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Paper: What Massive Binaries are Telling Us
Volume: 496, Living Together: Planets, Host Stars and Binaries
Page: 153
Authors: Williams, S. J.
Abstract: I discuss the observational evidence behind, and the consequences of, the propensity of massive stars to exist in multiple systems. I elucidate the benefits and shortcomings of both spectroscopic and visual searches for multiplicity among massive stars and make the case that it is likely that all massive stars, at some point in their life, existed in a binary or multiple system. Recent observations seem to contradict the notion that massive binaries are dominated by a population of “twin” systems — systems with components of nearly equal mass. I also highlight the predictions of massive binary interaction and evolution in the context of core collapse supernovae counts in the nearby Universe. Lastly, I talk about the reasons for the lack of accurate measurements of the fundamental parameters of massive stars, which would be valuable in tests of stellar evolution theory. In summary, all facets of our understanding of massive stars will benefit with more data.
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