Pith. sign in

REVIEW 3 major objections 3 minor 83 references

Chemical fingerprints of binary mass transfer in massive stars

T0 review · 3 major / 3 minor · reviewed 2026-08-16 · deepseek-v4-flash

Challenge this review Re-run · record.json Download PDF Read on arXiv ↗ Review JSON

Pith's one-line read Chemical fingerprint exposes stars that once gained mass.

desk verdict Solid, genuinely new analytic framework for identifying binary mass gainers via CNO abundances, but the 'exclusive' branch claim is not yet established because the single-star baseline omits internal gravity wave mixing. read the letter →

arxiv 2608.11940 v1 pith:KLPXEVQI submitted 2026-08-12 astro-ph.SR astro-ph.HE

Harim Jin , Norbert Langer This is my paper · ORCID
classification astro-ph.SRastro-ph.HE
keywords massivestarsbinarymasstransfergainersCNOcyclesurfaceabundancesstellarmergersSN1987Athermohalinemixing
verification ladder T0 review T1 audit T2 compute T3 formal

The pith

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The reading

The paper claims that the carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen (CNO) surface abundances of core-hydrogen-burning massive stars carry a fingerprint of past binary mass transfer. In the diagnostic N/C versus N/O diagram, the branch near the CN-equilibrium-plus-dilution line is populated exclusively by mass gainers (stars that accreted material from a binary companion), while mass donors and single stars stay away from it. If this is right, many apparently single OB stars with elevated nitrogen are not merely rapidly rotating single stars but former accretors whose chemical surface patterns record an earlier binary interaction. The authors provide an analytic framework, independent of the details of their evolutionary models, that converts an observed position in this diagram into the amount and composition of accreted material, and they apply it to several well-studied stars and to SN 1987A.

What carries the argument

The diagnostic CNO abundance plane, with $\log(N/O)$ on one axis and $\log(N/C)$ on the other, is framed by two analytic dilution lines: mixing pristine envelope matter with CNO-equilibrium matter (the 'CNO-eq.+dilution' line, Eq. 7) and mixing with CN-equilibrium matter (the 'CN-eq.+dilution' line, Eq. 10). Superposed are dashed tracks, Eq. 11, describing CN-cycling of an already diluted mixture, which end at the full-CN-processing line of Eq. 15. These lines do the work of the argument: an observed star's position fixes the dilution factor $f_{\rm CNO}$ by projection onto the CNO-eq.+dilution line, and the helium-nitrogen diagram fixes $Y_{\rm CNO}$, giving a model-independent reconstruction of the accretion history.

What would settle it

A decisive check would be to find a main-sequence massive star with a well-established single-star history (no companion, no past accretion, constant radial velocity) whose measured N/C and N/O place it on or above the CN-eq.+dilution branch; alternatively, a single-star model grid that includes internal gravity-wave mixing and populates the branch would falsify the claimed exclusivity.

Watch

Extended reading notes

Core claim

On the paper's own terms, the central discovery is that stars which have accreted matter in a binary can be recognized long after the interaction by their surface CNO ratios alone. In a large grid of binary evolution models, mass gainers occupy a characteristic branch of the log(N/C) versus log(N/O) diagram that mass donors and single stars do not enter: matter accreted from the donor's hydrogen/helium-gradient zone is in CNO equilibrium, and later slow mixing plus CN-processing in the gainer's envelope raises N/C at roughly constant N/O. The paper argues that this branch is a unique chemical fingerprint, and that the amount of accreted CNO-equilibrium material (the dilution factor $f_{\rm CNO}$) and the helium content of that material ($Y_{\rm CNO}$) can be read off from an observed star's position using analytic mixing lines.

Load-bearing premise

The claim that the branch near the CN-equilibrium-plus-dilution line belongs only to mass gainers depends on the comparison single-star models being complete: if some ordinary single-star process, such as internal gravity-wave mixing, can push a non-accreting star into the same region, the fingerprint would no longer be unique.

Editorial extensions

If this is right

  • Apparent single OB stars with high N/C at moderate N/O can be classified as former mass gainers, turning existing abundance surveys into a census of past binary accretion.
  • For each identified gainer, the analytic framework yields the mass of accreted CNO-equilibrium material, the average helium content of that material, and allowed ranges for the initial masses of both binary components and the mass-transfer efficiency.
  • The method separates stable mass transfer from mergers: merger products sit near the CNO-eq.+dilution line, whereas gainers from stable transfer can rise along the CN-cycling tracks, so SN 1987A's ring abundances point to a diluted CNO-equilibrium mixture consistent with a post-main-sequence merger.
  • For gamma Columbae, the paper concludes it is a mass gainer whose companion likely exploded as a stripped-envelope supernova, replacing the earlier interpretation of the star as a recently stripped object.
  • The constraints on initial mass ratio and accretion efficiency derived this way provide empirical benchmarks for future binary evolution models, independent of the models' assumed accretion physics.

