ASTRONOMY COLLOQUIUM

Modern synoptic surveys are revolutionizing our understanding of compact objects in binary systems. In this talk, I will highlight some recent advances in our understanding of white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes as a result of binary (and triple) systems. These results encompass phenomena which span orbital periods of 7 minutes to >70000 years, and have major implications in our understanding of compact object physics, as well as binary stellar evolution. I will conclude with a discussion of upcoming facilities including the Vera Rubin Observatory and LISA, and technological advances such as CMOS based imagers that will propel this field into its golden era.