Neutron Star Binaries in Open Clusters

Abstract

We useN-body simulations of open clusters to examine the evolutionary history of binaries containing neutron stars. The model includes consistent treatment of all the relevant processes (Aarseth 1996):•Synthetic stellar evolution–mass and radius as a function of time (Eggleton et al. 1989)•Accurate treatment of close encounters–Perturbations of binaries and stable multiple systems - Exchange reactions (involving triple and binary-binary interactions) - Collisions → blue stragglers•Binary evolution (primordial and dynamically formed)–Tidal interactions (Mardling & Aarseth 1996) - Stable mass transfer - Common envelope evolution - Magnetic braking - Gravitational radiation - Mergers (including blue stragglers)•Mass loss–Stellar winds - Supernovae - Evaporation of stars from the cluster•Neutron star formation–Supernovae with kick velocities of Lyne & Lorimer (1994), Drukier (1996) - Accretion-induced collapse