Reading between the lines

Editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

  • If the fingerprint survives comparison with a wider set of single-star mixing processes, the method becomes a population tool: the distribution of $f_{\rm CNO}$ values among field stars would map the mass-transfer efficiency distribution across initial binary parameter space.
  • The same dilution-plus-CN-cycling formalism should extend to isotope ratios such as $^{13}{\rm C}/^{12}{\rm C}$ or $^{15}{\rm N}/^{14}{\rm N}$, which could break remaining degeneracies between accretion and rotational mixing in stars where element ratios alone are ambiguous.
  • A testable prediction of the accretion picture is that stars on the gainer branch should show signatures of accretion-induced spin-up or mixing, such as unusually rapid rotation or surface helium enrichment, more often than single stars of similar mass and age; a targeted survey of the branch could check this.
  • The exclusivity of the branch could be probed directly by computing single-star models with internal gravity-wave mixing as a baseline; if such models enter the branch, the fingerprint would need to be redefined.
Share X Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit HN

Signed reviews

No signed human review yet.

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, and a circularity audit.

Referee Report

3 major / 3 minor

Summary. The paper proposes that the surface CNO abundances of core-hydrogen-burning massive stars can identify past mass gainers in binary systems. The authors use a large MESA binary grid to show that gainers occupy a branch near the analytic 'CN-eq. + dilution' line in the log(N/C)-log(N/O) plane, a region they claim is avoided by mass donors and single stars. They derive an analytic mixing/dilution framework (Eqs. 7, 10, 11, 15) to invert observed CNO and He/N abundances for the accreted CNO-equilibrium mass and its helium content, and apply it to gamma Columbae, HD 48279, HD 93840, zeta Ophiuchi, and SN 1987A. A mock-star test based on a 22.4+7.8 Msun binary is used as validation.

Significance. If the exclusivity of the gainer branch is established, the paper offers a genuinely useful diagnostic: surface CNO ratios are routinely measured, and a model-independent inversion for accreted mass and composition would constrain mass-transfer physics and identify binary products that appear single. The algebraic derivations in the Methods are internally consistent and respect CNO conservation, the analytic lines are clearly useful coordinate tools, and the public availability of the MESA grid input files is a concrete strength. However, the central fingerprint claim depends on the completeness of the single-star comparison set, and the mock-star validation is a self-consistency test rather than an independent test. These two points determine whether the applications to gamma Col, HD 48279, HD 93840, and zeta Oph are as secure as the text suggests.

major comments (3)
  1. [Results from detailed binary evolution models (Fig. 1; Extended Data Fig. 1)] The central claim that the branch near the 'CN-eq. + dilution' line is 'exclusively populated by mass gainers and is avoided by mass donors and single stars' is not established by the comparison set shown. The single-star loci in Fig. 1 and Extended Data Fig. 1 come from the Jin+2024 and Ekstrom+2012 grids, neither of which includes mixing by internal gravity waves. The manuscript itself cites Brinkman+2025 (ref. 18) for the result that IGW mixing can explain the CNO surface abundances of B-type detached eclipsing binaries and single stars, and the configuration invoked there (CN-processed material mixed upward from just above the convective core without exposing CNO-equilibrium core material) is precisely the high-N/C, moderate-N/O signature assigned to the gainer branch. The caveat paragraph stating that mass gainers show higher N/C than single stars 'regardless of rotational mixing treatment' addresses rotational mixing only, not IGW mixing. To support the fingerprint claim, the authors should add an IGW-mixing single-star baseline, or analytically bound its locus in Fig. 1 and show that it does not enter the gainer branch. Without this, the identifications of gamma Col, HD 48279, HD 93840, and zeta Oph as mass gainers inherit an unproven exclusivity assumption.
  2. [Methods: 'The analytic framework and its application'; Extended Data Table 2] The mock-star validation is a self-consistency test rather than an independent validation. The test star is drawn from the same MESA grid that motivated the framework, so recovering its input quantities demonstrates internal consistency of the inversion, not agreement with independent physics. In addition, the recovered constraints in Extended Data Table 2 are very broad: for the Mock star, M1,i = 4.8-45.2 Msun versus the true 22.4 Msun, M2,i = 3.2-7.9 Msun versus 7.8 Msun, and beta = 0.03-0.92 versus 0.05. The statement that the method 'successfully reproduces the key properties of the accreted material ... and the initial binary configuration' therefore overstates the precision demonstrated. The authors should present this as a consistency check with the reported widths, or validate the inversion against models computed with different mixing prescriptions.
  3. [Abstract and Methods: 'The analytic model', 'Constraints on the initial primary mass', 'Evolutionary mass'] The phrase 'an analytic framework which is independent of specific evolutionary models' is too strong. The inversion uses single-star model inputs for the donor's H/He gradient mass M1,CNO(M1,i), for the envelope mass Menv, and for the evolutionary mass Mevol, all taken from specific single-star grids. The framework is independent of the binary evolution models, which is valuable, but it is not independent of evolutionary models in general. This distinction should be stated explicitly so that the model dependence of the inferred initial masses and accretion efficiencies is not underestimated.
minor comments (3)
  1. [Methods: 'Spectroscopic mass'] The displayed formula reads 'log Mspec/Msun = log L/Lsun - log L/Lsun', which is a tautology as printed and cannot be the intended mass-luminosity relation; the missing numerical relation or spectroscopic luminosity term should be supplied.
  2. [Fig. 1 caption and Supplementary Information Section A] The SN 1987A point in Fig. 1 is shown after a correction for non-solar LMC CNO ratios, but this correction is discussed only in the caption and the Supplement. A sentence in the main text stating that the plotted SN 1987A position is the LMC-corrected value would prevent readers from misinterpreting the raw abundance measurement.
  3. [Extended Data Figure 1 caption] The caption notes that the Ekstrom+2012 models have 'slightly different initial abundances compared to ours' but does not quantify the difference; given that the limiting lines are anchored to the initial CNO ratios, the comparison would be cleaner if the figure stated the initial C, N, and O values for both grids.

