Triple stellar systems - stellar systems that contain three stars in orbit with each other - are ubiquitous throughout the universe. Accounting for roughly 10% of all stellar systems, and almost 50% of all systems consisting of massive stars, they are key to understanding stellar populations in general. However, our current understanding of the physical processes that occur within them is marginal at best, stemming mainly from analogies drawn from prior studies of single- and binary-star evolution, with few dedicated investigations directed specifically at triple systems. In an attempt to partially resolve this predicament, we conduct a series of studies of hierarchical triples, which are a special class of triple systems which contain an inner binary, consisting of two stars in a close orbit, and a tertiary, which is a third star at some distance from the inner binary. We begin with a pioneering inquiry into a tidal effect that uniquely occurs in hierarchical triple systems, for which there exists no analogy in binary systems. We find that this tidal effect can extract energy from the inner binary orbit, driving the two component stars of the inner binary into a closer orbit with each other, thereby inducing within them a proclivity to merge. We demonstrate that, for certain cases, this effect is significant, and can potentially affect the evolution of the triple systems in question. Having thus uncovered an entirely new field of study, we name this newly identified phenomenon “Tertiary Tides”. We then proceed to quantify the magnitude of this effect as a function of a few orbital parameters, deepening our understanding of this hitherto unexplored phenomenon. On a separate topic, following speculation in the field of hypervelocity star studies, we investigate the possibility that binaries with centre-of-mass velocities sufficiently high to escape our Galaxy can be generated by supernova explosions of tertiaries in hierarchical triple systems. Our results hint that this is indeed possible, and that binary centre-of-mass velocities of up to 350 km/s relative to the original triple can be acheived through this mechanism.
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