Masses and angular momenta of contact binary stars (original) (raw)
Related papers
Formation and Evolution of Contact Binaries
2012
I describe a series of processes, including hierarchical fragmentation, gravitational scattering, Kozai cycles within triple systems, tidal friction and magnetic braking, that I believe are responsible for producing the modest but significant fraction of stars that are observed as contact binaries. I also discuss further processes, namely heat transport, mass transport, nuclear evolution, thermal relaxation oscillations, and further magnetic braking with tidal friction, that influence the evolution during contact. The endpoint, for contact, is that the two components merge into a single star, as recently was observed in the remarkable system V1309 Sco. The single star probably throws off some mass and rotates rapidly at first, and then slows by magnetic braking to become a rather inconspicuous but normal dwarf or subgiant. If however the contact binary was part of a triple system originally-as I suggested above was rather likely-then the result could be a widish binary with apparently noncoeval components. There are several such known.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2006
Orbital angular momentum (J o ), systemic mass (M ) and orbital period (P ) distributions of chromospherically active binaries (CAB) and W Ursae Majoris (W UMa) systems were investigated. The diagrams of log J o − log P , log M − log P and log J o − log M were formed from 119 CAB and 102 W UMa stars. The log J o − log M diagram is found to be most meaningful in demonstrating dynamical evolution of binary star orbits. A slightly curved borderline (contact border) separating the detached and the contact systems was discovered on the log J o − log M diagram. Since orbital size (a) and period (P ) of binaries are determined by their current J o , M and mass ratio q, the rates of orbital angular momentum loss (d log J o /dt) and mass loss (d log M/dt) are primary parameters to determine the direction and the speed of the dynamical evolution. A detached system becomes a contact system if its own dynamical evolution enables it to pass the contact border on the log J o − log M diagram.
2006
Orbital angular momentum (Jo), systemic mass (M) and orbital period (P) distributions of chromospherically active binaries (CAB) and W Ursae Majoris (W UMa) systems were investigated. The diagrams of log Jo - log P, log M - log P and log Jo-log M were formed from 119 CAB and 102 W UMa stars. The log Jo-log M diagram is found to be most meaningful in demonstrating dynamical evolution of binary star orbits. A slightly curved borderline (contact border) separating the detached and the contact systems was discovered on the log Jo - log M diagram. Since orbital size (a) and period (P) of binaries are determined by their current Jo, M and mass ratio q, the rates of orbital angular momentum loss (dlog Jo/dt) and mass loss (dlog M/dt) are primary parameters to determine the direction and the speed of the dynamical evolution. A detached system becomes a contact system if its own dynamical evolution enables it to pass the contact border on the log Jo - log M diagram. Evolution of q for a mass...
Physical parameters of close binary systems: VIII
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
This paper presents the results of a combined spectroscopic and photometric study of 20 contact binary systems: HV Aqr, OO Aql, FI Boo, TX Cnc, OT Cnc, EE Cet, RW Com, KR Com, V401 Cyg, V345 Gem, AK Her, V502 Oph, V566 Oph, V2612 Oph, V1363 Ori, V351 Peg, V357 Peg, Y Sex, V1123 Tau, and W UMa, which was conducted in the frame of the W UMa Project. Together with 51 already covered by the project and an additional 67 in the existing literature, these systems bring the total number of contact binaries with known combined spectroscopic and photometric solutions to 138. It was found that mass, radius, and luminosity of the components follow certain relations along the MS and new empirical power relations are extracted. We found that 30 per cent of the systems in the current sample show extreme values in their parameters, expressed in their mass ratio or fill-out factor. This study shows that, among the contact binary systems studied, some have an extremely low mass ratio (q < 0.1) or ...
Binary Interaction Dominates the Evolution of Massive Stars
Science, 2012
Star Partners Stars more massive than eight times the mass of the Sun are rare and short-lived, yet they are fundamentally important because they produce all the heavy elements in the universe, such as iron, silicon, and calcium. Sana et al. (p. 444 ) examined the properties of a sample of ∼70 massive stars in six stellar clusters located nearby in our galaxy. Over half of the stars in the sample belong to a binary system and, during the course of their lifetimes, most of the stars in these binaries will interact with one another, either by merging or exchanging mass. Binary interaction may thus affect the evolution of the majority of massive stars.
Updated catalogue of the light curve solutions of contact binary stars
Astronomische Nachrichten, 2007
The catalogue of the light curve solutions of contact binary stars was updated. Based on the catalogue data we call the attention to a remarkable gap in the temperature distribution of contact binaries which remained unexplained. The absolute dimensions of the components were calculated in a reliable way.
The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems
Living Reviews in Relativity, 2006
We review the formation and evolution of compact binary stars consisting of white dwarfs (WDs), neutron stars (NSs), and black holes (BHs). Binary NSs and BHs are thought to be the primary astrophysical sources of gravitational waves (GWs) within the frequency band of ground-based detectors, while compact binaries of WDs are important sources of GWs at lower frequencies to be covered by space interferometers (LISA). Major uncertainties in the current understanding of properties of NSs and BHs most relevant to the GW studies are discussed, including the treatment of the natal kicks which compact stellar remnants acquire during the core collapse of massive stars and the common envelope phase of binary evolution. We discuss the coalescence rates of binary NSs and BHs and prospects for their detections, the formation and evolution of binary WDs and their observational manifestations. Special attention is given to AM CVn-stars -compact binaries in which the Roche lobe is filled by another WD or a low-mass partially degenerate helium-star, as these stars are thought to be the best LISA verification binary GW sources.
The contact binary system YY Eri
Astrophysics and Space Science, 1996
Relatively new and unanalysed photometric data-sets of the contact binary system YY Eri are presented. The light curves have been analysed using information limit optimization techniques, and the 'Binary Maker' program of Bradstreet (1992). Comparison of the results allows insight into determinacy questions affecting the 'W UMa type' of light curve, which relates to our general understanding of contact binaries. A limiting contact configuration cannot be ruled out on the basis of empirical data-analysis alone. Very careful analysis of the photospheric flux distribution over the surface of the Sun may help establish appropriate values of the gravity brightening parameter for cool dwarf stars. At present, however, empirical photometric information on contact binaries is non-discriminatory: i.e. alternative cosmogonies can find alternative support from available evidence. The implication is then for more and better observational data to allow better real independent parameter determination.