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged · score 0.0 of 10

No significant circularity: the analytic CNO fingerprint is derived from nuclear equilibrium abundances and mixing algebra, not fitted to the observed stars.

full rationale

The paper's derivation chain is largely self-contained. The diagnostic lines in Fig. 1 are obtained from analytic mixing formulas (Eqs. 7, 10, 11, 15) using tabulated initial and equilibrium CNO abundances (Extended Data Table 1) plus the conservation of CNO nuclei; no parameter in these lines is fitted to the observed stars. The central claim that the CN-eq.+dilution branch is populated by mass gainers is a numerical prediction of the MESA binary grid, not an input assumption, and it is compared against published single-star grids (Jin+2024, Ekstrom+2012) with stated assumptions. The applications to gamma Col, HD 48279, HD 93840, zeta Oph, and SN 1987A use observed surface abundances to read off f_CNO and Y_CNO from the analytically defined lines, then combine these with single-star evolutionary tracks and stability criteria to constrain initial masses and accretion efficiencies; the inferred quantities are not used as inputs in a way that forces the conclusions. The mock-star test is an in-sample self-consistency check rather than an independent validation, since the analytic framework was motivated by the same model grid, but the inversion equations were not tuned to the mock star and do not reduce to the grid output by construction. The self-citations to the authors' own grids and single-star models are substantive, code- and data-backed model results, not unverified uniqueness claims. The omission of internal gravity wave mixing from the single-star baseline (ref. 18) is a real correctness risk for the exclusivity of the branch, but it is an incompleteness of the comparison physics, not a logical circularity: the derivation does not assume that single stars cannot occupy the branch; it predicts it from the adopted model set. Overall, no step equates a predicted quantity to a fitted input or imports the conclusion through a self-citation chain.

Assumptions & free parameters 3 free parameters · 6 assumptions · 0 invented entities

The inference chain pulls several background assumptions from stellar evolution theory and from the authors' own prior grids. The analytic lines themselves rest on standard CNO equilibrium abundances; the quantitative mapping to masses additionally assumes Case B transfer, complete rejuvenation, a linear H/He gradient, solar initial abundances for the targets, and stability criteria from the authors' previous work. No new physical entities are introduced.

