A Comprehensive Study of Binary Compact Objects as Gravitational Wave Sources: Evolutionary Channels, Rates, and Physical Properties

A new generation of ground-based interferometric detectors for gravitational waves is currently under construction or has entered the commissioning phase (LIGO, VIRGO, GEO600, TAMA). We study the most promising candidate sources for these detectors: inspiraling double compact objects. We use population synthesis methods to calculate the properties and coalescence rates of: double neutron stars, black hole-neutron star systems and double black holes. We also examine their formation channels. We explicitly account for the evolution of low-mass helium stars and investigate the possibility of common-envelope evolution involving helium stars as well as two evolved stars. As a result we identify a significant number…