Rethinking Thorne-Żytkow Object Formation: Compelling Connections in the Time-Domain

A Thorne-Żytkow object (TŻO) is a hypothetical merger product in which a neutron star core powers a stellar envelope. They are typically described as steady-state configurations that would appear similar to red giant stars, and as yet only a few observations tentatively support their existence. Though the properties of TŻOs (once formed) have been extensively modeled, their initial formation is not well understood. Recent insights from hydrodynamical simulations of TŻO progenitors have shown unexpected results, suggesting that the evolution of these systems may lead to a sequence of transients and exotic configurations that span the electromagnetic spectrum, some of which have not been previously associated with binary progenitors. In this talk, I will detail the results of our high-resolution 3D hydrodynamical simulations and discuss their implications for TŻO assembly, followed by a discussion of the various possible non-TŻO outcomes that are of interest to high-energy and time-domain astronomers in upcoming surveys.