Mass-Luminosity Relations for Rapid and Slow Rotators.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malkov, O. Yu.

2006-08-01

Comparing the radii of eclipsing binaries components and single stars we have found a noticeable difference between observational parameters of B0V-G0V components of eclipsing binaries and those of single stars of the corresponding spectral type. This difference was confirmed by re-analysing the results of independent investigations published in the literature. Larger radii and higher temperatures of A-F eclipsing binaries can be explained by synchronization of such stars in close systems that prevents them to rotate rapidly. So, we have found that the mass-luminosity relation based on eclipsing binary data cannot be used to derive the initial mass function of single stars. While our current knowledge of the empirical mass-luminosity relation for intermediate-mass (1.5 to 10 m[*]) stars is based exclusively on data from eclipsing binaries, knowledge of the mass-luminosity relation should come from dynamical mass determinations of visual binaries, combined with spatially resolved precise photometry. Then the initial mass function should be revised for m>1.5m[*]. Data were collected on fundamental parameters of stars with masses m > 1.5.m [*]). They are components of binaries with P > 15^d and consequently are not synchronised with the orbital periods and presumably are rapid rotators. These stars are believed to evolve similarly with single stars, so these data allow us to construct mass-luminosity and other relations that can more confidently be used for statistical and astrophysical investigations of single stars than so called standard relations, based on data on detached main-sequence double-lined short-period eclipsing binaries. Mass-luminosity, mass-temperature and mass-radius relations of single stars are presented, as well as their HR diagram.

Stellar black holes in globular clusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, S. R.; Hut, Piet; Mcmillan, Steve

1993-01-01

The recent discovery of large populations of millisec pulsars associated with neutron stars in globular clusters indicates that several hundred stellar black holes of about 10 solar masses each can form within a typical cluster. While, in clusters of high central density, the rapid dynamical evolution of the black-hole population leads to an ejection of nearly all holes on a short timescale, systems of intermediate density may involve a normal star's capture by one of the surviving holes to form a low-mass X-ray binary. One or more such binaries may be found in the globular clusters surrounding our galaxy.

The Orientation of Eta Carinae and the Powering Mechanism of Intermediate-luminosity Optical Transients (ILOTS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashi, Amit; Soker, Noam

2018-05-01

Contrary to recent claims, we argue that the orientation of the massive binary system Eta Carinae is such that the secondary star is closer to us at periastron passage, and it is on the far side during most of the time of the eccentric orbit. The binary orientation we dispute is based on problematic interpretations of recent observations. Among these are the radial velocity of the absorption component of He I P-Cyg lines, of the He II λ4686 emission line, and of the Br γ line emitted by clumps close to the binary system. We also base our orientation on observations of asymmetric molecular clumps that were recently observed by ALMA around the binary system, and were claimed to compose a torus with a missing segment. The orientation has implications for the modeling of the binary interaction during the nineteenth century Great Eruption (GE) of Eta Carinae that occurred close to periastron passage. The orientation where the secondary is closer to us at periastron leads us to suggest that the mass-missing side of the molecular clumps is a result of accretion onto the secondary star during periastron passage when the clumps were ejected, probably during the GE. The secondary star accreted a few solar masses during the GE and the energy from the accretion process consists of the majority of the GE energy. This in turn strengthens the more general model according to which many intermediate-luminosity optical transients (ILOTS) are powered by accretion onto a secondary star.

Search for gravitational wave ringdowns from perturbed intermediate mass black holes in LIGO-Virgo data from 2005-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aasi, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Ain, A.; Ajith, P.; Alemic, A.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Amariutei, D.; Andersen, M.; Anderson, R.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C.; Areeda, J.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Austin, L.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P. T.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barbet, M.; Barish, B. C.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J. C.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th. S.; Bavigadda, V.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Beker, M. G.; Belczynski, C.; Bell, A. S.; Bell, C.; Benacquista, M.; Bergmann, G.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Biscans, S.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Bloemen, S.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Boer, M.; Bogaert, G.; Bogan, C.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Boschi, V.; Bose, Sukanta; Bosi, L.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brückner, F.; Buchman, S.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Burman, R.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Bustillo, J. Calderón; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campsie, P.; Cannon, K. C.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Carbone, L.; Caride, S.; Castiglia, A.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Celerier, C.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chakraborty, R.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chamberlin, S. J.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Chow, J.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colla, A.; Collette, C.; Colombini, M.; Cominsky, L.; Constancio, M.; Conte, A.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordier, M.; Cornish, N.; Corpuz, A.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coughlin, S.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M.; Coyne, D. C.; Coyne, R.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dahl, K.; Canton, T. Dal; Damjanic, M.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; Deléglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dereli, H.; Dergachev, V.; De Rosa, R.; DeRosa, R. T.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Dolique, V.; Donath, A.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Dossa, S.; Douglas, R.; Downes, T. P.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Ducrot, M.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edo, T.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Eggenstein, H.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Endrőczi, G.; Essick, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fang, Q.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W. M.; Favata, M.; Fehrmann, H.; Fejer, M. M.; Feldbaum, D.; Feroz, F.; Ferrante, I.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franco, S.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gair, J.; Gammaitoni, L.; Gaonkar, S.; Garufi, F.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Gendre, B.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, C.; Gleason, J.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Goggin, L. M.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gordon, N.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Gräf, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grover, K.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C.; Gushwa, K.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanke, M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Hart, M.; Hartman, M. T.; Haster, C.-J.; Haughian, K.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hewitson, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Hooper, S.; Hopkins, P.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y.; Huerta, E.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh, M.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; James, E.; Jang, H.; Jaranowski, P.; Ji, Y.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; K, Haris; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Karlen, J.; Kasprzack, M.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kawabe, K.; Kawazoe, F.; Kéfélian, F.; Keiser, G. M.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, C.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, N. G.; Kim, Y.-M.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kline, J.; Koehlenbeck, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Koranda, S.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D. B.; Kremin, A.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, D. Nanda; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Kwee, P.; Landry, M.; Lantz, B.; Larson, S.; Lasky, P. D.; Lawrie, C.; Lazzarini, A.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C.-H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, J.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Le Roux, A.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Levine, B.; Lewis, J.; Li, T. G. F.; Libbrecht, K.; Libson, A.; Lin, A. C.; Littenberg, T. B.; Litvine, V.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lockett, V.; Lodhia, D.; Loew, K.; Logue, J.; Lombardi, A. L.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J.; Lubinski, M. J.; Lück, H.; Luijten, E.; Lundgren, A. P.; Lynch, R.; Ma, Y.; Macarthur, J.; Macdonald, E. P.; MacDonald, T.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magana-Sandoval, F.; Mageswaran, M.; Maglione, C.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Manca, G. M.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mangini, N.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martinelli, L.; Martynov, D.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazumder, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McLin, K.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meidam, J.; Meinders, M.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyers, P.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Milde, S.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mingarelli, C. M. F.; Mishra, C.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moe, B.; Moesta, P.; Moggi, A.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nagy, M. F.; Nardecchia, I.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R. K.; Necula, V.; Nelemans, G.; Neri, I.; Neri, M.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E. N.; Nuttall, L. K.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Oppermann, P.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Padilla, C.; Pai, A.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pan, H.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Pedraza, M.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Phelps, M.; Pichot, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poeld, J.; Poggiani, R.; Poteomkin, A.; Powell, J.; Prasad, J.; Premachandra, S.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Privitera, S.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Qin, J.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E.; Quiroga, G.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajalakshmi, G.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramet, C.; Ramirez, K.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Razzano, M.; Re, V.; Read, J.; Recchia, S.; Reed, C. M.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Rhoades, E.; Ricci, F.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Rodruck, M.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sanders, J. R.; Sannibale, V.; Santiago-Prieto, I.; Saracco, E.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R.; Scheuer, J.; Schilling, R.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schutz, B. F.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D.; Shah, S.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sidery, T. L.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Simakov, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Singh, R.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith-Lefebvre, N. D.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Souradeep, T.; Staley, A.; Stebbins, J.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Stephens, B. C.; Steplewski, S.; Stevenson, S.; Stone, R.; Stops, D.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Strigin, S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, R.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Tomlinson, C.; Tonelli, M.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Tse, M.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Urbanek, K.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Valdes, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van Beuzekom, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; van der Sluys, M. V.; van Heijningen, J.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Verma, S. S.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Vincent-Finley, R.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vousden, W. D.; Vyachanin, S. P.; Wade, A.; Wade, L.; Wade, M.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Welborn, T.; Wen, L.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whitcomb, S. E.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Wiesner, K.; Wilkinson, C.; Williams, K.; Williams, L.; Williams, R.; Williams, T.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wiseman, A. G.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Worden, J.; Yablon, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, H.; Yang, Z.; Yoshida, S.; Yvert, M.; ZadroŻny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, L.; Zhao, C.; Zhu, X. J.; Zucker, M. E.; Zuraw, S.; Zweizig, J.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

2014-05-01

We report results from a search for gravitational waves produced by perturbed intermediate mass black holes (IMBH) in data collected by LIGO and Virgo between 2005 and 2010. The search was sensitive to astrophysical sources that produced damped sinusoid gravitational wave signals, also known as ringdowns, with frequency 50≤f0/Hz≤2000 and decay timescale 0.0001≲τ/s≲0.1 characteristic of those produced in mergers of IMBH pairs. No significant gravitational wave candidate was detected. We report upper limits on the astrophysical coalescence rates of IMBHs with total binary mass 50≤M/M⊙≤450 and component mass ratios of either 1:1 or 4:1. For systems with total mass 100≤M/M⊙≤150, we report a 90% confidence upper limit on the rate of binary IMBH mergers with nonspinning and equal mass components of 6.9×10-8 Mpc-3 yr-1. We also report a rate upper limit for ringdown waveforms from perturbed IMBHs, radiating 1% of their mass as gravitational waves in the fundamental, ℓ=m =2, oscillation mode, that is nearly three orders of magnitude more stringent than previous results.

Formation of Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries. II. Common Envelope Evolution of Primordial Binaries with Extreme Mass Ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalogera, Vassiliki; Webbink, Ronald F.

1998-01-01

We study the formation of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) through helium star supernovae in binary systems that have each emerged from a common envelope phase. LMXB progenitors must satisfy a large number of evolutionary and structural constraints, including survival through common envelope evolution, through the post-common envelope phase, where the precursor of the neutron star becomes a Wolf-Rayet star, and survival through the supernova event. Furthermore, the binaries that survive the explosion must reach interaction within a Hubble time and must satisfy stability criteria for mass transfer. These constraints, imposed under the assumption of a symmetric supernova explosion, prohibit the formation of short-period LMXBs transferring mass at sub-Eddington rates through any channel in which the intermediate progenitor of the neutron star is not completely degenerate. Barring accretion-induced collapse, the existence of such systems therefore requires that natal kicks be imparted to neutron stars. We use an analytical method to synthesize the distribution of nascent LMXBs over donor masses and orbital periods and evaluate their birthrate and systemic velocity dispersion. Within the limitations imposed by observational incompleteness and selection effects, and our neglect of secular evolution in the LMXB state, we compare our results with observations. However, our principal objective is to evaluate how basic model parameters (common envelope ejection efficiency, rms kick velocity, primordial mass ratio distribution) influence these results. We conclude that the characteristics of newborn LMXBs are primarily determined by age and stability constraints and the efficiency of magnetic braking and are largely independent of the primordial binary population and the evolutionary history of LMXB progenitors (except for extreme values of the average kick magnitude or of the common envelope ejection efficiency). Theoretical estimates of total LMXB birthrates are not credible, since they strongly depend on the observationally indeterminate frequency of primordial binaries with extreme mass ratios in long-period orbits.

Search for gravitational radiation from intermediate mass black hole binaries in data from the second LIGO-Virgo joint science run

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aasi, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Ain, A.; Ajith, P.; Alemic, A.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Amariutei, D.; Andersen, M.; Anderson, R.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C.; Areeda, J.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Austin, L.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P. T.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barbet, M.; Barish, B. C.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J. C.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th. S.; Bavigadda, V.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Beker, M. G.; Belczynski, C.; Bell, A. S.; Bell, C.; Bergmann, G.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Biscans, S.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Bloemen, S.; Blom, M.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Boer, M.; Bogaert, G.; Bogan, C.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Boschi, V.; Bose, Sukanta; Bosi, L.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brückner, F.; Buchman, S.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Burman, R.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campsie, P.; Cannon, K. C.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Carbone, L.; Caride, S.; Castiglia, A.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Celerier, C.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chakraborty, R.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chamberlin, S. J.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Chow, J.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colla, A.; Collette, C.; Colombini, M.; Cominsky, L.; Constancio, M.; Conte, A.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordier, M.; Cornish, N.; Corpuz, A.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coughlin, S.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M.; Coyne, D. C.; Coyne, R.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dahl, K.; Canton, T. Dal; Damjanic, M.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; Deléglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dereli, H.; Dergachev, V.; De Rosa, R.; DeRosa, R. T.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Donath, A.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Dossa, S.; Douglas, R.; Downes, T. P.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Ducrot, M.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edo, T.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Eggenstein, H.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Endrőczi, G.; Essick, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fang, Q.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W. M.; Favata, M.; Fehrmann, H.; Fejer, M. M.; Feldbaum, D.; Feroz, F.; Ferrante, I.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franco, S.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gair, J.; Gammaitoni, L.; Gaonkar, S.; Garufi, F.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, C.; Gleason, J.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gordon, N.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Gräf, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grover, K.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C.; Gushwa, K.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanke, M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Hart, M.; Hartman, M. T.; Haster, C.-J.; Haughian, K.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hewitson, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Hooper, S.; Hopkins, P.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y.; Huerta, E.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh, M.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; James, E.; Jang, H.; Jaranowski, P.; Ji, Y.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; K, Haris; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Karlen, J.; Kasprzack, M.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kawabe, K.; Kawazoe, F.; Kéfélian, F.; Keiser, G. M.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, C.; Kim, K.; Kim, N. G.; Kim, N.; Kim, Y.-M.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kline, J.; Koehlenbeck, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Koranda, S.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D. B.; Kremin, A.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Kwee, P.; Landry, M.; Lantz, B.; Larson, S.; Lasky, P. D.; Lawrie, C.; Lazzarini, A.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C.-H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, J.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Le Roux, A.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Levine, B.; Lewis, J.; Li, T. G. F.; Libbrecht, K.; Libson, A.; Lin, A. C.; Littenberg, T. B.; Litvine, V.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lockett, V.; Lodhia, D.; Loew, K.; Logue, J.; Lombardi, A. L.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J.; Lubinski, M. J.; Lück, H.; Luijten, E.; Lundgren, A. P.; Lynch, R.; Ma, Y.; Macarthur, J.; Macdonald, E. P.; MacDonald, T.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magana-Sandoval, F.; Mageswaran, M.; Maglione, C.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Manca, G. M.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mangini, N.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martinelli, L.; Martynov, D.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazumder, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McLin, K.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meidam, J.; Meinders, M.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyers, P.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Milde, S.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mingarelli, C. M. F.; Mishra, C.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moe, B.; Moesta, P.; Moggi, A.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nagy, M. F.; Nanda Kumar, D.; Nardecchia, I.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R. K.; Necula, V.; Nelemans, G.; Neri, I.; Neri, M.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E. N.; Nuttall, L. K.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Oppermann, P.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Padilla, C.; Pai, A.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pan, H.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Pedraza, M.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Phelps, M.; Pichot, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poeld, J.; Poggiani, R.; Poteomkin, A.; Powell, J.; Prasad, J.; Premachandra, S.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Privitera, S.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Qin, J.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E.; Quiroga, G.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajalakshmi, G.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramet, C.; Ramirez, K.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Re, V.; Read, J.; Reed, C. M.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Rhoades, E.; Ricci, F.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Rodruck, M.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sanders, J. R.; Sannibale, V.; Santiago-Prieto, I.; Saracco, E.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R.; Scheuer, J.; Schilling, R.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schutz, B. F.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D.; Shah, S.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sidery, T. L.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Simakov, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Singh, R.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith-Lefebvre, N. D.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Souradeep, T.; Staley, A.; Stebbins, J.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Stephens, B. C.; Steplewski, S.; Stevenson, S.; Stone, R.; Stops, D.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Strigin, S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, R.; ter Braack, A. P. M.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Tomlinson, C.; Tonelli, M.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Tse, M.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Urbanek, K.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Valdes, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van Beuzekom, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; van der Putten, S.; van der Sluys, M. V.; van Heijningen, J.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Verma, S. S.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Vincent-Finley, R.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vousden, W. D.; Vyachanin, S. P.; Wade, A.; Wade, L.; Wade, M.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Welborn, T.; Wen, L.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Wiesner, K.; Wilkinson, C.; Williams, K.; Williams, L.; Williams, R.; Williams, T.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wiseman, A. G.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Worden, J.; Yablon, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, H.; Yang, Z.; Yoshida, S.; Yvert, M.; ZadroŻny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, L.; Zhao, C.; Zhu, X. J.; Zucker, M. E.; Zuraw, S.; Zweizig, J.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

2014-06-01

This paper reports on an unmodeled, all-sky search for gravitational waves from merging intermediate mass black hole binaries (IMBHB). The search was performed on data from the second joint science run of the LIGO and Virgo detectors (July 2009-October 2010) and was sensitive to IMBHBs with a range up to ˜200 Mpc, averaged over the possible sky positions and inclinations of the binaries with respect to the line of sight. No significant candidate was found. Upper limits on the coalescence-rate density of nonspinning IMBHBs with total masses between 100 and 450 M⊙ and mass ratios between 0.25 and 1 were placed by combining this analysis with an analogous search performed on data from the first LIGO-Virgo joint science run (November 2005-October 2007). The most stringent limit was set for systems consisting of two 88 M⊙ black holes and is equal to 0.12 Mpc-3 Myr-1 at the 90% confidence level. This paper also presents the first estimate, for the case of an unmodeled analysis, of the impact on the search range of IMBHB spin configurations: the visible volume for IMBHBs with nonspinning components is roughly doubled for a population of IMBHBs with spins aligned with the binary's orbital angular momentum and uniformly distributed in the dimensionless spin parameter up to 0.8, whereas an analogous population with antialigned spins decreases the visible volume by ˜20%.

Three-body affairs in the outer solar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Funato, Yoko; Makino, Junichiro; Hut, Piet; Kokubo, Eiichiro; Kinoshita, Daisuke

Recent observations have revealed an unexpectedly high binary fraction among the Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) that populate the Kuiper Belt. The TNO binaries are strikingly different from asteroid binaries in four respects: their frequency is an order of magnitude larger, the mass ratio of their components is closer to unity, and their orbits are wider and highly eccentric. Two explanations have been proposed for their formation, one assuming large numbers of massive bodies, and one assuming large numbers of light bodies. We argue that both assumptions are unwarranted, and we show how TNO binaries can be produced from a modest number of intermediate-mass bodies of the type predicted by the gravitational instability theory for the formation of planetesimals. We start with a TNO binary population similar to the asteroid binary population, but subsequently modified by three-body exchange reactions, a process that is far more efficient in the Kuiper belt, because of the much smaller tidal perturbations by the Sun. Our mechanism can naturally account for all four characteristics that distinguish TNO binaries from main-belt asteroid binaries.

An Astrometric Study of the Low-Mass Binary Star Ross 614

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gatewood, George; Coban, Louis; Han, Inwoo

2003-03-01

Long accepted as the quintessential low-mass star, the secondary of the nearby diminutive astrometric binary Ross 614 has attracted considerable astrophysical interest. Unfortunately, the orbital period of 16.6 yr exceeds the duration of the mission-limited studies of most space-borne or instrumental-proving observational programs. As with most such binaries, the only full-orbit studies are based on photographic materials. The last extended study of this system was based upon the plate collections of the McCormick and Sproul Observatories. The work reported here combines data from the Multichannel Astrometric Photometer, the Hipparcos Intermediate Astrometric Data, the previously unmeasured photographic plates of the Allegheny Observatory, published observations of the visual binary, and recently published radial velocities of the system. Together, these data span more than three orbits of the low-mass binary system. Limiting our analysis to the most recent observations of the binary, and five older observations that are in fair agreement with them, we find masses of 0.2228+/-0.0055 and 0.1107+/-0.0028 Msolar for the primary and secondary, respectively, with the largest source of error being the visual separations of the system. We find a parallax of 244.07+/-0.73 mas, a period of 16.595+/-0.0077 yr, and an increased estimate of the semimajor axis of 1101.2+/-8.2 mas. The latter led to a significant increase in the computed masses. All other aspects of the orbital elements and astrometry are in excellent agreement with those found in the independent study of the McCormick and Sproul plates. The importance of long-term astrometric coverage is pointed out by the fact that the orbital motion of the system only resulted in an acceleration during the compilation of the Hipparcos Catalogue. No orbital parameters or mass estimates can be discerned from these high-precision but short-term data.

Intermediate-mass-ratio black-hole binaries: numerical relativity meets perturbation theory.

PubMed

Lousto, Carlos O; Nakano, Hiroyuki; Zlochower, Yosef; Campanelli, Manuela

2010-05-28

We study black-hole binaries in the intermediate-mass-ratio regime 0.01≲q≲0.1 with a new technique that makes use of nonlinear numerical trajectories and efficient perturbative evolutions to compute waveforms at large radii for the leading and nonleading (ℓ, m) modes. As a proof-of-concept, we compute waveforms for q=1/10. We discuss applications of these techniques for LIGO and VIRGO data analysis and the possibility that our technique can be extended to produce accurate waveform templates from a modest number of fully nonlinear numerical simulations.

The Green Bank North Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey. III. 45 New Pulsar Timing Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynch, Ryan S.; Swiggum, Joseph K.; Kondratiev, Vlad I.; Kaplan, David L.; Stovall, Kevin; Fonseca, Emmanuel; Roberts, Mallory S. E.; Levin, Lina; DeCesar, Megan E.; Cui, Bingyi; Cenko, S. Bradley; Gatkine, Pradip; Archibald, Anne M.; Banaszak, Shawn; Biwer, Christopher M.; Boyles, Jason; Chawla, Pragya; Dartez, Louis P.; Day, David; Ford, Anthony J.; Flanigan, Joseph; Hessels, Jason W. T.; Hinojosa, Jesus; Jenet, Fredrick A.; Karako-Argaman, Chen; Kaspi, Victoria M.; Leake, Sean; Lunsford, Grady; Martinez, José G.; Mata, Alberto; McLaughlin, Maura A.; Noori, Hind Al; Ransom, Scott M.; Rohr, Matthew D.; Siemens, Xavier; Spiewak, Renée; Stairs, Ingrid H.; van Leeuwen, Joeri; Walker, Arielle N.; Wells, Bradley L.

2018-06-01

We provide timing solutions for 45 radio pulsars discovered by the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope. These pulsars were found in the Green Bank North Celestial Cap pulsar survey, an all-GBT-sky survey being carried out at a frequency of 350 {MHz}. We include pulsar timing data from the Green Bank Telescope and Low Frequency Array. Our sample includes five fully recycled millisecond pulsars (MSPs, three of which are in a binary system), a new relativistic double neutron star system, an intermediate-mass binary pulsar, a mode-changing pulsar, a 138 ms pulsar with a very low magnetic field, and several nulling pulsars. We have measured two post-Keplerian parameters and thus the masses of both objects in the double neutron star system. We also report a tentative companion mass measurement via Shapiro delay in a binary MSP. Two of the MSPs can be timed with high precision and have been included in pulsar timing arrays being used to search for low-frequency gravitational waves, while a third MSP is a member of the black widow class of binaries. Proper motion is measurable in five pulsars, and we provide an estimate of their space velocity. We report on an optical counterpart to a new black widow system and provide constraints on the optical counterparts to other binary MSPs. We also present a preliminary analysis of nulling pulsars in our sample. These results demonstrate the scientific return of long timing campaigns on pulsars of all types.

Gravitational waves from rotating neutron stars and compact binary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wade, Leslie E., IV

It is widely anticipated that the first direct detections of gravitational waves will be made by advanced gravitational-wave detectors, such as the two Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatories (LIGO) and the Virgo interferometer. In preparation for the advanced detector era, I have worked on both detection and post-detection efforts involving two gravitational wave sources: isolated rotating neutron stars (NSs) and compact binary coalescences (CBCs). My dissertation includes three main research projects: 1) a population synthesis study assessing the detectability of isolated NSs, 2) a CBC search for intermediate-mass black-hole binaries (IMBHBs), and 3) new methods for directly measuring the neutron-star (NS) equation of state (EOS). Direct detections of gravitational waves will enrich our current astrophysical knowledge. One such contribution will be through population synthesis of isolated NSs. My collaborators and I show that advanced gravitational-wave detectors can be used to constrain the properties of the Galactic NS population. Gravitational wave detections can also shine light on a currently mysterious astrophysical object: intermediate mass black holes. In developing the IMBHB search, we performed a mock data challenge where signals with total masses up to a few hundred solar masses were injected into recolored data from LIGO's sixth science run. Since this is the first time a matched filter search has been developed to search for IMBHBs, I discuss what was learned during the mock data challenge and how we plan to improve the search going forward. The final aspect of my dissertation focuses on important post-detection science. I present results for a new method of directly measuring the NS EOS. This is done by estimating the parameters of a 4-piece polytropic EOS model that matches theoretical EOS candidates to a few percent. We show that advanced detectors will be capable of measuring the NS radius to within a kilometer for stars with canonical masses. However, this can only be accomplished with binary NS waveform models that are accurate to the rich EOS physics that happens near merger. We show that the waveforms typically used to model binary NS systems result in unavoidable systematic error that can significantly bias the estimation of the NS EOS.

Mildly Recycled Pulsars at High-Energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pellizzoni, A.

2011-08-01

Mildly recyled pulsars (MRP), conventionally defined as neutron star having spin period in the 20-100 ms range and surface magnetic field <1011 Gauss, probably rise from binary systems (disrupted or not) with an intermediate or an high mass companion. Despite their relatively low spin-down energies compared to the ``fully'' recycled millisecond pulsars (arising from common low mass X-ray binaries), nearby MRPs can be detected by deep X-ray observations and by timing analysis of the very long data span provided by gamma-ray space detectors. The discovery of peculiar timing and spectral properties, possibly transitional, of the MRPs can be of the utmost importance to link different classes of neutron stars and study their evolution.

Search for Gravitational Wave Ringdowns from Perturbed Intermediate Mass Black Holes in LIGO-Virgo Data from 2005-2010

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aasi, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Blackburn, Lindy L.; Camp, J. B.; Gehrels, N.; Graff, P. B.

2014-01-01

We report results from a search for gravitational waves produced by perturbed intermediate mass black holes (IMBH) in data collected by LIGO and Virgo between 2005 and 2010. The search was sensitive to astrophysical sources that produced damped sinusoid gravitational wave signals, also known as ringdowns, with frequency 50 less than or equal to italic f0/Hz less than or equal to 2000 and decay timescale 0.0001 approximately less than t/s approximately less than 0.1 characteristic of those produced in mergers of IMBH pairs. No significant gravitational wave candidate was detected. We report upper limits on the astrophysical coalescence rates of IMBHs with total binary mass 50 less than or equal to M/solar mass less than or equal to 450 and component mass ratios of either 1:1 or 4:1. For systems with total mass 100 less than or equal to M/solar mass 150, we report a 90%-confidence upper limit on the rate of binary IMBH mergers with non-spinning and equal mass components of 6:9 x 10(exp 8) Mpc(exp -3)yr(exp -1). We also report a rate upper limit for ringdown waveforms from perturbed IMBHs, radiating 1% of their mass as gravitational waves in the fundamental, l=m=2, oscillation mode, that is nearly three orders of magnitude more stringent than previous results.

Searching for Intermediate Mass Black Holes in Ultraluminous X-ray Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritze, Hannah; Wright, Simon; Kilgard, Roy

2018-01-01

X-ray observations of nearby galaxies provide one of the best laboratories in the universe for studying two exotic classes of object: black holes and neutron stars. These observations allow us to study the dramatic effect such objects have on their surroundings, as well as the high-energy physics involved in their emission. We conduct a volume-limited archival survey of X-ray sources in all galaxies observed with the Chandra X-ray observatory within 15 Mpc, and identify a set of ultraluminous X-ray sources for detailed spectral analysis. We perform this analysis with the aim of searching for signatures of spectral state transitions and super-Eddington accretion that could indicate the presence of an Intermediate Mass Black Hole (IMBH) binary system. Here, we identify 43 potential IMBH sources that have signatures of super-Eddington accretion. We plan to follow up this initial selection with a multiwavelength analysis of these sources, in order to place further constraints on their nature and surrounding environment.

Evolution of redback radio pulsars in globular clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benvenuto, O. G.; De Vito, M. A.; Horvath, J. E.

2017-02-01

Context. We study the evolution of close binary systems composed of a normal, intermediate mass star and a neutron star considering a chemical composition typical of that present in globular clusters (Z = 0.001). Aims: We look for similarities and differences with respect to solar composition donor stars, which we have extensively studied in the past. As a definite example, we perform an application on one of the redbacks located in a globular cluster. Methods: We performed a detailed grid of models in order to find systems that represent the so-called redback binary radio pulsar systems with donor star masses between 0.6 and 2.0 solar masses and orbital periods in the range 0.2-0.9 d. Results: We find that the evolution of these binary systems is rather similar to those corresponding to solar composition objects, allowing us to account for the occurrence of redbacks in globular clusters, as the main physical ingredient is the irradiation feedback. Redback systems are in the quasi-RLOF state, that is, almost filling their corresponding Roche lobe. During the irradiation cycle the system alternates between semi-detached and detached states. While detached the system appears as a binary millisecond pulsar, called a redback. Circumstellar material, as seen in redbacks, is left behind after the previous semi-detached phase. Conclusions: The evolution of binary radio pulsar systems considering irradiation successfully accounts for, and provides a way for, the occurrence of redback pulsars in low-metallicity environments such as globular clusters. This is the case despite possible effects of the low metal content of the donor star that could drive systems away from redback configuration.

Missing Link: Bayesian detection and measurement of intermediate-mass black-hole binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graff, Philip B.; Buonanno, Alessandra; Sathyaprakash, B. S.

2015-07-01

We perform Bayesian analysis of gravitational-wave signals from nonspinning, intermediate-mass black-hole binaries (IMBHBs) with observed total mass, Mobs, from 50 M⊙ to 500 M⊙ and mass ratio 1-4 using advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors. We employ inspiral-merger-ringdown waveform models based on the effective-one-body formalism and include subleading modes of radiation beyond the leading (2,2) mode. The presence of subleading modes increases signal power for inclined binaries and allows for improved accuracy and precision in measurements of the masses as well as breaking of degeneracies in distance, orientation and polarization. For low total masses, Mobs≲50 M⊙ , for which the inspiral signal dominates, the observed chirp mass Mobs=Mobsη3 /5 (η being the symmetric mass ratio) is better measured. In contrast, as increasing power comes from merger and ringdown, we find that the total mass Mobs has better relative precision than Mobs. Indeed, at high Mobs (≥300 M⊙ ), the signal resembles a burst and the measurement thus extracts the dominant frequency of the signal that depends on Mobs. Depending on the binary's inclination, at signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 12, uncertainties in Mobs can be as large as ˜20 - 25 % while uncertainties in Mobs are ˜50 - 60 % in binaries with unequal masses (those numbers become ˜17 % vs. ˜22 % in more symmetric mass-ratio binaries). Although large, those uncertainties in Mobs will establish the existence of IMBHs. We find that effective-one-body waveforms with subleading modes are essential to confirm a signal's presence in the data, with calculated Bayesian evidences yielding a false alarm probability below 10-5 for SNR ≳9 in Gaussian noise. Our results show that gravitational-wave observations can offer a unique tool to observe and understand the formation, evolution and demographics of IMBHs, which are difficult to observe in the electromagnetic window.

High-resolution spectroscopy of extremely metal-poor stars from SDSS/Segue. II. Binary fraction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aoki, Wako; Suda, Takuma; Beers, Timothy C.

2015-02-01

The fraction of binary systems in various stellar populations of the Galaxy and the distribution of their orbital parameters are important but not well-determined factors in studies of star formation, stellar evolution, and Galactic chemical evolution. While observational studies have been carried out for a large sample of nearby stars, including some metal-poor Population II stars, almost no constraints on the binary nature for extremely metal-poor (EMP; [Fe/H] <−3.0) stars have yet been obtained. Here we investigate the fraction of double-lined spectroscopic binaries and carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars, many of which could have formed as pairs of low-mass and intermediate-massmore » stars, to estimate the lower limit of the fraction of binary systems having short periods. The estimate is based on a sample of very metal-poor stars selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and observed at high spectral resolution in a previous study by Aoki et al. That survey reported 3 double-lined spectroscopic binaries and 11 CEMP stars, which we consider along with a sample of EMP stars from the literature compiled in the SAGA database. We have conducted measurements of the velocity components for stacked absorption features of different spectral lines for each double-lined spectroscopic binary. Our estimate indicates that the fraction of binary stars having orbital periods shorter than 1000 days is at least 10%, and possibly as high as 20% if the majority of CEMP stars are formed in such short-period binaries. This result suggests that the period distribution of EMP binary systems is biased toward short periods, unless the binary fraction of low-mass EMP stars is significantly higher than that of other nearby stars.« less

On ternary species mixing and combustion in isotropic turbulence at high pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lou, Hong; Miller, Richard S.

2004-05-01

Effects of Soret and Dufour cross-diffusion, whereby both concentration and thermal diffusion occur in the presence of mass fraction, temperature, and pressure gradients, are investigated in the context of both binary and ternary species mixing and combustion in isotropic turbulence at large pressure. The compressible flow formulation is based on a cubic real-gas state equation, and includes generalized forms for heat and mass diffusion derived from nonequilibrium thermodynamics and fluctuation theory. A previously derived formulation of the generalized binary species heat and mass fluxes is first extended to the case of ternary species, and appropriate treatment of the thermal and mass diffusion factors is described. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are then conducted for both binary and ternary species mixing and combustion in stationary isotropic turbulence. Mean flow temperatures and pressures of =700 K and =45 atm are considered to ensure that all species mixtures remain in the supercritical state such that phase changes do not occur. DNS of ternary species systems undergoing both pure mixing and a simple chemical reaction of the form O2+N2→2NO are then conducted. It is shown that stationary scalar states previously observed for binary mixing persist for the ternary species problem as well; however, the production and magnitude of the scalar variance is found to be altered for the intermediate molecular weight species as compared to the binary species case. The intermediate molecular weight species produces a substantially smaller scalar variance than the remaining species for all flows considered. For combustion of nonstoichiometric mixtures, a binary species mixture, characterized by stationary scalar states, results at long times after the lean reactant is depleted. The form of this final scalar distribution is observed to be similar to that found in the binary flow situation. A series of lower resolution simulations for a variety of species is then used to show the dependence of the stationary scalar variance on the turbulence Reynolds number, turbulence Mach number, species molecular weight ratio, and relative proportion of two species present in the flow after completion of combustion.

The Effects of Stellar Dynamics on the Evolution of Young, Dense Stellar Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belkus, H.; van Bever, J.; Vanbeveren, D.

In this paper, we report on first results of a project in Brussels in which we study the effects of stellar dynamics on the evolution of young dense stellar systems using 3 decades of expertise in massive-star evolution and our population (number and spectral) synthesis code. We highlight an unconventionally formed object scenario (UFO-scenario) for Wolf Rayet binaries and study the effects of a luminous blue variable-type instability wind mass-loss formalism on the formation of intermediate-mass black holes.

Observational constraints on the inter-binary stellar flare hypothesis for the gamma-ray bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, A. R.; Vahia, M. N.

1994-01-01

The Gamma Ray Observatory/Burst and Transient Source Experiment (GRO/BATSE) results on the Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) have given an internally consistent set of observations of about 260 GRBs which have been released for analysis by the BATSE team. Using this database we investigate our earlier suggestion (Vahia and Rao, 1988) that GRBs are inter-binary stellar flares from a group of objects classified as Magnetically Active Stellar Systems (MASS) which includes flare stars, RS CVn binaries and cataclysmic variables. We show that there exists an observationally consistent parameter space for the number density, scale height and flare luminosity of MASS which explains the complete log(N) - log(P) distribution of GRBs as also the observed isotropic distribution. We further use this model to predict anisotropy in the GRB distribution at intermediate luminosities. We make definite predictions under the stellar flare hypothesis that can be tested in the near future.

FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF GALACTIC INTERMEDIATE/LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shao, Yong; Li, Xiang-Dong, E-mail: lixd@nju.edu.cn

2015-08-10

We investigate the formation and evolutionary sequences of Galactic intermediate- and low-mass X-ray binaries (I/LMXBs) by combining binary population synthesis (BPS) and detailed stellar evolutionary calculations. Using an updated BPS code we compute the evolution of massive binaries that leads to the formation of incipient I/LMXBs and present their distribution in the initial donor mass versus initial orbital period diagram. We then follow the evolution of the I/LMXBs until the formation of binary millisecond pulsars (BMSPs). We find that the birthrate of the I/LMXB population is in the range of 9 × 10{sup −6}–3.4 × 10{sup −5} yr{sup −1}, compatiblemore » with that of BMSPs that are thought to descend from I/LMXBs. We show that during the evolution of I/LMXBs they are likely to be observed as relatively compact binaries with orbital periods ≲1 day and donor masses ≲0.3M{sub ⊙}. The resultant BMSPs have orbital periods ranging from less than 1 day to a few hundred days. These features are consistent with observations of LMXBs and BMSPs. We also confirm the discrepancies between theoretical predictions and observations mentioned in the literature, that is, the theoretical average mass transfer rates (∼10{sup −10} M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}) of LMXBs are considerably lower than observed, and the number of BMSPs with orbital periods ∼0.1–10 days is severely underestimated. These discrepancies imply that something is missing in the modeling of LMXBs, which is likely to be related to the mechanisms of the orbital angular momentum loss.« less

APPLICATION OF GAS DYNAMICAL FRICTION FOR PLANETESIMALS. II. EVOLUTION OF BINARY PLANETESIMALS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grishin, Evgeni; Perets, Hagai B.

2016-04-01

One of the first stages of planet formation is the growth of small planetesimals and their accumulation into large planetesimals and planetary embryos. This early stage occurs long before the dispersal of most of the gas from the protoplanetary disk. At this stage gas–planetesimal interactions play a key role in the dynamical evolution of single intermediate-mass planetesimals (m{sub p} ∼ 10{sup 21}–10{sup 25} g) through gas dynamical friction (GDF). A significant fraction of all solar system planetesimals (asteroids and Kuiper-belt objects) are known to be binary planetesimals (BPs). Here, we explore the effects of GDF on the evolution of BPs embedded inmore » a gaseous disk using an N-body code with a fiducial external force accounting for GDF. We find that GDF can induce binary mergers on timescales shorter than the disk lifetime for masses above m{sub p} ≳ 10{sup 22} g at 1 au, independent of the binary initial separation and eccentricity. Such mergers can affect the structure of merger-formed planetesimals, and the GDF-induced binary inspiral can play a role in the evolution of the planetesimal disk. In addition, binaries on eccentric orbits around the star may evolve in the supersonic regime, where the torque reverses and the binary expands, which would enhance the cross section for planetesimal encounters with the binary. Highly inclined binaries with small mass ratios, evolve due to the combined effects of Kozai–Lidov (KL) cycles with GDF which lead to chaotic evolution. Prograde binaries go through semi-regular KL evolution, while retrograde binaries frequently flip their inclination and ∼50% of them are destroyed.« less

Search for gravitational waves from intermediate mass binary black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adhikari, R.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Agatsuma, K.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Amador Ceron, E.; Amariutei, D.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Arain, M. A.; Araya, M. C.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Atkinson, D.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S.; Barayoga, J. C. B.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Bastarrika, M.; Basti, A.; Batch, J.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th. S.; Bebronne, M.; Beck, D.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Beker, M. G.; Bell, A. S.; Belletoile, A.; Belopolski, I.; Benacquista, M.; Berliner, J. M.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Beveridge, N.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Biswas, R.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Bland, B.; Blom, M.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Bogan, C.; Bondarescu, R.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Boschi, V.; Bose, S.; Bosi, L.; Bouhou, B.; Braccini, S.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Breyer, J.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Britzger, M.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Burguet-Castell, J.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campsie, P.; Cannizzo, J.; Cannon, K.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Carbone, L.; Caride, S.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chaibi, O.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chelkowski, S.; Chen, W.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H.; Chow, J.; Christensen, N.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, C. T. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, D. E.; Clark, J.; Clayton, J. H.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colacino, C. N.; Colas, J.; Colla, A.; Colombini, M.; Conte, A.; Conte, R.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordier, M.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M.; Coulon, J.-P.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M.; Coyne, D. C.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Cruise, A. M.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Cutler, R. M.; Dahl, K.; Danilishin, S. L.; Dannenberg, R.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daudert, B.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; De Rosa, R.; DeBra, D.; Debreczeni, G.; Del Pozzo, W.; del Prete, M.; Dent, T.; Dergachev, V.; DeRosa, R.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Paolo Emilio, M.; Di Virgilio, A.; Díaz, M.; Dietz, A.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Dumas, J.-C.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edgar, M.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Ehrens, P.; Endrőczi, G.; Engel, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, K.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fan, Y.; Farr, B. F.; Fazi, D.; Fehrmann, H.; Feldbaum, D.; Feroz, F.; Ferrante, I.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Flanigan, M.; Foley, S.; Forsi, E.; Forte, L. A.; Fotopoulos, N.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franc, J.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Friedrich, D.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fujimoto, M.-K.; Fulda, P. J.; Fyffe, M.; Gair, J.; Galimberti, M.; Gammaitoni, L.; Garcia, J.; Garufi, F.; Gáspár, M. E.; Gemme, G.; Geng, R.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Gergely, L. Á.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giampanis, S.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gil, S.; Gill, C.; Gleason, J.; Goetz, E.; Goggin, L. M.; González, G.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Graef, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Gray, N.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Greverie, C.; Grosso, R.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C.; Gupta, R.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Ha, T.; Hallam, J. M.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Hartman, M. T.; Haughian, K.; Hayama, K.; Hayau, J.-F.; Heefner, J.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M. C.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hendry, M. A.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Herrera, V.; Hewitson, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Holtrop, M.; Hong, T.; Hooper, S.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; James, E.; Jang, Y. J.; Jaranowski, P.; Jesse, E.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, G.; Jones, R.; Ju, L.; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kasturi, R.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kawabe, K.; Kawamura, S.; Kawazoe, F.; Kelley, D.; Kells, W.; Keppel, D. G.; Keresztes, Z.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, B.; Kim, C.; Kim, H.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, Y.-M.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Koranda, S.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D.; Kranz, O.; Kringel, V.; Krishnamurthy, S.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, R.; Kwee, P.; Lam, P. K.; Landry, M.; Lantz, B.; Lastzka, N.; Lawrie, C.; Lazzarini, A.; Leaci, P.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Leong, J. R.; Leonor, I.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Li, J.; Li, T. G. F.; Liguori, N.; Lindquist, P. E.; Liu, Y.; Liu, Z.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lodhia, D.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J.; Luan, J.; Lubinski, M.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Macdonald, E.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Mageswaran, M.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Man, N.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mantovani, M.; Marandi, A.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McKechan, D. J. A.; McWilliams, S.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meier, T.; Melatos, A.; Melissinos, A. C.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyer, M. S.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Milano, L.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Miyakawa, O.; Moe, B.; Mohan, M.; Mohanty, S. D.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Morgia, A.; Mori, T.; Morriss, S. R.; Mosca, S.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Müller-Ebhardt, H.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nash, T.; Naticchioni, L.; Necula, V.; Nelson, J.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T.; Nishizawa, A.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E.; Nuttall, L.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ott, C. D.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Page, A.; Pagliaroli, G.; Palladino, L.; Palomba, C.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Papa, M. A.; Parisi, M.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patel, P.; Pedraza, M.; Peiris, P.; Pekowsky, L.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Persichetti, G.; Phelps, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pietka, M.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Pletsch, H. J.; Plissi, M. V.; Poggiani, R.; Pöld, J.; Postiglione, F.; Prato, M.; Predoi, V.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L. G.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Quetschke, V.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Rakhmanov, M.; Rankins, B.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Re, V.; Redwine, K.; Reed, C. M.; Reed, T.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Ricci, F.; Riesen, R.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Robinson, C.; Robinson, E. L.; Rocchi, A.; Roddy, S.; Rodriguez, C.; Rodruck, M.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Romano, J. D.; Romano, R.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Röver, C.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Sainathan, P.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sannibale, V.; Santamaría, L.; Santiago-Prieto, I.; Santostasi, G.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Sato, S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R. L.; Schilling, R.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schreiber, E.; Schulz, B.; Schutz, B. F.; Schwinberg, P.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Seifert, F.; Sellers, D.; Sentenac, D.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sibley, A.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Sintes, A. M.; Skelton, G. R.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M. R.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith-Lefebvre, N. D.; Somiya, K.; Sorazu, B.; Soto, J.; Speirits, F. C.; Sperandio, L.; Stefszky, M.; Stein, A. J.; Stein, L. C.; Steinert, E.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steplewski, S.; Stochino, A.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Strigin, S. E.; Stroeer, A. S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sung, M.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Tacca, M.; Taffarello, L.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, J. R.; Taylor, R.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Thüring, A.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Tomlinson, C.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Torre, O.; Torres, C.; Torrie, C. I.; Tournefier, E.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Tseng, K.; Ugolini, D.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; van der Putten, S.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasuth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vavoulidis, M.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Veltkamp, C.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Villar, A. E.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vitale, S.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vyatchanin, S. P.; Wade, A.; Wade, L.; Wade, M.; Waldman, S. J.; Wallace, L.; Wan, Y.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Wang, Z.; Wanner, A.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Wen, L.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whitcomb, S. E.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Wilkinson, C.; Willems, P. A.; Williams, L.; Williams, R.; Willke, B.; Winkelmann, L.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wiseman, A. G.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Wooley, R.; Worden, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yamamoto, K.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, H.; Yeaton-Massey, D.; Yoshida, S.; Yu, P.; Yvert, M.; Zadroźny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, W.; Zhao, C.; Zotov, N.; Zucker, M. E.; Zweizig, J.

2012-05-01

We present the results of a weakly modeled burst search for gravitational waves from mergers of nonspinning intermediate mass black holes in the total mass range 100-450M⊙ and with the component mass ratios between 1∶1 and 4∶1. The search was conducted on data collected by the LIGO and Virgo detectors between November of 2005 and October of 2007. No plausible signals were observed by the search which constrains the astrophysical rates of the intermediate mass black holes mergers as a function of the component masses. In the most efficiently detected bin centered on 88+88M⊙, for nonspinning sources, the rate density upper limit is 0.13 per Mpc3 per Myr at the 90% confidence level.

Evolving ONe WD+He star systems to intermediate-mass binary pulsars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, D.; Wang, B.; Chen, W.; Zuo, Z.; Han, Z.

2018-06-01

It has been suggested that accretion-induced collapse (AIC) is a non-negligible path for the formation of the observed neutron stars (NSs). An ONe white dwarf (WD) that accretes material from a He star may experience AIC process and eventually produce intermediate-mass binary pulsars (IMBPs), named as the ONe WD+He star scenario. Note that previous studies can only account for part of the observed IMBPs with short orbital periods. In this work, we investigate the evolution of about 900 ONe WD+He star binaries to explore the distribution of IMBPs. We found that the ONe WD+He star scenario could form IMBPs including pulsars with 5-340 ms spin periods and 0.75-1.38 M_{⊙} WD companions, in which the orbital periods range from 0.04 to 900 d. Compared with the 20 observed IMBPs, this scenario can cover the parameters of 13 sources in the final orbital period-WD mass plane and the Corbet diagram, most of which have short orbital periods. We found that the ONe WD+He star scenario can explain almost all the observed IMBPs with short orbital periods. This work can well match the observed parameters of PSR J1802-2124 (one of the two precisely observed IMBPs), providing a possible evolutional path for its formation. We also speculate that the compact companion of HD 49798 (a hydrogen depleted sdO6 star) may be not a NS based on this work.

Introductory Overview of Intermediate-luminosity X-ray Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colbert, E. J. M.

2001-05-01

Intermediate-luminosity X-ray Objects (IXOs) are defined as compact objects having X-ray luminosities between those of X-ray binaries and low-luminosity AGNs (i.e., 1039.0 erg s-1 < ~ LX [IXOs] < ~ 1041.0 erg s-1). It is not currently known if these objects are intermediate-mass (M ~ 102-104 Msun) black holes accreting near the Eddington limit, near-solar-mass black holes in a super-Eddington state, or are, in some cases, just supermassive black holes accreting at very low rates. However, the first idea has been popularized by recent press coverage. IXOs are quite common (present in about half of spiral galaxies) and are typically found displaced from the optical nucleus, reducing the likelihood that they are low-luminosity AGN. Nearly all of our knowledge of these objects comes from X-ray observations, as observations of optical, NIR and radio counterparts are not widely known. In this session, we will address (1) the phenomenology of the objects, (2) possible geometry and accretion mechanisms for these objects (i.e., are they more similar to black hole X-ray binaries or AGNs), (3) the central black hole masses, and (4) the formation mechanism for these black holes, if they are of intermediate mass. In this talk, I will focus primarily on giving background information of these fascinating objects.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Van Dyk, Schuyler D.; De Mink, Selma E.; Zapartas, Emmanouil

Core-collapse supernovae (SNe), which mark the deaths of massive stars, are among the most powerful explosions in the universe and are responsible, e.g., for a predominant synthesis of chemical elements in their host galaxies. The majority of massive stars are thought to be born in close binary systems. To date, putative binary companions to the progenitors of SNe may have been detected in only two cases, SNe 1993J and 2011dh. We report on the search for a companion of the progenitor of the Type Ic SN 1994I, long considered to have been the result of binary interaction. Twenty years aftermore » explosion, we used the Hubble Space Telescope to observe the SN site in the ultraviolet (F275W and F336W bands), resulting in deep upper limits on the expected companion: F275W > 26.1 mag and F336W > 24.7 mag. These allow us to exclude the presence of a main sequence companion with a mass ≳10 M{sub ⊙}. Through comparison with theoretical simulations of possible progenitor populations, we show that the upper limits to a companion detection exclude interacting binaries with semi-conservative (late Case A or early Case B) mass transfer. These limits tend to favor systems with non-conservative, late Case B mass transfer with intermediate initial orbital periods and mass ratios. The most likely mass range for a putative main sequence companion would be ∼5–12 M{sub ⊙}, the upper end of which corresponds to the inferred upper detection limit.« less

Astrophysics to z approx. 10 with Gravitational Waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stebbins, Robin; Hughes, Scott; Lang, Ryan

2007-01-01

The most useful characterization of a gravitational wave detector's performance is the accuracy with which astrophysical parameters of potential gravitational wave sources can be estimated. One of the most important source types for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is inspiraling binaries of black holes. LISA can measure mass and spin to better than 1% for a wide range of masses, even out to high redshifts. The most difficult parameter to estimate accurately is almost always luminosity distance. Nonetheless, LISA can measure luminosity distance of intermediate-mass black hole binary systems (total mass approx.10(exp 4) solar mass) out to z approx.10 with distance accuracies approaching 25% in many cases. With this performance, LISA will be able to follow the merger history of black holes from the earliest mergers of proto-galaxies to the present. LISA's performance as a function of mass from 1 to 10(exp 7) solar mass and of redshift out to z approx. 30 will be described. The re-formulation of LISA's science requirements based on an instrument sensitivity model and parameter estimation will be described.

THE LEECH EXOPLANET IMAGING SURVEY: ORBIT AND COMPONENT MASSES OF THE INTERMEDIATE-AGE, LATE-TYPE BINARY NO UMa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schlieder, Joshua E.; Skemer, Andrew J.; Hinz, Philip

2016-02-10

We present high-resolution Large Binocular Telescope LBTI/LMIRcam images of the spectroscopic and astrometric binary NO UMa obtained as part of the LBT Interferometer Exozodi Exoplanet Common Hunt exoplanet imaging survey. Our H-, K{sub s}-, and L′-band observations resolve the system at angular separations <0.″09. The components exhibit significant orbital motion over a span of ∼7 months. We combine our imaging data with archival images, published speckle interferometry measurements, and existing spectroscopic velocity data to solve the full orbital solution and estimate component masses. The masses of the K2.0 ± 0.5 primary and K6.5 ± 0.5 secondary are 0.83 ± 0.02 M{sub ⊙} and 0.64 ± 0.02 M{sub ⊙},more » respectively. We also derive a system distance of d = 25.87 ± 0.02 pc and revise the Galactic kinematics of NO UMa. Our revised Galactic kinematics confirm NO UMa as a nuclear member of the ∼500 Myr old Ursa Major moving group, and it is thus a mass and age benchmark. We compare the masses of the NO UMa binary components to those predicted by five sets of stellar evolution models at the age of the Ursa Major group. We find excellent agreement between our measured masses and model predictions with little systematic scatter between the models. NO UMa joins the short list of nearby, bright, late-type binaries having known ages and fully characterized orbits.« less

Binary Populations and Stellar Dynamics in Young Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanbeveren, D.; Belkus, H.; Van Bever, J.; Mennekens, N.

2008-06-01

We first summarize work that has been done on the effects of binaries on theoretical population synthesis of stars and stellar phenomena. Next, we highlight the influence of stellar dynamics in young clusters by discussing a few candidate UFOs (unconventionally formed objects) like intermediate mass black holes, η Car, ζ Pup, γ2 Velorum and WR 140.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Soker, Noam, E-mail: soker@physics.technion.ac.il

I suggest a spiral-in process in which a stellar companion grazes the envelope of a giant star while both the orbital separation and the giant radius shrink simultaneously, forming a close binary system. The binary system might be viewed as evolving in a constant state of 'just entering a common envelope (CE) phase.' In cases where this process takes place, it can be an alternative to CE evolution where the secondary star is immersed in the giant's envelope. Grazing envelope evolution (GEE) is made possible only if the companion manages to accrete mass at a high rate and launches jetsmore » that remove the outskirts of the giant envelope, hence preventing the formation of a CE. The high accretion rate is made possible by the accretion disk launching jets which efficiently carry the excess angular momentum and energy from the accreted mass. The orbital decay itself is caused by the gravitational interaction of the secondary star with the envelope inward of its orbit, i.e., dynamical friction (gravitational tide). Mass loss through the second Lagrangian point can carry additional angular momentum and envelope mass. The GEE lasts for tens to hundreds of years. The high accretion rate, with peaks lasting from months to years, might lead to a bright object referred to as the intermediate luminosity optical transient (Red Novae; Red Transients). A bipolar nebula and/or equatorial ring are formed around the binary remnant.« less

Delay-time distribution of core-collapse supernovae with late events resulting from binary interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapartas, E.; de Mink, S. E.; Izzard, R. G.; Yoon, S.-C.; Badenes, C.; Götberg, Y.; de Koter, A.; Neijssel, C. J.; Renzo, M.; Schootemeijer, A.; Shrotriya, T. S.

2017-05-01

Most massive stars, the progenitors of core-collapse supernovae, are in close binary systems and may interact with their companion through mass transfer or merging. We undertake a population synthesis study to compute the delay-time distribution of core-collapse supernovae, that is, the supernova rate versus time following a starburst, taking into account binary interactions. We test the systematic robustness of our results by running various simulations to account for the uncertainties in our standard assumptions. We find that a significant fraction, %, of core-collapse supernovae are "late", that is, they occur 50-200 Myr after birth, when all massive single stars have already exploded. These late events originate predominantly from binary systems with at least one, or, in most cases, with both stars initially being of intermediate mass (4-8 M⊙). The main evolutionary channels that contribute often involve either the merging of the initially more massive primary star with its companion or the engulfment of the remaining core of the primary by the expanding secondary that has accreted mass at an earlier evolutionary stage. Also, the total number of core-collapse supernovae increases by % because of binarity for the same initial stellar mass. The high rate implies that we should have already observed such late core-collapse supernovae, but have not recognized them as such. We argue that φ Persei is a likely progenitor and that eccentric neutron star - white dwarf systems are likely descendants. Late events can help explain the discrepancy in the delay-time distributions derived from supernova remnants in the Magellanic Clouds and extragalactic type Ia events, lowering the contribution of prompt Ia events. We discuss ways to test these predictions and speculate on the implications for supernova feedback in simulations of galaxy evolution.

Simultaneous modelling of X-ray emission and optical polarization of intermediate polars: the case of V405 Aur

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

J. Lima, I.; Vilega Rodrigues, C.; Medeiros Gomes Silva, K.; Luna, G.; D Amico, F.; Goulart Coelho, J.

2017-10-01

Intermediate polars are compact binaries in which mass transfer occurs from a low-mass star onto a magnetic white dwarf. A shock structure is formed in the magnetic accretion column nearby the white-dwarf surface. High-energy emission is produced in the post-shock region and the main physical process envolved is bremsstrahlung and line emission. Some systems show optical polarization, which may be also originated in the post-shock region. Our main goal is to study the magnetic structure of intermediate polars by simultaneously modelling optical polarimetry and X-ray data using the CYCLOPS code. This code was developed by our group to peform multi-wavelength fitting of the accretion column flux. It considers cyclotron and free-free emission from a 3D post-shock region, which is non-homogeneous in terms of density, temperature, and magnetic field. In this study, we present our modelling of the optical polarization and X-ray emission of V405 Aurigae, the intermediate polar that has the highest magnetic field. Previous studies of this system were not successful in proposing a geometry that explains both the optical and X-ray emissions.

Roche-lobe overflow systems powered by black holes in young star clusters: the importance of dynamical exchanges

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mapelli, Michela; Zampieri, Luca, E-mail: michela.mapelli@oapd.inaf.it

2014-10-10

We have run 600 N-body simulations of intermediate-mass (∼3500 M {sub ☉}) young star clusters (SCs; with three different metallicities (Z = 0.01, 0.1, and 1 Z {sub ☉}). The simulations include the dependence of stellar properties and stellar winds on metallicity. Massive stellar black holes (MSBHs) with mass >25 M {sub ☉} are allowed to form through direct collapse of very massive metal-poor stars (Z < 0.3 Z {sub ☉}). We focus on the demographics of black hole (BH) binaries that undergo mass transfer via Roche lobe overflow (RLO). We find that 44% of all binaries that undergo anmore » RLO phase (RLO binaries) formed through dynamical exchange. RLO binaries that formed via exchange (RLO-EBs) are powered by more massive BHs than RLO primordial binaries (RLO-PBs). Furthermore, the RLO-EBs tend to start the RLO phase later than the RLO-PBs. In metal-poor SCs (0.01-0.1 Z {sub ☉}), >20% of all RLO binaries are powered by MSBHs. The vast majority of RLO binaries powered by MSBHs are RLO-EBs. We have produced optical color-magnitude diagrams of the simulated RLO binaries, accounting for the emission of both the donor star and the irradiated accretion disk. We find that RLO-PBs are generally associated with bluer counterparts than RLO-EBs. We compare the simulated counterparts with the observed counterparts of nine ultraluminous X-ray sources. We discuss the possibility that IC 342 X-1, Ho IX X-1, NGC 1313 X-2, and NGC 5204 X-1 are powered by an MSBH.« less

CHANDRA X-RAY AND HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE IMAGING OF OPTICALLY SELECTED KILOPARSEC-SCALE BINARY ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI. II. HOST GALAXY MORPHOLOGY AND AGN ACTIVITY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shangguan, Jinyi; Ho, Luis C.; Liu, Xin

Binary active galactic nuclei (AGNs) provide clues to how gas-rich mergers trigger and fuel AGNs and how supermassive black hole (SMBH) pairs evolve in a gas-rich environment. While significant effort has been invested in their identification, the detailed properties of binary AGNs and their host galaxies are still poorly constrained. In a companion paper, we examined the nature of ionizing sources in the double nuclei of four kiloparsec-scale binary AGNs with redshifts between 0.1 and 0.2. Here, we present their host galaxy morphology based on F336W ( U -band) and F105W ( Y -band) images taken by the Wide Fieldmore » Camera 3 on board the Hubble Space Telescope . Our targets have double-peaked narrow emission lines and were confirmed to host binary AGNs with follow-up observations. We find that kiloparsec-scale binary AGNs occur in galaxy mergers with diverse morphological types. There are three major mergers with intermediate morphologies and a minor merger with a dominant disk component. We estimate the masses of the SMBHs from their host bulge stellar masses and obtain Eddington ratios for each AGN. Compared with a representative control sample drawn at the same redshift and stellar mass, the AGN luminosities and Eddington ratios of our binary AGNs are similar to those of single AGNs. The U − Y color maps indicate that clumpy star-forming regions could significantly affect the X-ray detection of binary AGNs, e.g., the hardness ratio. Considering the weak X-ray emission in AGNs triggered in merger systems, we suggest that samples of X-ray-selected AGNs may be biased against gas-rich mergers.« less

The planetary nebula IC 4776 and its post-common-envelope binary central star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sowicka, Paulina; Jones, David; Corradi, Romano L. M.; Wesson, Roger; García-Rojas, Jorge; Santander-García, Miguel; Boffin, Henri M. J.; Rodríguez-Gil, Pablo

2017-11-01

We present a detailed analysis of IC 4776, a planetary nebula displaying a morphology believed to be typical of central star binarity. The nebula is shown to comprise a compact hourglass-shaped central region and a pair of precessing jet-like structures. Time-resolved spectroscopy of its central star reveals a periodic radial velocity variability consistent with a binary system. Whilst the data are insufficient to accurately determine the parameters of the binary, the most likely solutions indicate that the secondary is probably a low-mass main-sequence star. An empirical analysis of the chemical abundances in IC 4776 indicates that the common-envelope phase may have cut short the asymptotic giant branch evolution of the progenitor. Abundances calculated from recombination lines are found to be discrepant by a factor of approximately 2 relative to those calculated using collisionally excited lines, suggesting a possible correlation between low-abundance discrepancy factors and intermediate-period post-common-envelope central stars and/or Wolf-Rayet central stars. The detection of a radial velocity variability associated with the binarity of the central star of IC 4776 may be indicative of a significant population of (intermediate-period) post-common-envelope binary central stars that would be undetected by classic photometric monitoring techniques.

Evolution of the Black Hole Mass Function in Star Clusters from Multiple Mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christian, Pierre; Mocz, Philip; Loeb, Abraham

2018-05-01

We investigate the effects of black hole (BH) mergers in star clusters on the black hole mass function (BHMF). As BHs are not produced in pair-instability supernovae, it is suggested that there is a dearth of high-mass stellar BHs. This dearth generates a gap in the upper end of the BHMF. Meanwhile, parameter fitting of X-ray binaries suggests the existence of a gap in the mass function under 5 solar masses. We show, through evolving a coagulation equation, that BH mergers can appreciably fill the upper mass gap, and that the lower mass gap generates potentially observable features at larger mass scales. We also explore the importance of ejections in such systems and whether dynamical clusters can be formation sites of intermediate-mass BH seeds.

BINARY FORMATION MECHANISMS: CONSTRAINTS FROM THE COMPANION MASS RATIO DISTRIBUTION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reggiani, Maddalena M.; Meyer, Michael R., E-mail: reggiani@phys.ethz.ch

2011-09-01

We present a statistical comparison of the mass ratio distribution of companions, as observed in different multiplicity surveys, to the most recent estimate of the single-object mass function. The main goal of our analysis is to test whether or not the observed companion mass ratio distribution (CMRD) as a function of primary star mass and star formation environment is consistent with having been drawn from the field star initial mass function (IMF). We consider samples of companions for M dwarfs, solar-type stars, and intermediate-mass stars, both in the field as well as clusters or associations, and compare them with populationsmore » of binaries generated by random pairing from the assumed IMF for a fixed primary mass. With regard to the field we can reject the hypothesis that the CMRD was drawn from the IMF for different primary mass ranges: the observed CMRDs show a larger number of equal-mass systems than predicted by the IMF. This is in agreement with fragmentation theories of binary formation. For the open clusters {alpha} Persei and the Pleiades we also reject the IMF random-pairing hypothesis. Concerning young star-forming regions, currently we can rule out a connection between the CMRD and the field IMF in Taurus but not in Chamaeleon I. Larger and different samples are needed to better constrain the result as a function of the environment. We also consider other companion mass functions and we compare them with observations. Moreover the CMRD both in the field and clusters or associations appears to be independent of separation in the range covered by the observations. Combining therefore the CMRDs of M (1-2400 AU) and G (28-1590 AU) primaries in the field and intermediate-mass primary binaries in Sco OB2 (29-1612 AU) for mass ratios, q = M{sub 2}/M{sub 1}, from 0.2 to 1, we find that the best chi-square fit follows a power law dN/dq{proportional_to}q {sup {beta}}, with {beta} = -0.50 {+-} 0.29, consistent with previous results. Finally, we note that the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test gives a {approx}1% probability of the observed CMRD in the Pleiades and Taurus being consistent with that observed for solar-type primaries in the field over comparable primary mass range. This highlights the value of using CMRDs to understand which star formation events contribute most to the field.« less

Discovery of 36 eclipsing EL CVn binaries found by the Palomar Transient Factory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Roestel, J.; Kupfer, T.; Ruiz-Carmona, R.; Groot, P. J.; Prince, T. A.; Burdge, K.; Laher, R.; Shupe, D. L.; Bellm, E.

2018-04-01

We report on the discovery and analysis of 36 new eclipsing EL CVn-type binaries, consisting of a core helium-composition pre-white dwarf (pre-He-WD) and an early-type main-sequence companion. This more than doubles the known population of these systems. We have used supervised machine learning methods to search 0.8 million light curves from the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF), combined with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) and Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) colours. The new systems range in orbital periods from 0.46 to 3.8 d and in apparent brightness from ˜14 to 16 mag in the PTF R or g΄ filters. For 12 of the systems, we obtained radial velocity curves with the Intermediate Dispersion Spectrograph at the Isaac Newton Telescope. We modelled the light curves, radial velocity curves and spectral energy distributions to determine the system parameters. The radii (0.3-0.7 R⊙) and effective temperatures (8000-17 000 K) of the pre-He-WDs are consistent with stellar evolution models, but the masses (0.12-0.28 M⊙) show more variance than models have predicted. This study shows that using machine learning techniques on large synoptic survey data is a powerful way to discover substantial samples of binary systems in short-lived evolutionary stages.

Low-mass eclipsing binaries in the WFCAM Transit Survey: the persistence of the M-dwarf radius inflation problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz, Patricia; Diaz, Marcos; Birkby, Jayne; Barrado, David; Sipöcz, Brigitta; Hodgkin, Simon

2018-06-01

We present the characterization of five new short-period low-mass eclipsing binaries (LMEBs) from the WFCAM Transit Survey. The analysis was performed by using the photometric WFCAM J-mag data and additional low- and intermediate-resolution spectroscopic data to obtain both orbital and physical properties of the studied sample. The light curves and the measured radial velocity curves were modelled simultaneously with the JKTEBOP code, with Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations for the error estimates. The best-model fit have revealed that the investigated detached binaries are in very close orbits, with orbital separations of 2.9 ≤ a ≤ 6.7 R⊙ and short periods of 0.59 ≤ Porb ≤ 1.72 d, approximately. We have derived stellar masses between 0.24 and 0.72 M⊙ and radii ranging from 0.42 to 0.67 R⊙. The great majority of the LMEBs in our sample has an estimated radius far from the predicted values according to evolutionary models. The components with derived masses of M < 0.6 M⊙ present a radius inflation of {˜ }9 per cent or more. This general behaviour follows the trend of inflation for partially radiative stars proposed previously. These systems add to the increasing sample of low-mass stellar radii that are not well-reproduced by stellar models. They further highlight the need to understand the magnetic activity and physical state of small stars. Missions like TESS will provide many such systems to perform high-precision radius measurements to tightly constrain low-mass stellar evolution models.

Timing of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Amico, Nichi; Possenti, Andrea; Manchester, Dick; Johnston, Simon; Kramer, Michael; Sarkissian, John; Lyne, Andrew; Burgay, Marta; Corongiu, Alessandro; Camilo, Fernando; Bailes, Matthew; van Straten, Willem

2014-10-01

Timing of the dozen pulsars discovered by us in P303 is ensuring high quality results: (a) the peculiarities (in position or projected acceleration) of all the 5 millisecond pulsars in NGC6752 suggested the presence of non thermal dynamics in the core, perhaps due to black-holes of intermediate mass; (b) the eclipsing pulsar in NGC6397 is a stereotype for studying the late evolution of exotic binaries. We propose to continue our timing project focusing mostly on NGC6397 at 10cm, for studying the orbital secular evolution, the eclipse region, and the role played by the high energy photons released from the pulsar in the ejection of matter from the binary system.

Puzzling accretion onto a black hole in the ultraluminous X-ray source M 101 ULX-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ji-Feng; Bregman, Joel N.; Bai, Yu; Justham, Stephen; Crowther, Paul

2013-11-01

There are two proposed explanations for ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) with luminosities in excess of 1039 erg s-1. They could be intermediate-mass black holes (more than 100-1,000 solar masses, ) radiating at sub-maximal (sub-Eddington) rates, as in Galactic black-hole X-ray binaries but with larger, cooler accretion disks. Alternatively, they could be stellar-mass black holes radiating at Eddington or super-Eddington rates. On its discovery, M 101 ULX-1 had a luminosity of 3 × 1039 erg s-1 and a supersoft thermal disk spectrum with an exceptionally low temperature--uncomplicated by photons energized by a corona of hot electrons--more consistent with the expected appearance of an accreting intermediate-mass black hole. Here we report optical spectroscopic monitoring of M 101 ULX-1. We confirm the previous suggestion that the system contains a Wolf-Rayet star, and reveal that the orbital period is 8.2 days. The black hole has a minimum mass of 5, and more probably a mass of 20-30, but we argue that it is very unlikely to be an intermediate-mass black hole. Therefore, its exceptionally soft spectra at high Eddington ratios violate the expectations for accretion onto stellar-mass black holes. Accretion must occur from captured stellar wind, which has hitherto been thought to be so inefficient that it could not power an ultraluminous source.

Search for Gravitational Waves from Intermediate Mass Binary Black Holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blackburn, L.; Camp, J. B.; Cannizzo, J.; Stroeer, A. S.

2012-01-01

We present the results of a weakly modeled burst search for gravitational waves from mergers of non-spinning intermediate mass black holes (IMBH) in the total mass range 100-450 solar Mass and with the component mass ratios between 1:1 and 4:1. The search was conducted on data collected by the LIGO and Virgo detectors between November of 2005 and October of 2007. No plausible signals were observed by the search which constrains the astrophysical rates of the IMBH mergers as a function of the component masses. In the most efficiently detected bin centered on 88 + 88 solar Mass , for non-spinning sources, the rate density upper limit is 0.13 per Mpc(exp 3) per Myr at the 90% confidence level.

Radial Velocities of 41 Kepler Eclipsing Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matson, Rachel A.; Gies, Douglas R.; Guo, Zhao; Williams, Stephen J.

2017-12-01

Eclipsing binaries are vital for directly determining stellar parameters without reliance on models or scaling relations. Spectroscopically derived parameters of detached and semi-detached binaries allow us to determine component masses that can inform theories of stellar and binary evolution. Here we present moderate resolution ground-based spectra of stars in close binary systems with and without (detected) tertiary companions observed by NASA’s Kepler mission and analyzed for eclipse timing variations. We obtain radial velocities and spectroscopic orbits for five single-lined and 35 double-lined systems, and confirm one false positive eclipsing binary. For the double-lined spectroscopic binaries, we also determine individual component masses and examine the mass ratio {M}2/{M}1 distribution, which is dominated by binaries with like-mass pairs and semi-detached classical Algol systems that have undergone mass transfer. Finally, we constrain the mass of the tertiary component for five double-lined binaries with previously detected companions.

Einstein@Home Discovery of 24 Pulsars in the Parkes Multi-beam Pulsar Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knispel, B.; Eatough, R. P.; Kim, H.; Keane, E. F.; Allen, B.; Anderson, D.; Aulbert, C.; Bock, O.; Crawford, F.; Eggenstein, H.-B.; Fehrmann, H.; Hammer, D.; Kramer, M.; Lyne, A. G.; Machenschalk, B.; Miller, R. B.; Papa, M. A.; Rastawicki, D.; Sarkissian, J.; Siemens, X.; Stappers, B. W.

2013-09-01

We have conducted a new search for radio pulsars in compact binary systems in the Parkes multi-beam pulsar survey (PMPS) data, employing novel methods to remove the Doppler modulation from binary motion. This has yielded unparalleled sensitivity to pulsars in compact binaries. The required computation time of ≈17, 000 CPU core years was provided by the distributed volunteer computing project Einstein@Home, which has a sustained computing power of about 1 PFlop s-1. We discovered 24 new pulsars in our search, 18 of which were isolated pulsars, and 6 were members of binary systems. Despite the wide filterbank channels and relatively slow sampling time of the PMPS data, we found pulsars with very large ratios of dispersion measure (DM) to spin period. Among those is PSR J1748-3009, the millisecond pulsar with the highest known DM (≈420 pc cm-3). We also discovered PSR J1840-0643, which is in a binary system with an orbital period of 937 days, the fourth largest known. The new pulsar J1750-2536 likely belongs to the rare class of intermediate-mass binary pulsars. Three of the isolated pulsars show long-term nulling or intermittency in their emission, further increasing this growing family. Our discoveries demonstrate the value of distributed volunteer computing for data-driven astronomy and the importance of applying new analysis methods to extensively searched data.

Gravitational waves: search results, data analysis and parameter estimation: Amaldi 10 Parallel session C2.

PubMed

Astone, Pia; Weinstein, Alan; Agathos, Michalis; Bejger, Michał; Christensen, Nelson; Dent, Thomas; Graff, Philip; Klimenko, Sergey; Mazzolo, Giulio; Nishizawa, Atsushi; Robinet, Florent; Schmidt, Patricia; Smith, Rory; Veitch, John; Wade, Madeline; Aoudia, Sofiane; Bose, Sukanta; Calderon Bustillo, Juan; Canizares, Priscilla; Capano, Colin; Clark, James; Colla, Alberto; Cuoco, Elena; Da Silva Costa, Carlos; Dal Canton, Tito; Evangelista, Edgar; Goetz, Evan; Gupta, Anuradha; Hannam, Mark; Keitel, David; Lackey, Benjamin; Logue, Joshua; Mohapatra, Satyanarayan; Piergiovanni, Francesco; Privitera, Stephen; Prix, Reinhard; Pürrer, Michael; Re, Virginia; Serafinelli, Roberto; Wade, Leslie; Wen, Linqing; Wette, Karl; Whelan, John; Palomba, C; Prodi, G

The Amaldi 10 Parallel Session C2 on gravitational wave (GW) search results, data analysis and parameter estimation included three lively sessions of lectures by 13 presenters, and 34 posters. The talks and posters covered a huge range of material, including results and analysis techniques for ground-based GW detectors, targeting anticipated signals from different astrophysical sources: compact binary inspiral, merger and ringdown; GW bursts from intermediate mass binary black hole mergers, cosmic string cusps, core-collapse supernovae, and other unmodeled sources; continuous waves from spinning neutron stars; and a stochastic GW background. There was considerable emphasis on Bayesian techniques for estimating the parameters of coalescing compact binary systems from the gravitational waveforms extracted from the data from the advanced detector network. This included methods to distinguish deviations of the signals from what is expected in the context of General Relativity.

Gravitational Waves: Search Results, Data Analysis and Parameter Estimation. Amaldi 10 Parallel Session C2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Astone, Pia; Weinstein, Alan; Agathos, Michalis; Bejger, Michal; Christensen, Nelson; Dent, Thomas; Graff, Philip; Klimenko, Sergey; Mazzolo, Giulio; Nishizawa, Atsushi

2015-01-01

The Amaldi 10 Parallel Session C2 on gravitational wave(GW) search results, data analysis and parameter estimation included three lively sessions of lectures by 13 presenters, and 34 posters. The talks and posters covered a huge range of material, including results and analysis techniques for ground-based GW detectors, targeting anticipated signals from different astrophysical sources: compact binary inspiral, merger and ringdown; GW bursts from intermediate mass binary black hole mergers, cosmic string cusps, core-collapse supernovae, and other unmodeled sources; continuous waves from spinning neutron stars; and a stochastic GW background. There was considerable emphasis on Bayesian techniques for estimating the parameters of coalescing compact binary systems from the gravitational waveforms extracted from the data from the advanced detector network. This included methods to distinguish deviations of the signals from what is expected in the context of General Relativity.

Timing of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Amico, Nichi; Possenti, Andrea; Manchester, Dick; Johnston, Simon; Kramer, Michael; Sarkissian, John; Lyne, Andrew; Burgay, Marta; Corongiu, Alessandro; Camilo, Fernando; Bailes, Matthew; van Straten, Willem

2011-04-01

Timing of the dozen pulsars discovered by us in P303 is ensuring high quality results: (a) the peculiarities (in position or projected acceleration) of all the 5 millisecond pulsars in NGC6752 suggested the presence of non thermal dynamics in the core, perhaps due to black-holes of intermediate mass; (b) the eclipsing pulsar in NGC6397 is a stereotype for studying the late evolution of exotic binaries. We propose to continue our timing project focusing mostly on NGC6752 at 20cm (in order to measure additional parameters useful to constrain the existence of a black-hole) and NGC6397 at 10cm (for studying the orbital secular evolution, the eclipse region, and the mechanisms leading to the ejection of matter from the binary system).

Timing of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Amico, Nichi; Possenti, Andrea; Manchester, Dick; Johnston, Simon; Kramer, Michael; Sarkissian, John; Lyne, Andrew; Burgay, Marta; Corongiu, Alessandro; Camilo, Fernando; Bailes, Matthew; van Straten, Willem

2012-10-01

Timing of the dozen pulsars discovered by us in P303 is ensuring high quality results: (a) the peculiarities (in position or projected acceleration) of all the 5 millisecond pulsars in NGC6752 suggested the presence of non thermal dynamics in the core, perhaps due to black-holes of intermediate mass; (b) the eclipsing pulsar in NGC6397 is a stereotype for studying the late evolution of exotic binaries. We propose to continue our timing project focusing mostly on NGC6752 at 20cm (in order to measure additional parameters useful to constrain the existence of a black-hole) and NGC6397 at 10cm (for studying the orbital secular evolution, the eclipse region, and the mechanisms leading to the ejection of matter from the binary system).

Timing of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Amico, Nichi; Possenti, Andrea; Manchester, Dick; Johnston, Simon; Kramer, Michael; Sarkissian, John; Lyne, Andrew; Burgay, Marta; Corongiu, Alessandro; Camilo, Fernando; Bailes, Matthew; van Straten, Willem

2012-04-01

Timing of the dozen pulsars discovered by us in P303 is ensuring high quality results: (a) the peculiarities (in position or projected acceleration) of all the 5 millisecond pulsars in NGC6752 suggested the presence of non thermal dynamics in the core, perhaps due to black-holes of intermediate mass; (b) the eclipsing pulsar in NGC6397 is a stereotype for studying the late evolution of exotic binaries. We propose to continue our timing project focusing mostly on NGC6752 at 20cm (in order to measure additional parameters useful to constrain the existence of a black-hole) and NGC6397 at 10cm (for studying the orbital secular evolution, the eclipse region, and the mechanisms leading to the ejection of matter from the binary system).

Timing of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Amico, Nichi; Possenti, Andrea; Manchester, Dick; Johnston, Simon; Kramer, Michael; Sarkissian, John; Lyne, Andrew; Burgay, Marta; Corongiu, Alessandro; Camilo, Fernando; Bailes, Matthew; van Straten, Willem

2011-10-01

Timing of the dozen pulsars discovered by us in P303 is ensuring high quality results: (a) the peculiarities (in position or projected acceleration) of all the 5 millisecond pulsars in NGC6752 suggested the presence of non thermal dynamics in the core, perhaps due to black-holes of intermediate mass; (b) the eclipsing pulsar in NGC6397 is a stereotype for studying the late evolution of exotic binaries. We propose to continue our timing project focusing mostly on NGC6752 at 20cm (in order to measure additional parameters useful to constrain the existence of a black-hole) and NGC6397 at 10cm (for studying the orbital secular evolution, the eclipse region, and the mechanisms leading to the ejection of matter from the binary system).

Timing of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Amico, Nichi; Possenti, Andrea; Manchester, Dick; Johnston, Simon; Kramer, Michael; Sarkissian, John; Lyne, Andrew; Burgay, Marta; Corongiu, Alessandro; Camilo, Fernando; Bailes, Matthew; van Straten, Willem

2013-04-01

Timing of the dozen pulsars discovered by us in P303 is ensuring high quality results: (a) the peculiarities (in position or projected acceleration) of all the 5 millisecond pulsars in NGC6752 suggested the presence of non thermal dynamics in the core, perhaps due to black-holes of intermediate mass; (b) the eclipsing pulsar in NGC6397 is a stereotype for studying the late evolution of exotic binaries. We propose to continue our timing project focusing mostly on NGC6752 at 20cm (in order to measure additional parameters useful to constrain the existence of a black-hole) and NGC6397 at 10cm (for studying the orbital secular evolution, the eclipse region, and the mechanisms leading to the ejection of matter from the binary system).

The magnetic field of the double-lined spectroscopic binary system HD 5550

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alecian, E.; Tkachenko, A.; Neiner, C.; Folsom, C. P.; Leroy, B.

2016-05-01

Context. The origin of fossil fields in intermediate- and high-mass stars is poorly understood, as is the interplay between binarity and magnetism during stellar evolution. Thus we have begun a study of the magnetic properties of a sample of intermediate-mass and massive short-period binary systems as a function of binarity properties. Aims: This paper specifically aims to characterise the magnetic field of HD 5550, a double-lined spectroscopic binary system of intermediate mass. Methods: We gathered 25 high-resolution spectropolarimetric observations of HD 5550 using the instrument Narval. We first fitted the intensity spectra using Zeeman/ATLAS9 LTE synthetic spectra to estimate the effective temperatures, microturbulent velocities, and the abundances of some elements of both components, as well as the light ratio of the system. We then applied the multi-line least-square deconvolution (LSD) technique to the intensity and circularly polarised spectra, which provided us with mean LSD I and V line profiles. We fitted the Stokes I line profiles to determine the radial and projected rotational velocities of both stars. We then analysed the shape and evolution of the V profiles using the oblique rotator model to characterise the magnetic fields of both stars. Results: We confirm the Ap nature of the primary, which has previously been reported, and find that the secondary displays spectral characteristics typical of an Am star. While a magnetic field is clearly detected in the lines of the primary, no magnetic field is detected in the secondary in any of our observations. If a dipolar field were present at the surface of the Am star, its polar strength must be below 40 G. The faint variability observed in the Stokes V profiles of the Ap star allowed us to propose a rotation period of 6.84-0.39+0.61 d, which is close to the orbital period (~6.82 d), suggesting that the star is synchronised with its orbit. By fitting the variability of the V profiles, we propose that the Ap component hosts a dipolar field inclined with the rotation axis at an angle β = 156 ± 17 ° and a polar strength Bd = 65 ± 20 G. The field strength is the weakest known for an Ap star. Based on the BinaMIcS Large Programme (PI: C. Neiner, runID: L131N02) obtained at the Telescope Bernard Lyot (USR5026) operated by the Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Université de Toulouse (Paul Sabatier), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of France.

Chandra X-Ray and Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of Optically Selected Kiloparsec-scale Binary Active Galactic Nuclei. II. Host Galaxy Morphology and AGN Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shangguan, Jinyi; Liu, Xin; Ho, Luis C.; Shen, Yue; Peng, Chien Y.; Greene, Jenny E.; Strauss, Michael A.

2016-05-01

Binary active galactic nuclei (AGNs) provide clues to how gas-rich mergers trigger and fuel AGNs and how supermassive black hole (SMBH) pairs evolve in a gas-rich environment. While significant effort has been invested in their identification, the detailed properties of binary AGNs and their host galaxies are still poorly constrained. In a companion paper, we examined the nature of ionizing sources in the double nuclei of four kiloparsec-scale binary AGNs with redshifts between 0.1 and 0.2. Here, we present their host galaxy morphology based on F336W (U-band) and F105W (Y-band) images taken by the Wide Field Camera 3 on board the Hubble Space Telescope. Our targets have double-peaked narrow emission lines and were confirmed to host binary AGNs with follow-up observations. We find that kiloparsec-scale binary AGNs occur in galaxy mergers with diverse morphological types. There are three major mergers with intermediate morphologies and a minor merger with a dominant disk component. We estimate the masses of the SMBHs from their host bulge stellar masses and obtain Eddington ratios for each AGN. Compared with a representative control sample drawn at the same redshift and stellar mass, the AGN luminosities and Eddington ratios of our binary AGNs are similar to those of single AGNs. The U - Y color maps indicate that clumpy star-forming regions could significantly affect the X-ray detection of binary AGNs, e.g., the hardness ratio. Considering the weak X-ray emission in AGNs triggered in merger systems, we suggest that samples of X-ray-selected AGNs may be biased against gas-rich mergers. Based, in part, on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. These observations are associated with program number GO 12363.

A disc inside the bipolar planetary nebula M2-9

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lykou, F.; Chesneau, O.; Zijlstra, A. A.; Castro-Carrizo, A.; Lagadec, E.; Balick, B.; Smith, N.