free parameters (3)
  • gamma (mean molecular weight luminosity exponent) = gamma = 4 for HD 48279, gamma Col, zeta Oph, and Mock star; gamma = 3 for HD 93840
    Adopted from fig. 17 of ref 59 to correct luminosity for helium enrichment when estimating evolutionary masses; not fitted to the observed stars.
  • M_loss (SN 1987A merger mass loss) = about 7 solar masses
    Free parameter scanned in Supplementary Fig. 2; only values near 7 solar masses satisfy the CNO, helium, core mass, and envelope mass constraints.
  • Overshooting parameter alpha_ov = 0.18
    Fixed in the MESA binary and single-star models (fiducial); affects the H/He gradient mass and thus the M1,i constraints. Not fitted here.
assumptions (6)
  • domain assumption Case B mass transfer is the dominant channel for the stars studied
    The analytic framework assumes the donor transfers after core hydrogen exhaustion; the paper argues about 63% of stable mass transfer events are single Case B (Caveats section).
  • domain assumption Complete rejuvenation: the mass gainer has the same core-envelope structure as a single star of the same evolutionary mass
    Explicitly stated in Methods ('We assume full rejuvenation') and flagged as a caveat: inefficient core growth would change M_env and hence M_acc,CNO.
  • domain assumption The donor's H/He gradient layer is in CNO equilibrium with a linear helium profile from Y_i to 1
    Used to derive the M1,CNO inequality and to map Y_CNO to the depth of accretion (Methods, Extended Data Fig. 5).
  • domain assumption Initial CNO abundances of the observed stars (except SN 1987A) are solar (Asplund+2021)
    Stated in Caveats; supported for nearby solar-neighborhood stars by ref 71, but a systematic uncertainty for HD 48279 and HD 93840.
  • domain assumption Mass transfer stability follows the critical mass ratios of Schuermann & Langer 2024
    Adopted to exclude unstable mass transfer regions in Fig. 4 and Extended Data Fig. 7; this is the authors' own prior work, so it is internally consistent but not independent.
  • standard math Standard nuclear reaction network and CNO equilibrium abundances (Extended Data Table 1)
    The analytic lines use CN- and CNO-equilibrium mass fractions from nuclear reaction rates; standard stellar nucleosynthesis background.

how reviews work

0 comments
Cite this review

Pith. "Pith review of Chemical fingerprints of binary mass transfer in massive stars." pith.science (2026). https://pith.science/paper/KLPXEVQI

@misc{pith2026260811940,
  author       = {Pith},
  title        = {Pith review of: Chemical fingerprints of binary mass transfer in massive stars},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://pith.science/paper/KLPXEVQI}},
  note         = {Machine review of arXiv:2608.11940}
}
read the original abstract

The majority of massive stars are born in close binary systems. As stars expand when they age, mass transfer or even a merger with their companion is inevitable. However, most binary interaction products appear as single stars, such that the main evidence of their exciting past is lost. In a comprehensive grid of detailed massive binary evolution models we find systematic trends in chemical surface abundances that allow identifying the past mass gainers. We develop an analytic framework which is independent of specific evolutionary models, to constrain the amount and composition of the accreted material from their observed surface abundances. This yields tight constraints on the uncertain mass transfer physics in massive binary stars and allows us to reconstruct the past evolutionary history of the progenitor binary system. This method, which is shown to also constrain binary mergers (for example, SN 1987A), is applied to some of the best-studied OB stars so far. For {\gamma} Columbae, suggested to be an envelope-stripped star, we show that it is a mass gainer instead, whose companion star likely formed a stripped-envelope supernova. Our results highlight surface abundance measurements as a powerful tool to improve our understanding of massive binary systems evolving towards supernovae and compact object binaries.

Figures

Figures reproduced from arXiv: 2608.11940 by the authors.

Figure 1
Figure 1. Diagnostic CNO-surface abundance diagram. N/C and N/O surface abundance ratios of mass gainer (light red) and mass donor (dark red) models after mass transfer, and single star models of (19) with initial masses between 5 and 50 M⊙ and initial rotational ve￾locities below 400 km s−1 (blue contours) during core helium burning. The two dotted black lines represent analytic expressions for the composition of a mixture o… view at source ↗
Figure 2
Figure 2. Schematic illustration of the chemical evolution of a mass gainer. Three stages are shown: before mass accretion, immediately after mass accretion just before fast mixing, and during slow mixing in the subsequent nuclear-timescale evolution. The radial direction of each slice represents the encompassed mass. titatively constraint their past accretion history, independent of uncertainties in the efficiency of the slo… view at source ↗
Figure 3
Figure 3. Diagnostic helium-nitrogen surface abundance diagram. Helium mass fraction and nitrogen enhancement factor at the surface of our mass gainer models after the accretion event, until core hydrogen exhaustion (filled light and dark red circles, issued every 100 000 years). Also shown are rotating and mass losing single star models from (19) with initial rota￾tional velocities below 400 km s−1 (light and dark blue). We … view at source ↗
Figures from the paper (1 more)
Figure 4
Figure 4. Figure 4: Initial masses diagram for γ Columbae. In the parameter space of the initial masses (M1,i and M2,i) of the components of the binary system that produced γ Col, we overplot the various constraints indicated by different hatchings (see Methods). The colored nearly triang…

Discussion (0). Continue with ORCID to comment.

