Welcome to the binary star astrophysics group

Introduction

Compact binary systems—hosting white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes—serve as extraordinary laboratories for exploring fundamental physics and the evolution of stars. By combining time-domain surveys with gravitational-wave observatories, our research uncovers extreme phenomena from exploding stars to rapidly spinning pulsars. With next-generation facilities like the Vera Rubin Observatory, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, the Advanced X-ray Imaging Sattelite, and Laser Space Interferometer Antenna, we are set to reveal vast new populations of these binaries and understand how processes such as gravitational radiation, mass transfer, and tidal interactions shape their evolution.

Our group uses multi-wavelength observations, advanced computing, and gravitational-wave science to make groundbreaking discoveries. We have doubled the known sample of millihertz gravitational-wave sources and identified exotic merger remnants and pulsars, providing key insights into binary evolution and the origins of astrophysical transients. As we move forward, our integrated program will systematically study compact binaries across their lifecycles—addressing questions like how these systems become gravitational-wave sources, what drives their orbital changes, and the true progenitors of Type Ia supernovae.

Join us at the cutting-edge of time-domain multi-messenger astrophysics research to revolutionize our understanding of binary evolution and the physics of black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs.