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The initial mass function (IMF), binary fraction and distributions of binaryparameters (mass ratios, separations and eccentricities) are indispensableinput for simulations of stellar populations. It is often claimed that theseare poorly constrained significantly affecting evolutionary predictions.Recently, dedicated observing campaigns provided new constraints on the initialconditions for massive stars. Findings include a larger close binary fractionand a stronger preference for very tight systems. We investigate the impact onthe predicted merger rates of neutron stars and black holes.  Despite the changes with previous assumptions, we only find an increase ofless than a factor 2 (insignificant compared with evolutionary uncertainties oftypically a factor 10-100). We further show that the uncertainties in the newinitial binary properties do not significantly affect (within a factor of 2)our predictions of double compact object merger rates. An exception is theuncertainty in IMF (variations by a factor of 6 up and down). No significantchanges in the distributions of final component masses, mass ratios, chirpmasses and delay times are found.  We conclude that the predictions are, for practical purposes, robust againstuncertainties in the initial conditions concerning binary parameters withexception of the IMF. This eliminates an important layer of the many uncertainassumptions affecting the predictions of merger detection rates with thegravitational wave detectors aLIGO/aVirgo.

Merger rates of double neutron stars and stellar origin black holes: The Impact of Initial Conditions on Binary Evolution Predictions