Reference graph

Works this paper leans on

83 extracted references · 77 canonical work pages

  1. [1]

    Sana, H.et al.A high fraction of close massive binary stars at low metallicity.Nat. Astron. 9, 1337–1346 (2025)

    2025

  2. [2]

    Astrophys.702, A61 (2025)

    Ryu, T.et al.Binary mass transfer in 3D: Mass transfer rate and morphology.Astron. Astrophys.702, A61 (2025)

    2025

  3. [3]

    Vinciguerra, S.et al.Be X-ray binaries in the SMC as indicators of mass-transfer efficiency. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.498, 4705–4720 (2020)

    2020

  4. [4]

    Predictions from detailed evolution models.Astron

    Xu, X.-T.et al.Populations of evolved massive binary stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud: I. Predictions from detailed evolution models.Astron. Astrophys.704, A218 (2025)

    work page 2025

  5. [5]

    Predictions from rapid binary evolution.Astron

    Sch ¨urmann, C.et al.Populations of evolved massive binary stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud: II. Predictions from rapid binary evolution.Astron. Astrophys.704, A219 (2025)

    work page 2025

  6. [6]

    Astrophys.634, A134 (2020)

    G ¨otberg, Y .et al.Contribution from stars stripped in binaries to cosmic reionization of hydrogen and helium.Astron. Astrophys.634, A134 (2020)

    work page 2020

  7. [7]

    Farmer, R., Laplace, E., Ma, J.-z., de Mink, S. E. & Justham, S. Nucleosynthesis of Binary- stripped Stars.Astrophys. J.948, 111 (2023)

    work page 2023

  8. [8]

    J.170, 192 (2025)

    Wagg, T.et al.Delayed and Displaced: The Impact of Binary Interactions on Core-collapse SN Feedback.Astron. J.170, 192 (2025)

    work page 2025

Show all 83 references
  1. [9]

    Shenar, T.et al.Wolf-Rayet stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud. II. Analysis of the bina- ries.Astron. Astrophys.591, A22 (2016). 7

    2016

  2. [10]

    Astrophys.659, A98 (2022)

    Sen, K.et al.Detailed models of interacting short-period massive binary stars.Astron. Astrophys.659, A98 (2022)

    2022

  3. [11]

    Lechien, T.et al.Binary Stars Take What They Get: Evidence for Efficient Mass Trans- fer from Stripped Stars with Rapidly Rotating Companions.Astrophys. J. Lett.990, L51 (2025)

    2025

  4. [12]

    E., Sana, H., Langer, N., Izzard, R

    de Mink, S. E., Sana, H., Langer, N., Izzard, R. G. & Schneider, F. R. N. The Incidence of Stellar Mergers and Mass Gainers among Massive Stars.Astrophys. J.782, 7 (2014)

    2014

  5. [13]

    G ¨otberg, Y ., de Mink, S. E. & Groh, J. H. Ionizing spectra of stars that lose their envelope through interaction with a binary companion: role of metallicity.Astron. Astrophys.608, A11 (2017)

    2017

  6. [14]

    Sana, H.et al.Binary Interaction Dominates the Evolution of Massive Stars.Science337, 444 (2012)

    2012

  7. [15]

    & Maeder, A

    Meynet, G. & Maeder, A. Stellar evolution with rotation. V . Changes in all the outputs of massive star models.Astron. Astrophys.361, 101–120 (2000)

    2000

  8. [16]

    Hunter, I.et al.The VLT FLAMES Survey of Massive Stars: Rotation and Nitrogen Enrichment as the Key to Understanding Massive Star Evolution.Astrophys. J. Lett.676, L29 (2008)

    2008

  9. [17]

    Presupernova Evolution of Massive Single and Binary Stars.Annu

    Langer, N. Presupernova Evolution of Massive Single and Binary Stars.Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys.50, 107–164 (2012)

    2012

  10. [18]

    E., Tkachenko, A

    Brinkman, H. E., Tkachenko, A. & Aerts, C. Mixing due to internal gravity waves can explain the CNO surface abundances of B-type detached eclipsing binaries and single stars. Astron. Astrophys.702, A119 (2025). 8

    2025

  11. [19]

    Jin, H., Langer, N., Lennon, D. J. & Proffitt, C. R. Boron depletion in Galactic early B-type stars reveals two different main sequence star populations.Astron. Astrophys.690, A135 (2024)

    2024

  12. [20]

    Astrophys.578, A109 (2015)

    Martins, F.et al.Surface abundances of ON stars.Astron. Astrophys.578, A109 (2015)

    2015

  13. [21]

    & Meynet, G.γColumbae as a recently stripped pulsating core of a massive star.Nat

    Irrgang, A., Przybilla, N. & Meynet, G.γColumbae as a recently stripped pulsating core of a massive star.Nat. Astron.6, 1414–1420 (2022)

    2022

  14. [22]

    A., Butler, K

    Weßmayer, D., Urbaneja, M. A., Butler, K. & Przybilla, N. Runaway BN supergiant star HD 93840: Progenitor of an imminent core-collapse supernova above the Galactic plane. Astron. Astrophys.687, L7 (2024)

    2024

  15. [23]

    Villamariz, M. R. & Herrero, A. Chemical composition of Galactic OB stars. II. The fast rotatorζOphiuchi.Astron. Astrophys.442, 263–270 (2005)

    2005

  16. [24]

    & Fransson, C

    Lundqvist, P. & Fransson, C. The Line Emission from the Circumstellar Gas around SN 1987A.Astrophys. J.464, 924 (1996)

    1996

  17. [25]

    E., Hillier, D

    Herald, J. E., Hillier, D. J. & Schulte-Ladbeck, R. E. Tailored Analyses of the WN 8 Stars WR 40 and WR 16.Astrophys. J.548, 932–952 (2001)

    2001

  18. [26]

    J.902, 62 (2020)

    Zhang, W.et al.A New Transition Wolf-Rayet WN/C Star in the Milky Way.Astrophys. J.902, 62 (2020)

    2020

  19. [27]

    Astrophys

    Maeder, A.et al.Evolution of surface CNO abundances in massive stars.Astron. Astrophys. 565, A39 (2014)

    2014

  20. [28]

    Astrophys.638, A39 (2020)

    Langer, N.et al.Properties of OB star-black hole systems derived from detailed binary evolution models.Astron. Astrophys.638, A39 (2020). 9

    2020

  21. [29]

    Paxton, B.et al.Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA).Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser .192, 3 (2011)

    2011

  22. [30]

    Paxton, B.et al.Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA): Planets, Oscil- lations, Rotation, and Massive Stars.Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser .208, 4 (2013)

    2013

  23. [31]

    Paxton, B.et al.Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA): Binaries, Pul- sations, and Explosions.Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser .220, 15 (2015)

    2015

  24. [32]

    Paxton, B.et al.Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA): Convective Boundaries, Element Diffusion, and Massive Star Explosions.Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser . 234, 34 (2018)

    2018

  25. [33]

    Paxton, B.et al.Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA): Pulsating Variable Stars, Rotation, Convective Boundaries, and Energy Conservation.Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser .243, 10 (2019)

    2019

  26. [34]

    & de Mink, S

    Jin, H., Langer, N., Ercolino, A. & de Mink, S. E. A comprehensive grid of massive binary evolution models for the Galaxy: Surface properties of post-mass-transfer stars.Astron. Astrophys.707, A56 (2026)

    2026

  27. [35]

    Rolfs, C. E. & Rodney, W. S.Cauldrons in the cosmos : nuclear astrophysics(The Univer- sity of Chicago Press, 1988)

    1988

  28. [36]

    Braun, H.Mixing processes and nucleosynthesis in the components of high-mass close binary systems. Ph.D. thesis, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Germany (1997)

    1997

  29. [37]

    Marchant, P.The impact of tides and mass transfer on the evolution of metal-poor massive binary stars. Ph.D. thesis, Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelms University of Bonn, Germany (2017). 10

    2017

  30. [38]

    & G ¨otberg, Y

    Renzo, M. & G ¨otberg, Y . Evolution of Accretor Stars in Massive Binaries: Broader Impli- cations from ModelingζOphiuchi.Astrophys. J.923, 277 (2021)

    2021

  31. [39]

    Helium enrichment in O-type stars as a tracer of past binary interaction.Astron

    Mart ´ınez-Sebasti´an, C.et al.The IACOB project: XIII. Helium enrichment in O-type stars as a tracer of past binary interaction.Astron. Astrophys.693, L10 (2025)

    2025

  32. [40]

    & Langer, N

    Sch ¨urmann, C. & Langer, N. Exploring the boundary between stable mass transfer and L 2 overflow in close binary evolution.Astron. Astrophys.691, A174 (2024)

    2024

  33. [41]

    & Pols, O

    Glebbeek, E., Gaburov, E., Portegies Zwart, S. & Pols, O. R. Structure and evolution of high-mass stellar mergers.Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.434, 3497–3510 (2013)

    2013

  34. [42]

    Schneider, F. R. N.et al.Stellar mergers as the origin of magnetic massive stars.Nature 574, 211–214 (2019)

    2019

  35. [43]

    W., Schneider, F

    Wu, S., Everson, R. W., Schneider, F. R. N., Podsiadlowski, P. & Ramirez-Ruiz, E. The Art of Modeling Stellar Mergers and the Case of the B[e] Supergiant R4 in the Small Magellanic Cloud.Astrophys. J.901, 44 (2020)

    2020

  36. [44]

    & Vink, J

    Justham, S., Podsiadlowski, P. & Vink, J. S. Luminous Blue Variables and Superluminous Supernovae from Binary Mergers.Astrophys. J.796, 121 (2014)

    2014

  37. [45]

    Menon, A.et al.Evidence for Evolved Stellar Binary Mergers in Observed B-type Blue Supergiants.Astrophys. J. Lett.963, L42 (2024)

    2024

  38. [46]

    The Progenitor of SN 1987A.Publ

    Podsiadlowski, P. The Progenitor of SN 1987A.Publ. Astron. Soc. Pac.104, 717 (1992)

    1992

  39. [47]

    & Heger, A

    Menon, A. & Heger, A. The quest for blue supergiants: binary merger models for the evolution of the progenitor of SN 1987A.Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.469, 4649–4664 (2017). 11

    2017

  40. [48]

    & Herrero, A

    Sim ´on-D´ıaz, S. & Herrero, A. The IACOB project. I. Rotational velocities in northern Galactic O- and early B-type stars revisited. The impact of other sources of line-broadening. Astron. Astrophys.562, A135 (2014)

    2014

  41. [49]

    Astrophys.690, A289 (2024)

    Shenar, T.et al.Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM): A spectroscopic VLT monitoring survey of massive stars in the SMC.Astron. Astrophys.690, A289 (2024)

    2024

  42. [50]

    Surface helium abundances in Galactic O-type stars: indications for identifying binary interaction products

    Sim ´on-D´ıaz, S.et al.The IACOB project: XVI. Surface helium abundances in Galactic O-type stars: indications for identifying binary interaction products. Preprint athttps: //arxiv.org/abs/2601.20698(2026)

    2026 arXiv

  43. [51]

    M ¨uller-Horn, J.et al.Dormant black hole candidates from Gaia DR3 summary diagnostics. Astron. Astrophys.709, A62 (2026)

    2026

  44. [52]

    New clues on the location of the TAMS in the massive star domain.Astron

    de Burgos, A.et al.The IACOB project: XIV . New clues on the location of the TAMS in the massive star domain.Astron. Astrophys.695, A87 (2025)

    2025

  45. [53]

    J.et al.Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM): Projected rotational velocities

    Lennon, D. J.et al.Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM): Projected rotational velocities. Astron. Astrophys.707, A204 (2026)

    2026

  46. [54]

    Wang, C.et al.Effects of Close Binary Evolution on the Main-sequence Morphology of Young Star Clusters.Astrophys. J. Lett.888, L12 (2020)

    2020

  47. [55]

    Wang, C.et al.Stripped Helium Star and Compact Object Binaries in Coeval Popula- tions: Predictions Based on Detailed Binary Evolution Models.Astrophys. J. Lett.975, L20 (2024)

    2024

  48. [56]

    U.et al.Common-envelope ejection in massive binary stars

    Kruckow, M. U.et al.Common-envelope ejection in massive binary stars. Implications for the progenitors of GW150914 and GW151226.Astron. Astrophys.596, A58 (2016). 12

    2016

  49. [57]

    van den Heuvel, E. P. J., Portegies Zwart, S. F. & de Mink, S. E. Forming short-period Wolf-Rayet X-ray binaries and double black holes through stable mass transfer.Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.471, 4256–4264 (2017)

    2017

  50. [58]

    & Jorissen, A

    Arnould, M., Goriely, S. & Jorissen, A. Non-explosive hydrogen and helium burnings: abundance predictions from the NACRE reaction rate compilation.Astron. Astrophys.347, 572–582 (1999)

    1999

  51. [59]

    K ¨ohler, K.et al.The evolution of rotating very massive stars with LMC composition. Astron. Astrophys.573, A71 (2015)

    2015

  52. [60]

    & Kudritzki, R

    Langer, N. & Kudritzki, R. P. The spectroscopic Hertzsprung-Russell diagram.Astron. Astrophys.564, A52 (2014)

    2014

  53. [61]

    Martins, F., Mahy, L., Hillier, D. J. & Rauw, G. A quantitative study of O stars in NGC 2244 and the Monoceros OB2 association.Astron. Astrophys.538, A39 (2012)

    2012

  54. [62]

    & Langer, N

    Markova, N., Puls, J. & Langer, N. Spectroscopic and physical parameters of Galactic O-type stars. III. Mass discrepancy and rotational mixing.Astron. Astrophys.613, A12 (2018)

    2018

  55. [63]

    V ., Weidner, C., Kroupa, P

    Gvaramadze, V . V ., Weidner, C., Kroupa, P. & Pflamm-Altenburg, J. Field O stars: formed in situ or as runaways?Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.424, 3037–3049 (2012)

    2012

  56. [64]

    Astrophys.639, A81 (2020)

    Burssens, S.et al.Variability of OB stars from TESS southern Sectors 1-13 and high- resolution IACOB and OWN spectroscopy.Astron. Astrophys.639, A81 (2020)

    2020

  57. [65]

    Mahy, L.et al.Early-type stars in the young open cluster NGC 2244 and in the Monoceros OB2 association. I. The multiplicity of O-type stars.Astron. Astrophys.502, 937–950 (2009). 13

    2009

  58. [66]

    Ma ´ız Apell ´aniz, J.et al.First whole-sky results from the Galactic O-Star Spectroscopic Survey (2013).https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1306.6417

    2013 doi arXiv

  59. [67]

    Sota, A.et al.The Galactic O-Star Spectroscopic Survey. I. Classification System and Bright Northern Stars in the Blue-violet at R ˜2500.Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser .193, 24 (2011)

    2011

  60. [68]

    Astrophys.582, A45 (2015)

    Fossati, L.et al.B fields in OB stars (BOB): Low-resolution FORS2 spectropolarimetry of the first sample of 50 massive stars.Astron. Astrophys.582, A45 (2015)

    2015

  61. [69]

    Hubrig, S., Oskinova, L. M. & Sch ¨oller, M. First detection of a magnetic field in the fast rotating runaway Oe starζOphiuchi.Astron. Nachr .332, 147 (2011)

    2011

  62. [70]

    Asplund, M., Amarsi, A. M. & Grevesse, N. The chemical make-up of the Sun: A 2020 vision.Astron. Astrophys.653, A141 (2021)

    2021

  63. [71]

    & Przybilla, N

    Nieva, M.-F. & Przybilla, N. Present-day cosmic abundances. A comprehensive study of nearby early B-type stars and implications for stellar and Galactic evolution and interstellar dust models.Astron. Astrophys.539, A143 (2012)

    2012

  64. [72]

    Ekstr ¨om, S.et al.Grids of stellar models with rotation. I. Models from 0.8 to 120 M ⊙ at solar metallicity (Z=0.014).Astron. Astrophys.537, A146 (2012)

    2012

  65. [73]

    MESA input data for a comprehensive grid of massive binary evolution models for the Galaxy [Data set].Zenodo(2026).https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18222252

    Jin, H. MESA input data for a comprehensive grid of massive binary evolution models for the Galaxy [Data set].Zenodo(2026).https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18222252

    2026 doi

  66. [74]

    inLight Elements in the Universe(eds Charbonnel, C., Tosi, M., Primas, F

    Langer, N.et al.Light elements in massive single and binary stars. inLight Elements in the Universe(eds Charbonnel, C., Tosi, M., Primas, F. & Chiappini, C.) V ol. 268, 411–420 (2010). 14

    2010

  67. [75]

    A., Garrison, R

    Hiltner, W. A., Garrison, R. F. & Schild, R. E. MK Spectral Types for Bright Southern OB Stars.Astrophys. J.157, 313 (1969)

    1969

  68. [76]

    Sota, A.et al.The Galactic O-Star Spectroscopic Survey (GOSSS). II. Bright Southern Stars.Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser .211, 10 (2014)

    2014

  69. [77]

    D.et al.Angular Sizes and Effective Temperatures of O-type Stars from Optical Interferometry with the CHARA Array.Astrophys

    Gordon, K. D.et al.Angular Sizes and Effective Temperatures of O-type Stars from Optical Interferometry with the CHARA Array.Astrophys. J.869, 37 (2018)

    2018

  70. [78]

    Nachr .339, 46–52 (2018)

    Zehe, T.et al.The radial and rotational velocity ofζOphiuchi.Astron. Nachr .339, 46–52 (2018)

    2018

  71. [79]

    & Hambaryan, V

    Neuh ¨auser, R., Gießler, F. & Hambaryan, V . V . A nearby recent supernova that ejected the runaway starζOph, the pulsar PSR B1706-16, and 60Fe found on Earth.Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.498, 899–917 (2020)

    2020

  72. [80]

    Nachr .330, 317 (2009)

    Hubrig, S.et al.New magnetic field measurements ofβCephei stars and slowly pulsating B stars.Astron. Nachr .330, 317 (2009)

    2009

  73. [81]

    D., Fossati, L

    Bagnulo, S., Landstreet, J. D., Fossati, L. & Kochukhov, O. Magnetic field measurements and their uncertainties: the FORS1 legacy.Astron. Astrophys.538, A129 (2012)

    2012

  74. [82]

    Brott, I.et al.Rotating massive main-sequence stars. I. Grids of evolutionary models and isochrones.Astron. Astrophys.530, A115 (2011)

    2011

  75. [83]

    Woosley, S. E. SN 1987A: After the Peak.Astrophys. J.330, 218 (1988). 15

    1988

Pith tools

Reviewed August 16, 2026 · model on record in the stance chip above.