (BH-LMXB) is a hierarchical triple: the BH and donor star are orbited by a $1.2$ M$_{\odot}$ tertiary at a distance of at least $3500$ au.

• Motivated by this system, we evolve a grid of $\sim50,000$ triple star systems, spanning a broad range of initial orbits.
• Our calculations employ {\tt MESA} stellar evolution models, using {\tt POSYDON}, and self-consistently track the effects of eccentric Kozai-Lidov (EKL) oscillations, mass loss, tides, and BH natal kicks.
• In our simulations, the progenitors of V404 Cygni-like systems have initial outer separations of $1000 - 10000$ au and inner separations of $\sim100$ au, such that they avoid Roche lobe overflow most of the time.