The dynamics of stellar-mass black holes in dense stellar systems and their role in gravitational-wave generation

• Applicant: Dr. Sambaran Banerjee
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 405620641

The primary goals of this project are (a) making further updates to the direct N-body simulation code NBODY7 in relation to stellar evolution, remnant formation, and treatments of general-relativistic (GR) coalescences, (b) producing computer-simulated grids of long term evolutionary models of star clusters of the mass range of 10^4 Msun - 10^5 Msun with the updated NBODY7, (c) comparing and combining the GR-merger outcomes from these model clusters with those from the evolution of populations of isolated field binaries, (d) making detailed comparisons of the GR-merger outcomes with contemporary gravitational-wave (GW) observations, (e) making comparisons of the simulated cluster models and their stellar and compact-binary ingredients with multi-wavelength electromagnetic observations of star clusters. The proposed computed model clusters will start their evolution with conditions like those observed in young massive clusters (YMCs) and evolved into old, intermediate mass open clusters (OCs). Through my initial work during Part I, this YMC/OC regime has proven to be highly promising in explaining the to-date, event-rich, and diverse ground based GW observations and also for BBH sources for forthcoming space-borne GW missions such as LISA. The proposed Part II will enable a thorough investigation of this YMC/OC regime of star clusters. The resulting unprecedented set of highly detailed, up-to-date, long term N-body evolutionary models will also be useful for a wide range of theoretical studies and interpretations of observations related to YMCs and OCs.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants