Stars, planets and massive black holes are ubiquitous in binary and multiple configurations. In stellar systems the binary components interact through various type of mass loss and mass transfer. Mass transfer interactions in eccentric systems are inprinciple phase-dependent and can occur in different ways. We formulate the understanding of mass transfer interactions in binary systems and investigate how these affect their evolution and therefore their observed orbital properties. We present a theoretical framework to describe this evolution and investigate various types of mass transfer including commonly studied cases: isotropic and non-anisotropic wind mass loss; Roche-lobe-overflow; and Bondi–Hoyle accretion. We provide analytical equations of the phase-dependent and long-term (secular) evolution of masstransferring eccentric binaries. The theoretical framework provided could be implemented in future work in numerical codes widely used to study stellar binary evolution. In the planetary world giant exoplanets could be found so close to their host star that they are expected to start transferring mass to their stellar companion. We investigate the fate of roche-lobe overflowing giant exoplanets and explore the final orbits of their remnants, trying to provide a plausible theoretical explanation to the observed systems by the planet-hunting mission "Kepler". Massive black hole binary configurations in the nuclei of large-scale structures like galaxies are formed through galaxy mergers. We explore the evolution of massive black hole binaries in galactic nuclei as a function of the properties of the host and merging galaxy and attempt to provide an explanation for a number of observations, including the puzzling discovery of multiple nuclei in the core of the brightest galaxies.

Last modified

• 11/19/2019

Creator

• FANI DOSOPOULOU

DOI

• https://doi.org/10.21985/n2-brga-4s69

Subject

• Physics and Astronomy

Keyword

• supermassive black hole binaries
• stellar dynamics
• computational astrophysics
• Exoplanet dynamics
• Stellar/Binary evolution
• galaxy formation and evolution

Resource type

• Dissertation

Rights statement

• In Copyright