Masses of double neutron star mergers

Abstract

Aims. I aim to explain the mass discrepancy between the observed double neutron-star binary population by radio pulsar observations and gravitational-wave observation. Methods. I performed binary population synthesis calculations and compared their results with the radio and the gravitational-wave observations simultaneously. Results. Simulations of binary evolution were used to link different observations of double neutron star binaries with each other. I investigated the progenitor of GW190425 in more detail. A distribution of masses and merger times of the possible progenitors is presented. Conclusions. A mass discrepancy between the radio pulsars in the Milky Way with another neutron star companion and the inferred masses from gravitational-wave observations of those kind of merging systems is naturally found in binary evolution.