2011-03-01

Aims: Bipolarity in proto-planetary and planetary nebulae is associated with events occurring in or around their cores. Past infrared observations have revealed the presence of dusty structures around the cores, many in the form of discs. Characterising those dusty discs provides invaluable constraints on the physical processes that govern the final mass expulsion of intermediate mass stars. We focus this study on the famous M2-9 bipolar nebula, where the moving lighthouse beam pattern indicates the presence of a wide binary. The compact and dense dusty core in the centre of the nebula can be studied by means of optical interferometry. Methods: M2-9 was observed with VLTI/MIDI at 39-47 m baselines with the UT2-UT3 and UT3-UT4 baseline configurations. These observations are interpreted using a dust radiative transfer Monte Carlo code. Results: A disc-like structure is detected perpendicular to the lobes, and a good fit is found with a stratified disc model composed of amorphous silicates. The disc is compact, 25 × 35 mas at 8 μm and 37 × 46 mas at 13 μm. For the adopted distance of 1.2 kpc, the inner rim of the disc is ~15 AU. The mass represents a few percent of the mass found in the lobes. The compactness of the disc puts strong constraints on the binary content of the system, given an estimated orbital period 90-120 yr. We derive masses of the binary components between 0.6-1.0 M⊙ for a white dwarf and 0.6-1.4 M⊙ for an evolved star. We present different scenarios on the geometric structure of the disc accounting for the interactions of the binary system, which includes an accretion disc as well. Based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile, ESO N: 079.D-146.

A Study of The Binary and Anomalous Stellar Populations in Two Intermediate-Aged Open Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathieu, Robert D.; Milliman, Katelyn; Geller, Aaron M.; Gosnell, Natalie

2010-08-01

``Anomalous'' stars, such as blue stragglers and more recently sub- subgiants, have been an enduring challenge for stellar evolution theory. It is now clear that in star clusters these systems are closely linked to the binary star populations. Furthermore, sophisticated N-body models show that stellar dynamical processes play a central role in the formation of such anomalous stars. These stars trace the interface between the classical fields of stellar evolution and stellar dynamics. We propose to expand our highly successful radial-velocity survey to include two new rich open clusters NGC 7789 (1.8 Gyr, -0.1 dex) and NGC 2506 (2.1 Gyr, -0.4 dex) as part of the WIYN Open Cluster Study (WOCS). Though these two clusters are both of intermediate age and of similar richness, they have quite different blue straggler populations. NGC 2506 has only 10 known blue stragglers, while NGC 7789 has at least 27, among the largest known populations of blue stragglers in an open cluster. Defining the hard-binary populations in these two clusters is critical for understanding the factors that determine blue straggler production rates. Our proposed observations will establish the hard- binary fraction and frequency distributions of orbital parameters (periods, eccentricities, mass-ratios, etc.) for orbital periods approaching the hard-soft boundary, and will provide a comprehensive survey of the blue stragglers and other anomalous stars, including secure cluster memberships and binary properties. These data will then form direct constraints for detailed N-body open cluster simulations from which we will study the impact of the hard-binary population on the production rates and mechanisms of blue stragglers.

Formation of wide binaries by turbulent fragmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jeong-Eun; Lee, Seokho; Dunham, Michael M.; Tatematsu, Ken'ichi; Choi, Minho; Bergin, Edwin A.; Evans, Neal J.

2017-08-01

Understanding the formation of wide-binary systems of very low-mass stars (M ≤ 0.1 solar masses, M⊙) is challenging 1,2,3 . The most obvious route is through widely separated low-mass collapsing fragments produced by turbulent fragmentation of a molecular core4,5. However, close binaries or multiples from disk fragmentation can also evolve to wide binaries over a few initial crossing times of the stellar cluster through tidal evolution6. Finding an isolated low-mass wide-binary system in the earliest stage of formation, before tidal evolution could occur, would prove that turbulent fragmentation is a viable mechanism for (very) low-mass wide binaries. Here we report high-resolution ALMA observations of a known wide-separation protostellar binary, showing that each component has a circumstellar disk. The system is too young7 to have evolved from a close binary, and the disk axes are misaligned, providing strong support for the turbulent fragmentation model. Masses of both stars are derived from the Keplerian rotation of the disks; both are very low-mass stars.

EINSTEIN-HOME DISCOVERY OF 24 PULSARS IN THE PARKES MULTI-BEAM PULSAR SURVEY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knispel, B.; Kim, H.; Allen, B.

2013-09-10

We have conducted a new search for radio pulsars in compact binary systems in the Parkes multi-beam pulsar survey (PMPS) data, employing novel methods to remove the Doppler modulation from binary motion. This has yielded unparalleled sensitivity to pulsars in compact binaries. The required computation time of Almost-Equal-To 17, 000 CPU core years was provided by the distributed volunteer computing project Einstein-Home, which has a sustained computing power of about 1 PFlop s{sup -1}. We discovered 24 new pulsars in our search, 18 of which were isolated pulsars, and 6 were members of binary systems. Despite the wide filterbank channelsmore » and relatively slow sampling time of the PMPS data, we found pulsars with very large ratios of dispersion measure (DM) to spin period. Among those is PSR J1748-3009, the millisecond pulsar with the highest known DM ( Almost-Equal-To 420 pc cm{sup -3}). We also discovered PSR J1840-0643, which is in a binary system with an orbital period of 937 days, the fourth largest known. The new pulsar J1750-2536 likely belongs to the rare class of intermediate-mass binary pulsars. Three of the isolated pulsars show long-term nulling or intermittency in their emission, further increasing this growing family. Our discoveries demonstrate the value of distributed volunteer computing for data-driven astronomy and the importance of applying new analysis methods to extensively searched data.« less

Formation of black hole x-ray binaries in globular clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kremer, Kyle; Chatterjee, Sourav; Rodriguez, Carl; Rasio, Frederic

2018-01-01

We explore the formation of mass-transferring binary systems containing black holes within globular clusters. We show that it is possible to form mass-transferring binaries with main sequence, giant, and white dwarf companions with a variety of orbital parameters in globular clusters spanning a large range in present-day properties. We show that the presence of mass-transferring black hole systems has little correlation with the total number of black holes within the cluster at any time. In addition to mass-transferring binaries retained within their host clusters at late times, we also examine the black hole and neutron star binaries that are ejected from their host clusters. These ejected systems may contribute to the low-mass x-ray binary population in the galactic field.

Gravitational waves, pulsations, and more : high-speed photometry of low-mass, He-core white dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermes, J. J.

2013-08-01

This dissertation is an observational exploration of the exciting physics that can be enabled by high-speed photometric monitoring of extremely low-mass (< 0.25 Msun) white dwarf stars, which are found in some of the most compact binaries known. It includes the cleanest indirect detection of gravitational waves at visible wavelengths, the discovery of pulsations in He-core WDs, the strongest evidence for excited p-mode pulsations in a WD, the discovery of the first tidally distorted WDs and their use to constrain the low-end of the WD mass-radius relationship, and the strongest cases of Doppler beaming observed in a binary system. It is the result of the more than 220 nights spent at McDonald Observatory doing high-speed photometry with the Argos instrument on the 2.1 m Otto Struve telescope, which has led to a number of additional exciting results, including the discovery of an intermediate timescale in the evolution of cooling DA WDs and the discovery of the most massive pulsating WD, which should have an ONe-core and should be highly crystallized.

Pulsars in binary systems: probing binary stellar evolution and general relativity.

PubMed

Stairs, Ingrid H

2004-04-23

Radio pulsars in binary orbits often have short millisecond spin periods as a result of mass transfer from their companion stars. They therefore act as very precise, stable, moving clocks that allow us to investigate a large set of otherwise inaccessible astrophysical problems. The orbital parameters derived from high-precision binary pulsar timing provide constraints on binary evolution, characteristics of the binary pulsar population, and the masses of neutron stars with different mass-transfer histories. These binary systems also test gravitational theories, setting strong limits on deviations from general relativity. Surveys for new pulsars yield new binary systems that increase our understanding of all these fields and may open up whole new areas of physics, as most spectacularly evidenced by the recent discovery of an extremely relativistic double-pulsar system.

Mass flow in interacting binaries observed in the ultraviolet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kondo, Yoji

1989-01-01

Recent satellite observations of close binary systems show that practically all binaries exhibit evidence of mass flow and that, where the observations are sufficiently detailed, a fraction of the matter flowing out of the mass-losing component is accreted by the companion and the remainder is lost from the binary system. The mass flow is not conservative. During the phase of dynamic mass flow, the companion star becomes immersed in optically-thick plasma and the physical properties of that star elude close scrutiny.

Search for Gravitational Waves from Low Mass Compact Binary Coalescence in LIGO's Sixth Science Run and Virgo's Science Runs 2 and 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adhikari, R.; Affeldt, C.;

Identifying Bright X-Ray Beasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-10-01

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are astronomical sources of X-rays that, while dimmer than active galactic nuclei, are nonetheless brighter than any known stellar process. What are these beasts and why do they shine so brightly?Exceeding the LimitFirst discovered in the 1980s, ULXs are rare sources that have nonetheless been found in all types of galaxies. Though the bright X-ray radiation seems likely to be coming from compact objects accreting gas, theres a problem with this theory: ULXs outshine the Eddington luminosity for stellar-mass compact objects. This means that a stellar-mass object couldnt emit this much radiation isotropically without blowing itself apart.There are two alternative explanations commonly proposed for ULXs:Rather than being accreting stellar-mass compact objects, they are accreting intermediate-mass black holes. A hypothetical black hole of 100 solar masses or more would have a much higher Eddington luminosity than a stellar-mass black hole, making the luminosities that we observe from ULXs feasible.An example of one of the common routes the authors find for a binary system to become a ULX. In this case, the binary begins as two main sequence stars. As one star evolves off the main sequence, the binary undergoes a common envelope phase and a stage of mass transfer. The star ends its life as a supernova, and the resulting neutron star then accretes matter from the main sequence star as a ULX. [Wiktorowicz et al. 2017]They are ordinary X-ray binaries (a stellar-mass compact object accreting matter from a companion star), but they are undergoing a short phase of extreme accretion. During this time, their emission is beamed into jets, making them appear brighter than the Eddington luminosity.Clues from a New DiscoveryA few years ago, a new discovery shed some light on ULXs: M82 X-2, a pulsing ULX. Two more pulsing ULXs have been discovered since then, demonstrating that at least some ULXs contain pulsars i.e., neutron stars as the accreting object. This provided strong support for the second model of ULXs as X-ray binaries with super-Eddington luminosity.But could this model in fact account for all ULXs? A team of authors led by Grzegorz Wiktorowicz (Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, UC Santa Barbara and Warsaw University, Poland) says yes.Time evolution of the number of ULXs since the beginning of star formation, for a star formation burst (left panels) and continuous star formation (right panels), and for solar-metallicity (top panels) and low-metallicity (bottom panels) environments. The heavy solid line shows ULXs with black-hole accretors, the dashed line ULXs with neutron-star accretors, and the solid line the total. [Wiktorowicz et al. 2017]No Exotic Objects NeededWiktorowicz and collaborators performed a massive suite of simulations made possible by donated computer time from the Universe@Home project to examine how 20 million binary systems evolve into X-ray binaries. They then determined the number and nature of the ones that could appear as ULXs to us. The authors results show that the vast majority of the observed population of ULXs can be accounted for with super-Eddington compact binaries, without needing to invoke intermediate-mass black holes.Wiktorowicz and collaborators demonstrate that in environments with short star-formation bursts, black-hole accretors are the most common ULX source in the early periods after the burst, but neutron-star accretors dominate the ULX population after a few 100 Myr. In the case of prolonged and continuous star formation, neutron-star accretors dominate ULXs if the environment is solar metallicity, whereas black-hole accretors dominate in low-metallicity environments.The authors results present very clear and testable relations between the companion and donor star evolutionary stage and the age of the system, which we will hopefully be able to use to test this model with future observations of ULXs.CitationGrzegorz Wiktorowicz et al 2017 ApJ 846 17. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa821d

The formation of high-mass binary star systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lund, Kristin; Bonnell, Ian A.

2018-06-01

We develop a semi-analytic model to investigate how accretion onto wide low-mass binary stars can result in a close high-mass binary system. The key ingredient is to allow mass accretion while limiting the gain in angular momentum. We envision this process as being regulated by an external magnetic field during infall. Molecular clouds are made to collapse spherically with material either accreting onto the stars or settling in a disk. Our aim is to determine what initial conditions are needed for the resulting binary to be both massive and close. Whether material accretes, and what happens to the binary separation as a result, depends on the relative size of its specific angular momentum, compared to the specific angular momentum of the binary. When we add a magnetic field we are introducing a torque to the system which is capable of stripping the molecular cloud of some of its angular momentum, and consequently easing the formation of high-mass binaries. Our results suggest that clouds in excess of 1000 M⊙ and radii of 0.5 pc or larger, can easily form binary systems with masses in excess of 25 M⊙ and separations of order 10 R⊙ with magnetic fields of order 100 μG (mass-to-flux ratios of order 5).

Timing of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Amico, Nichi; Possenti, Andrea; Manchester, Dick; Johnston, Simon; Kramer, Michael; Sarkissian, John; Lyne, Andrew; Burgay, Marta; Corongiu, Alessandro; Camilo, Fernando; Bailes, Matthew; van Straten, Willem

2013-10-01

Timing of the dozen pulsars discovered by us in P303 is ensuring high quality results: (a) the peculiarities (in position or projected acceleration) of all the 5 millisecond pulsars in NGC6752 suggested the presence of non thermal dynamics in the core, perhaps due to black-holes of intermediate mass; (b) the eclipsing pulsar in NGC6397 is a stereotype for studying the late evolution of exotic binaries. We propose to continue our timing project focusing mostly on NGC6752 at 20cm (in order to measure additional parameters useful to constrain the existence of a black-hole) and NGC6397 at 10cm (for studying the orbital secular evolution, the eclipse region, and the role played by the high energy photons released from the pulsar in the ejection of matter from the binary system).

Timing of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Amico, Nichi; Possenti, Andrea; Manchester, Dick; Johnston, Simon; Kramer, Michael; Sarkissian, John; Lyne, Andrew; Burgay, Marta; Corongiu, Alessandro; Camilo, Fernando; Bailes, Matthew; van Straten, Willem

2014-04-01

Timing of the dozen pulsars discovered by us in P303 is ensuring high quality results: (a) the peculiarities (in position or projected acceleration) of all the 5 millisecond pulsars in NGC6752 suggested the presence of non thermal dynamics in the core, perhaps due to black-holes of intermediate mass; (b) the eclipsing pulsar in NGC6397 is a stereotype for studying the late evolution of exotic binaries. We propose to continue our timing project focusing mostly on NGC6752 at 20cm (in order to measure additional parameters useful to constrain the existence of a black-hole) and NGC6397 at 10cm (for studying the orbital secular evolution, the eclipse region, and the role played by the high energy photons released from the pulsar in the ejection of matter from the binary system).

The first Doppler images of the eclipsing binary SZ Piscium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Yue; Gu, Shenghong; Cameron, A. Collier; Barnes, J. R.; Zhang, Liyun

2016-02-01

We present the first Doppler images of the active eclipsing binary system SZ Psc, based on the high-resolution spectral data sets obtained in 2004 November and 2006 September-December. The least-squares deconvolution technique was applied to derive high signal-to-noise profiles from the observed spectra of SZ Psc. Absorption features contributed by a third component of the system were detected in the LSD profiles at all observed phases. We estimated the mass and period of the third component to be about 0.9 M⊙ and 1283 ± 10 d, respectively. After removing the contribution of the third body from the least-squares deconvolved profiles, we derived the surface maps of SZ Psc. The resulting Doppler images indicate significant star-spot activities on the surface of the K subgiant component. The distributions of star-spots are more complex than that revealed by previous photometric studies. The cooler K component exhibited pronounced high-latitude spots as well as numerous low- and intermediate-latitude spot groups during the entire observing seasons, but did not show any large, stable polar cap, different from many other active RS CVn-type binaries.

Binary Systems and the Initial Mass Function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malkov, O. Yu.

2017-07-01

In the present paper we discuss advantages and disadvantages of binary stars, which are important for star formation history determination. We show that to make definite conclusions of the initial mass function shape, it is necessary to study binary population well enough to correct the luminosity function for unresolved binaries; to construct the mass-luminosity relation based on wide binaries data, and to separate observational mass functions of primaries, of secondaries, and of unresolved binaries.

Puzzling accretion onto a black hole in the ultraluminous X-ray source M 101 ULX-1.

PubMed

Liu, Ji-Feng; Bregman, Joel N; Bai, Yu; Justham, Stephen; Crowther, Paul

2013-11-28

There are two proposed explanations for ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) with luminosities in excess of 10(39) erg s(-1). They could be intermediate-mass black holes (more than 100-1,000 solar masses, M sun symbol) radiating at sub-maximal (sub-Eddington) rates, as in Galactic black-hole X-ray binaries but with larger, cooler accretion disks. Alternatively, they could be stellar-mass black holes radiating at Eddington or super-Eddington rates. On its discovery, M 101 ULX-1 had a luminosity of 3 × 10(39) erg s(-1) and a supersoft thermal disk spectrum with an exceptionally low temperature--uncomplicated by photons energized by a corona of hot electrons--more consistent with the expected appearance of an accreting intermediate-mass black hole. Here we report optical spectroscopic monitoring of M 101 ULX-1. We confirm the previous suggestion that the system contains a Wolf-Rayet star, and reveal that the orbital period is 8.2 days. The black hole has a minimum mass of 5 M sun symbol, and more probably a mass of 20 M sun symbol-30 M sun symbol, but we argue that it is very unlikely to be an intermediate-mass black hole. Therefore, its exceptionally soft spectra at high Eddington ratios violate the expectations for accretion onto stellar-mass black holes. Accretion must occur from captured stellar wind, which has hitherto been thought to be so inefficient that it could not power an ultraluminous source.

Mass transfer in white dwarf-neutron star binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bobrick, Alexey; Davies, Melvyn B.; Church, Ross P.

2017-05-01

We perform hydrodynamic simulations of mass transfer in binaries that contain a white dwarf and a neutron star (WD-NS binaries), and measure the specific angular momentum of material lost from the binary in disc winds. By incorporating our results within a long-term evolution model, we measure the long-term stability of mass transfer in these binaries. We find that only binaries containing helium white dwarfs (WDs) with masses less than a critical mass of MWD, crit = 0.2 M⊙ undergo stable mass transfer and evolve into ultracompact X-ray binaries. Systems with higher mass WDs experience unstable mass transfer, which leads to tidal disruption of the WD. Our low critical mass compared to the standard jet-only model of mass-loss arises from the efficient removal of angular momentum in the mechanical disc winds, which develop at highly super-Eddington mass-transfer rates. We find that the eccentricities expected for WD-NS binaries when they come into contact do not affect the loss of angular momentum, and can only affect the long-term evolution if they change on shorter time-scales than the mass-transfer rate. Our results are broadly consistent with the observed numbers of both ultracompact X-ray binaries and radio pulsars with WD companions. The observed calcium-rich gap transients are consistent with the merger rate of unstable systems with higher mass WDs.

Fundmental Parameters of Low-Mass Stars, Brown Dwarfs, and Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montet, Benjamin; Johnson, John A.; Bowler, Brendan; Shkolnik, Evgenya

2016-01-01

Despite advances in evolutionary models of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, these models remain poorly constrained by observations. In order to test these predictions directly, masses of individual stars must be measured and combined with broadband photometry and medium-resolution spectroscopy to probe stellar atmospheres. I will present results from an astrometric and spectroscopic survey of low-mass pre-main sequence binary stars to measure individual dynamical masses and compare to model predictions. This is the first systematic test of a large number of stellar systems of intermediate age between young star-forming regions and old field stars. Stars in our sample are members of the Tuc-Hor, AB Doradus, and beta Pictoris moving groups, the last of which includes GJ 3305 AB, the wide binary companion to the imaged exoplanet host 51 Eri. I will also present results of Spitzer observations of secondary eclipses of LHS 6343 C, a T dwarf transiting one member of an M+M binary in the Kepler field. By combining these data with Kepler photometry and radial velocity observations, we can measure the luminosity, mass, and radius of the brown dwarf. This is the first non-inflated brown dwarf for which all three of these parameters have been measured, providing the first benchmark to test model predictions of the masses and radii of field T dwarfs. I will discuss these results in the context of K2 and TESS, which will find additional benchmark transiting brown dwarfs over the course of their missions, including a description of the first planet catalog developed from K2 data and a program to search for transiting planets around mid-M dwarfs.

Flare Activity of Wide Binary Stars with Kepler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, Riley W.; Davenport, James R. A.; Covey, Kevin R.; Baranec, Christoph

2018-01-01

We present an analysis of flare activity in wide binary stars using a combination of value-added data sets from the NASA Kepler mission. The target list contains a set of previously discovered wide binary star systems identified by proper motions in the Kepler field. We cross-matched these systems with estimates of flare activity for ∼200,000 stars in the Kepler field, allowing us to compare relative flare luminosity between stars in coeval binaries. From a sample of 184 previously known wide binaries in the Kepler field, we find 58 with detectable flare activity in at least 1 component, 33 of which are similar in mass (q > 0.8). Of these 33 equal-mass binaries, the majority display similar (±1 dex) flare luminosity between both stars, as expected for stars of equal mass and age. However, we find two equal-mass pairs where the secondary (lower mass) star is more active than its counterpart, and two equal-mass pairs where the primary star is more active. The stellar rotation periods are also anomalously fast for stars with elevated flare activity. Pairs with discrepant rotation and activity qualitatively seem to have lower mass ratios. These outliers may be due to tidal spin-up, indicating these wide binaries could be hierarchical triple systems. We additionally present high-resolution adaptive optics images for two wide binary systems to test this hypothesis. The demographics of stellar rotation and magnetic activity between stars in wide binaries may be useful indicators for discerning the formation scenarios of these systems.

Interactions of X-ray Binaries with Their Surrounding Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Servillat, Mathieu; Chaty, S.; Coleiro, A.; Tang, S.; Grindlay, J. E.; Los, E.

2013-04-01

We can observe the interactions of high mass X-ray binaries with their surrounding material in two complementary ways: variability over long time scales, and direct infrared observation of dust/gas. This gives unprecedented clues on the formation and evolution of those systems. Using Herschel infrared observations of high mass X-ray binaries and of ultra-luminous X-ray sources, we aim to detect and characterize the surrounding material. In the case of ultra-luminous X-ray sources, due to the enormous amount of energy radiated, strong interactions with their environment are expected, particularly if the emission is not beamed and if they host an intermediate mass black hole. This provides a unique test for the existence of such objects. The Digital Access to a Sky Century at Harvard (DASCH) is a project to digitize and analyze the scientific data contained in the 530 000 Harvard College Observatory plates taken between the 1880s and 1990s, which is a unique resource for studying temporal variations in the universe on 10-100 yr timescales. The Be star SAO 49275 shows significant slow variability of 1 magnitude on time scales 10-50 years. This variability seems connected to the formation and disappearance of the decretion disk of the Be star, maybe triggered by the presence of a compact object companion, possibly a white dwarf.

Polar alignment of a protoplanetary disc around an eccentric binary II: Effect of binary and disc parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Rebecca G.; Lubow, Stephen H.

2018-06-01

In a recent paper Martin & Lubow showed that a circumbinary disc around an eccentric binary can undergo damped nodal oscillations that lead to the polar (perpendicular) alignment of the disc relative to the binary orbit. The disc angular momentum vector aligns to the eccentricity vector of the binary. We explore the robustness of this mechanism for a low mass disc (0.001 of the binary mass) and its dependence on system parameters by means of hydrodynamic disc simulations. We describe how the evolution depends upon the disc viscosity, temperature, size, binary mass ratio, orbital eccentricity and inclination. We compare results with predictions of linear theory. We show that polar alignment of a low mass disc may occur over a wide range of binary-disc parameters. We discuss the application of our results to the formation of planetary systems around eccentric binary stars.

Fluoride salts as phase change materials for thermal energy storage in the temperature range 1000-1400 K

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Misra, Ajay K.

1988-01-01

Eutectic compositions and congruently melting intermediate compounds in binary and ternary fluoride salt systems were characterized for potential use as latent heat of fusion phase change materials to store thermal energy in the temperature range 1000-1400 K. The melting points and eutectic compositions for many systems with published phase diagrams were experimentally verified and new eutectic compositions having melting points between 1000 and 1400 K were identified. Heats of fusion of several binary and ternary eutectics and congruently melting compounds were experimentally measured by differential scanning calorimetry. For a few systems in which heats of mixing in the melts have been measured, heats of fusion of the eutectics were calculated from thermodynamic considerations and good agreement was obtained between the measured and calculated values. Several combinations of salts with high heats of fusion per unit mass (greater than 0.7 kJ/g) have been identified for possible use as phase change materials in advanced solar dynamic space power applications.

Mind Your Ps and Qs: The Interrelation between Period (P) and Mass-ratio (Q) Distributions of Binary Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moe, Maxwell; Di Stefano, Rosanne

2017-06-01

We compile observations of early-type binaries identified via spectroscopy, eclipses, long-baseline interferometry, adaptive optics, common proper motion, etc. Each observational technique is sensitive to companions across a narrow parameter space of orbital periods P and mass ratios q = {M}{comp}/M 1. After combining the samples from the various surveys and correcting for their respective selection effects, we find that the properties of companions to O-type and B-type main-sequence (MS) stars differ among three regimes. First, at short orbital periods P ≲ 20 days (separations a ≲ 0.4 au), the binaries have small eccentricities e ≲ 0.4, favor modest mass ratios < q> ≈ 0.5, and exhibit a small excess of twins q > 0.95. Second, the companion frequency peaks at intermediate periods log P (days) ≈ 3.5 (a ≈ 10 au), where the binaries have mass ratios weighted toward small values q ≈ 0.2-0.3 and follow a Maxwellian “thermal” eccentricity distribution. Finally, companions with long orbital periods log P (days) ≈ 5.5-7.5 (a ≈ 200-5000 au) are outer tertiary components in hierarchical triples and have a mass ratio distribution across q ≈ 0.1-1.0 that is nearly consistent with random pairings drawn from the initial mass function. We discuss these companion distributions and properties in the context of binary-star formation and evolution. We also reanalyze the binary statistics of solar-type MS primaries, taking into account that 30% ± 10% of single-lined spectroscopic binaries likely contain white dwarf companions instead of low-mass stellar secondaries. The mean frequency of stellar companions with q > 0.1 and log P (days) < 8.0 per primary increases from 0.50 ± 0.04 for solar-type MS primaries to 2.1 ± 0.3 for O-type MS primaries. We fit joint probability density functions f({M}1,q,P,e)\

A Pulsar and White Dwarf in an Unexpected Orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-11-01

Astronomers have discovered a binary system consisting of a low-mass white dwarf and a millisecond pulsar but its eccentric orbit defies all expectations of how such binaries form.Observed orbital periods and binary eccentricities for binary millisecond pulsars. PSR J2234+0511 is the furthest right of the green stars that mark the five known eccentric systems. [Antoniadis et al. 2016]Unusual EccentricityIt would take a low-mass (0.4 solar masses) white dwarf over 100 billion years to form from the evolution of a single star. Since this is longer than the age of the universe, we believe that these lightweights are instead products of binary-star evolution and indeed, we observe many of these stars to still be in binary systems.But the binary evolution that can create a low-mass white dwarf includes a period of mass transfer, in which efficient tidal dissipation damps the systems orbital eccentricity. Because of this, we would expect all systems containing low-mass white dwarfs to have circular orbits.In the past, our observations of low-mass white dwarfmillisecond pulsar binaries have all been consistent with this expectation. But a new detection has thrown a wrench in the works: the unambiguous identification of a low-mass white dwarf thats in an eccentric (e=0.13) orbit with the millisecond pulsar PSR J2234+0511. How could this system have formed?Eliminating Formation ModelsLed by John Antoniadis (Dunlap Institute at University of Toronto), a team of scientists has used newly obtained optical photometry (from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey) and spectroscopy (from the Very Large Telescope in Chile) of the white dwarf to confirm the identification of this system.Antoniadis and collaborators then use measurements of the bodies masses (0.28 and 1.4 solar masses for the white dwarf and pulsar, respectively) and velocities, and constraints on the white dwarfs temperature, radius and surface gravity, to address three proposed models for the formation of this system.The 3D motion of the pulsar (black solid lines; current position marked with diamond) in our galaxy over the past 1.5 Gyr. This motion is typical for low-mass X-ray binary descendants, favoring a binary-evolution model over a 3-body-interaction model. [Antoniadis et al. 2016]In the first model, the eccentric binary was created via adynamic three-body formation channel. This possibility is deemed unlikely, as the white-dwarf properties and all the kinematic properties of the system point to normal binary evolution.In the secondmodel, the binary system gains its high eccentricity after mass transfer ends, when the pulsar progenitor experiences a spontaneous phase transition. The authors explore two options for this: one in which the neutron star implodes into a strange-quark star, and the other in which an over-massive white dwarf suffers a delayed collapse into a neutron star. Both cases are deemed unlikely, because the mass inferred for the pulsar progenitor is not consistent with either model.In the third model, the system forms a circumbinary disk fueled by material escaping the proto-white dwarf. After mass transfer has ended, interactions between the binary and its disk gradually increase the eccentricity of the system, pumping it up to what we observe today. All of the properties of the system measured by Antoniadis and collaborators are thus far consistent with this model.Further observations of this system and systems like it (several others have been detected, though not yet confirmed) will help determine whether binary evolution combined with interactions with a disk can indeed explain the formation of this unexpectedly eccentricsystem.CitationJohn Antoniadis et al 2016 ApJ 830 36. doi:10.3847/0004-637X/830/1/36

Search for gravitational waves from low mass compact binary coalescence in LIGO's sixth science run and Virgo's science runs 2 and 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adhikari, R.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Allen, G. S.; Amador Ceron, E.; Amariutei, D.; Amin, R. S.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Arain, M. A.; Araya, M. C.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Atkinson, D.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barriga, P.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Bastarrika, M.; Basti, A.; Batch, J.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th. S.; Bebronne, M.; Behnke, B.; Beker, M. G.; Bell, A. S.; Belletoile, A.; Belopolski, I.; Benacquista, M.; Berliner, J. M.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Beveridge, N.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Biswas, R.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Bland, B.; Blom, M.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Bogan, C.; Bondarescu, R.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Boschi, V.; Bose, S.; Bosi, L.; Bouhou, B.; Braccini, S.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Breyer, J.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Britzger, M.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brummit, A.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Burguet–Castell, J.; Burmeister, O.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campsie, P.; Cannizzo, J.; Cannon, K.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Caride, S.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chaibi, O.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chalkley, E.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chelkowski, S.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H.; Christensen, N.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, C. T. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, D. E.; Clark, J.; Clayton, J. H.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colacino, C. N.; Colas, J.; Colla, A.; Colombini, M.; Conte, A.; Conte, R.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordier, M.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M.; Coulon, J.-P.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Coyne, D. C.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Cruise, A. M.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Cutler, R. M.; Dahl, K.; Danilishin, S. L.; Dannenberg, R.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daudert, B.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Davies, G.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; De Rosa, R.; DeBra, D.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; Del Pozzo, W.; del Prete, M.; Dent, T.; Dergachev, V.; DeRosa, R.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Paolo Emilio, M.; Di Virgilio, A.; Díaz, M.; Dietz, A.; DiGuglielmo, J.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Dorsher, S.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Dumas, J.-C.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edgar, M.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Ehrens, P.; Endrőczi, G.; Engel, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, K.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fan, Y.; Farr, B. F.; Farr, W.; Fazi, D.; Fehrmann, H.; Feldbaum, D.; Ferrante, I.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Flanigan, M.; Foley, S.; Forsi, E.; Forte, L. A.; Fotopoulos, N.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franc, J.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Friedrich, D.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P. J.; Fyffe, M.; Galimberti, M.; Gammaitoni, L.; Ganija, M. R.; Garcia, J.; Garofoli, J. A.; Garufi, F.; Gáspár, M. E.; Gemme, G.; Geng, R.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Gergely, L. Á.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giampanis, S.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, C.; Goetz, E.; Goggin, L. M.; González, G.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Graef, C.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Gray, N.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Greverie, C.; Grosso, R.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C.; Gupta, R.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Ha, T.; Hage, B.; Hallam, J. M.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Hardt, A.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Hartman, M. T.; Haughian, K.; Hayama, K.; Hayau, J.-F.; Heefner, J.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M. C.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hendry, M. A.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Herrera, V.; Hewitson, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Hong, T.; Hooper, S.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; Jang, H.; Jaranowski, P.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, G.; Jones, R.; Ju, L.; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kamaretsos, I.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kawabe, K.; Kawamura, S.; Kawazoe, F.; Kells, W.; Keppel, D. G.; Keresztes, Z.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, B.; Kim, C.; Kim, D.; Kim, H.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, Y.-M.; King, P. J.; Kinsey, M.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Kopparapu, R.; Koranda, S.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D.; Kringel, V.; Krishnamurthy, S.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, R.; Kwee, P.; Lam, P. K.; Landry, M.; Lang, M.; Lantz, B.; Lastzka, N.; Lawrie, C.; Lazzarini, A.; Leaci, P.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, H. M.; Leindecker, N.; Leong, J. R.; Leonor, I.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Li, J.; Li, T. G. F.; Liguori, N.; Lindquist, P. E.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lodhia, D.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Luan, J.; Lubinski, M.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Macdonald, E.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Mageswaran, M.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Man, N.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mantovani, M.; Marandi, A.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McKechan, D. J. A.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meier, T.; Melatos, A.; Melissinos, A. C.; Mendell, G.; Menendez, D.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyer, M. S.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Milano, L.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Miyakawa, O.; Moe, B.; Moesta, P.; Mohan, M.; Mohanty, S. D.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Morgia, A.; Mori, T.; Mosca, S.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Müller-Ebhardt, H.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nash, T.; Naticchioni, L.; Nawrodt, R.; Necula, V.; Nelson, J.; Newton, G.; Nishizawa, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Nuttall, L.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Oldenburg, R. G.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ott, C. D.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Page, A.; Pagliaroli, G.; Palladino, L.; Palomba, C.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Papa, M. A.; Parisi, M.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patel, P.; Pedraza, M.; Peiris, P.; Pekowsky, L.; Penn, S.; Peralta, C.; Perreca, A.; Persichetti, G.; Phelps, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pietka, M.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Pletsch, H. J.; Plissi, M. V.; Poggiani, R.; Pöld, J.; Postiglione, F.; Prato, M.; Predoi, V.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Quetschke, V.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramet, C. R.; Rankins, B.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Re, V.; Redwine, K.; Reed, C. M.; Reed, T.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Ricci, F.; Riesen, R.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Robinson, C.; Robinson, E. L.; Rocchi, A.; Roddy, S.; Rodriguez, C.; Rodruck, M.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J.; Romano, J. D.; Romano, R.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Röver, C.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Ryll, H.; Sainathan, P.; Sakosky, M.; Salemi, F.; Samblowski, A.; Sammut, L.; Sancho de la Jordana, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sankar, S.; Sannibale, V.; Santamaría, L.; Santiago-Prieto, I.; Santostasi, G.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Sato, S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R. L.; Schilling, R.; Schlamminger, S.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schulz, B.; Schutz, B. F.; Schwinberg, P.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Searle, A. C.; Seifert, F.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sibley, A.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Sintes, A. M.; Skelton, G.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M. R.; Smith, N. D.; Smith, R. J. E.; Somiya, K.; Sorazu, B.; Soto, J.; Speirits, F. C.; Sperandio, L.; Stefszky, M.; Stein, A. J.; Steinert, E.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steplewski, S.; Stochino, A.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Strigin, S.; Stroeer, A. S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sung, M.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Tacca, M.; Taffarello, L.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, J. R.; Taylor, R.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Thüring, A.; Titsler, C.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Torre, O.; Torres, C.; Torrie, C. I.; Tournefier, E.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Trias, M.; Tseng, K.; Tucker, E.; Ugolini, D.; Urbanek, K.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; van der Putten, S.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasuth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vavoulidis, M.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Veltkamp, C.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Villar, A. E.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vitale, S.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vyatchanin, S. P.; Wade, A.; Waldman, S. J.; Wallace, L.; Wan, Y.; Wang, X.; Wang, Z.; Wanner, A.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Wei, P.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Wen, L.; Wen, S.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whitcomb, S. E.; White, D.; Whiting, B. F.; Wilkinson, C.; Willems, P. A.; Williams, H. R.; Williams, L.; Willke, B.; Winkelmann, L.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wiseman, A. G.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Wooley, R.; Worden, J.; Yablon, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yamamoto, K.; Yang, H.; Yeaton-Massey, D.; Yoshida, S.; Yu, P.; Yvert, M.; Zadroźny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, W.; Zhang, Z.; Zhao, C.; Zotov, N.; Zucker, M. E.; Zweizig, J.

2012-04-01

We report on a search for gravitational waves from coalescing compact binaries using LIGO and Virgo observations between July 7, 2009, and October 20, 2010. We searched for signals from binaries with total mass between 2 and 25M⊙; this includes binary neutron stars, binary black holes, and binaries consisting of a black hole and neutron star. The detectors were sensitive to systems up to 40 Mpc distant for binary neutron stars, and further for higher mass systems. No gravitational-wave signals were detected. We report upper limits on the rate of compact binary coalescence as a function of total mass, including the results from previous LIGO and Virgo observations. The cumulative 90% confidence rate upper limits of the binary coalescence of binary neutron star, neutron star-black hole, and binary black hole systems are 1.3×10-4, 3.1×10-5, and 6.4×10-6Mpc-3yr-1, respectively. These upper limits are up to a factor 1.4 lower than previously derived limits. We also report on results from a blind injection challenge.

Constraining Binary Asteroid Mass Distributions Based On Mutual Motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Alex B.; Scheeres, Daniel J.

2017-06-01

The mutual gravitational potential and torques of binary asteroid systems results in a complex coupling of attitude and orbital motion based on the mass distribution of each body. For a doubly-synchronous binary system observations of the mutual motion can be leveraged to identify and measure the unique mass distributions of each body. By implementing arbitrary shape and order computation of the full two-body problem (F2BP) equilibria we study the influence of asteroid asymmetries on separation and orientation of a doubly-synchronous system. Additionally, simulations of binary systems perturbed from doubly-synchronous behavior are studied to understand the effects of mass distribution perturbations on precession and nutation rates such that unique behaviors can be isolated and used to measure asteroid mass distributions. We apply our investigation to the Trojan binary asteroid system 617 Patroclus and Menoetius (1906 VY), which will be the final flyby target of the recently announced LUCY Discovery mission in March 2033. This binary asteroid system is of particular interest due to the results of a recent stellar occultation study (DPS 46, id.506.09) that suggests the system to be doubly-synchronous and consisting of two-similarly sized oblate ellipsoids, in addition to suggesting the presence mass asymmetries resulting from an impact crater on the southern limb of Menoetius.

The Age of Upper Scorpius from Eclipsing Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

David, Trevor; Hillenbrand, Lynne

2018-01-01

The Upper Scorpius OB association is the nearest region of recent massive star formation and thus an important benchmark for investigations concerning astrophysical timescales. Classical estimates of the association age based on the kinematics of high-mass members and a Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram of the full stellar population established an age of 5 Myr. However, recent analyses based on the H-R diagram for intermediate- and high-mass members suggest an older age of 11 Myr. Importantly, the H-R diagram ages of stars in Upper Scorpius (and other clusters of a similar age) are mass-dependent, such that low-mass members appear younger than their high-mass counterparts. Here we report an age that is self-consistent in the mass range of 0.3–5 M⊙, and based on the fundamentally-determined masses and radii of eclipsing binaries (EBs). We present nine EBs in Upper Scorpius, four of which are newly reported here and all of which were discovered from K2 photometry. Joint fitting of the eclipse photometry and radial velocities from newly acquired Keck-I/HIRES spectra yields precise masses and radii for those systems that are spectroscopically double-lined. We identify one of the EB components as a slowly pulsating B-star. We use these EBs to develop an empirical mass-radius relation for pre-main-sequence stars, and to evaluate the predictions of widely-used stellar evolutionary models. Our results are consistent with previous studies that indicate most models underestimate the masses of low-mass stars by tens of percent based on H-R diagram analyses. Models including the effects of magnetic fields produce better agreement between the observed bulk and radiative parameters of these young, low-mass stars. From the orbital elements and photometrically inferred rotation periods, we consider the dynamical states of several binaries and compare with expectations from tidal dissipation theories.

From wide to close binaries?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eggleton, Peter P.

The mechanisms by which the periods of wide binaries (mass 8 solar mass or less and period 10-3000 d) are lengthened or shortened are discussed, synthesizing the results of recent theoretical investigations. A system of nomenclature involving seven evolutionary states, three geometrical states, and 10 types of orbital-period evolution is developed and applied; classifications of 71 binaries are presented in a table along with the basic observational parameters. Evolutionary processes in wide binaries (single-star-type winds, magnetic braking with tidal friction, and companion-reinforced attrition), late case B systems, low-mass X-ray binaries, and triple systems are examined in detail, and possible evolutionary paths are shown in diagrams.

Jetted tidal disruptions of stars as a flag of intermediate mass black holes at high redshifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fialkov, Anastasia; Loeb, Abraham

2017-11-01

Tidal disruption events (TDEs) of stars by single or binary supermassive black holes (SMBHs) brighten galactic nuclei and reveal a population of otherwise dormant black holes. Adopting event rates from the literature, we aim to establish general trends in the redshift evolution of the TDE number counts and their observable signals. We pay particular attention to (I) jetted TDEs whose luminosity is boosted by relativistic beaming and (II) TDEs around binary black holes. We show that the brightest (jetted) TDEs are expected to be produced by massive black hole binaries if the occupancy of intermediate mass black holes (IMBHs) in low-mass galaxies is high. The same binary population will also provide gravitational wave sources for the evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. In addition, we find that the shape of the X-ray luminosity function of TDEs strongly depends on the occupancy of IMBHs and could be used to constrain scenarios of SMBH formation. Finally, we make predictions for the expected number of TDEs observed by future X-ray telescopes finding that a 50 times more sensitive instrument than the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on board the Swift satellite is expected to trigger ˜10 times more events than BAT, while 6-20 TDEs are expected in each deep field observed by a telescope 50 times more sensitive than the Chandra X-ray Observatory if the occupation fraction of IMBHs is high. Because of their long decay times, high-redshift TDEs can be mistaken for fixed point sources in deep field surveys and targeted observations of the same deep field with year-long intervals could reveal TDEs.

Inter-Longitude Astronomy (ILA) Project: Current Highlights And Perspectives. I. Magnetic vs. Non-Magnetic Interacting Binary Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andronov, I. L.; Antoniuk, K. A.; Baklanov, A. V.; Breus, V. V.; Burwitz, V.; Chinarova, L. L.; Chochol, D.; Dubovsky, P. A.; Han, W.; Hegedus, T.; Henden, A.; Hric, L.; Chun-Hwey, Kim; Yonggi, Kim; Kolesnikov, S. V.; Kudzej, I.; Liakos, A.; Niarchos, P. G.; Oksanen, A.; Patkos, L.; Petrik, K.; Pit', N. V.; Shakhovskoy, N. M.; Virnina, N. A.; Yoon, J.; Zola, S.

2010-12-01

We present a review of highlights of our photometric and photo-polarimetric monitoring and mathematical modeling of interacting binary stars of different types classical, asynchronous, intermedi ate polars with 25 timescales corresponding to differ ent physical mechanisms and their combinations (part "Polar"); negative and positive superhumpers in nova- like and dwarf novae stars ("Superhumper"); symbiotic ("Symbiosis"); eclipsing variables with and without ev idence for a current mass transfer ("Eclipser") with a special emphasis on systems with a direct impact of the stream into the gainor star's atmosphere, which we propose to call "Impactors", or V361 Lyr-type stars. Other parts of the ILA project are "Stellar Bell" (pul sating variables of different types and periods - M, SR, RV Tau, RR Lyr, Delta Sct) and "New Variable".

An axion-like scalar field environment effect on binary black hole merger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Qing; Ji, Li-Wei; Hu, Bin; Cao, Zhou-Jian; Cai, Rong-Gen

2018-06-01

The environment, such as an accretion disk, could modify the signal of the gravitational wave from astrophysical black hole binaries. In this article, we model the matter field around intermediate-mass binary black holes by means of an axion-like scalar field and investigate their joint evolution. In detail, we consider equal mass binary black holes surrounded by a shell of axion-like scalar field both in spherically symmetric and non-spherically symmetric cases, and with different strengths of the scalar field. Our result shows that the environmental scalar field could essentially modify the dynamics. Firstly, in the spherically symmetric case, with increase of the scalar field strength, the number of circular orbits for the binary black hole is reduced. This means that the scalar field could significantly accelerate the merger process. Secondly, once the scalar field strength exceeds a certain critical value, the scalar field could collapse into a third black hole with its mass being larger than that of the binary. Consequently, the new black hole that collapses from the environmental scalar field could accrete the binary promptly and the binary collides head-on with each other. In this process, there is almost no quadrupole signal produced, and, consequently, the gravitational wave is greatly suppressed. Thirdly, when the scalar field strength is relatively smaller than the critical value, the black hole orbit could develop eccentricity through accretion of the scalar field. Fourthly, during the initial stage of the inspiral, the gravitational attractive force from the axion-like scalar field could induce a sudden turn in the binary orbits, hence resulting in a transient wiggle in the gravitational waveform. Finally, in the non-spherical case, the scalar field could gravitationally attract the binary moving toward the center of mass for the scalar field and slow down the merger process.

Accreting Black Hole Binaries in Globular Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kremer, Kyle; Chatterjee, Sourav; Rodriguez, Carl L.; Rasio, Frederic A.

2018-01-01

We explore the formation of mass-transferring binary systems containing black holes (BHs) within globular clusters (GC). We show that it is possible to form mass-transferring BH binaries with main sequence, giant, and white dwarf companions with a variety of orbital parameters in GCs spanning a large range in present-day properties. All mass-transferring BH binaries found in our models at late times are dynamically created. The BHs in these systems experienced a median of ∼30 dynamical encounters within the cluster before and after acquiring the donor. Furthermore, we show that the presence of mass-transferring BH systems has little correlation with the total number of BHs within the cluster at any time. This is because the net rate of formation of BH–non-BH binaries in a cluster is largely independent of the total number of retained BHs. Our results suggest that the detection of a mass-transferring BH binary in a GC does not necessarily indicate that the host cluster contains a large BH population.

Wind-accelerated orbital evolution in binary systems with giant stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhuo; Blackman, Eric G.; Nordhaus, Jason; Frank, Adam; Carroll-Nellenback, Jonathan

2018-01-01

Using 3D radiation-hydrodynamic simulations and analytic theory, we study the orbital evolution of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) binary systems for various initial orbital separations and mass ratios, and thus different initial accretion modes. The time evolution of binary separations and orbital periods are calculated directly from the averaged mass-loss rate, accretion rate and angular momentum loss rate. We separately consider spin-orbit synchronized and zero-spin AGB cases. We find that the angular momentum carried away by the mass loss together with the mass transfer can effectively shrink the orbit when accretion occurs via wind-Roche lobe overflow. In contrast, the larger fraction of mass lost in Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accreting systems acts to enlarge the orbit. Synchronized binaries tend to experience stronger orbital period decay in close binaries. We also find that orbital period decay is faster when we account for the non-linear evolution of the accretion mode as the binary starts to tighten. This can increase the fraction of binaries that result in common envelope, luminous red novae, Type Ia supernovae and planetary nebulae with tight central binaries. The results also imply that planets in the habitable zone around white dwarfs are unlikely to be found.

Not Alone: Tracing the Origins of Very-Low-Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs Through Multiplicity Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgasser, A. J.; Reid, I. N.; Siegler, N.; Close, L.; Allen, P.; Lowrance, P.; Gizis, J.

The properties of multiple stellar systems have long provided important empirical constraints for star-formation theories, enabling (along with several other lines of evidence) a concrete, qualitative picture of the birth and early evolution of normal stars. At very low masses (VLM; M ? 0.1 solar mass), down to and below the hydrogen-burning minimum mass, our understanding of formation processes is not as clear, with several competing theories now under consideration. One means of testing these theories is through the empirical characterization of VLM multiple systems. Here, we review the results of various VLM multiplicity studies to date. These systems can be generally characterized as closely separated (93% have projected separations ? < 20 AU), near equal-mass (77% have M2/M1 ? 0.8) and occurring infrequently (perhaps 10-30% of systems are binary). Both the frequency and maximum separation of stellar and brown dwarf binaries steadily decrease for lower system masses, suggesting that VLM binary formation and/or evolution may be a mass-dependent process. There is evidence for a fairly rapid decline in the number of loosely bound systems below ~0.3 solar mass, corresponding to a factor of 10-20 increase in the minimum binding energy of VLM binaries as compared to more massive stellar binaries. This wide-separation "desert" is present among both field (~1-5 G.y.) and older (>100 m.y.) cluster systems, while the youngest (<10 m.y.) VLM binaries, particularly those in nearby, low-density star-forming regions, appear to have somewhat different systemic properties. We compare these empirical trends to predictions laid out by current formation theories, and outline future observational studies needed to probe the full parameter space of the lowest-mass multiple systems.

Three-dimensional Hydrodynamical Simulations of Mass Transfer in Binary Systems by a Free Wind

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Zheng-Wei; Stancliffe, Richard J.; Abate, Carlo

A large fraction of stars in binary systems are expected to undergo mass and angular momentum exchange at some point in their evolution, which can drastically alter the chemical and dynamical properties and fates of the systems. Interaction by stellar wind is an important process in wide binaries. However, the details of wind mass transfer are still not well understood. We perform three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of wind mass transfer in binary systems to explore mass-accretion efficiencies and geometries of mass outflows, for a range of mass ratios from 0.05 to 1.0. In particular, we focus on the case of amore » free wind, in which some physical mechanism accelerates the expelled wind material balancing the gravity of the mass-losing star with the wind velocity comparable to the orbital velocity of the system. We find that the mass-accretion efficiency and accreted specific angular momentum increase with the mass ratio of the system. For an adiabatic wind, we obtain that the accretion efficiency onto the secondary star varies from about 0.1% to 8% for mass ratios between 0.05 and 1.0.« less

The Primordial Binary Fraction in Trumpler 14: Frequency and Multiplicity Parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabbi, Elena

2017-08-01

This is an astrometric proposal designed to identify and characterize the properties of medium- and long-period (orbital periods ranging from 1.8 to 100 years) visual binaries in the mass range between 4 and 20 Mo in the young compact cluster Trumpler 14 in the Carina Nebula. We aim to probe the virtually unexplored population of intermediate- and high-mass binaries that will experience a Roche-lobe overflow during their post-main-sequence evolution. These binaries are of particular interest because they are expected to be the progenitors of supernovae Type Ia, b, and c, X-ray binaries, double neutron stars and double black holes. Multiplicity properties of young stars can be further used to constrain the outcome of the star-formation process and hence distinguish between various formation scenarios. The medium- and long-period binaries (P> 0.5 yr) are hard to detect and expensive to characterize with traditional ground-based spectroscopy. Knowledge of their orbital properties is however crucial to properly estimate the overall fraction of OB stars whose evolution is affected by binary interaction and to predict the outcome of such interaction. Because of the well characterized PSF of WFC3/UVIS and its temporal stability, HST is the only facility able to characterize the properties of OB-type medium-period binaries in Tr14, and Tr14 is the only nearby high-density OB-type young cluster.

R144: a very massive binary likely ejected from R136 through a binary-binary encounter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Seungkyung; Kroupa, Pavel; Banerjee, Sambaran

2014-02-01

R144 is a recently confirmed very massive, spectroscopic binary which appears isolated from the core of the massive young star cluster R136. The dynamical ejection hypothesis as an origin for its location is claimed improbable by Sana et al. due to its binary nature and high mass. We demonstrate here by means of direct N-body calculations that a very massive binary system can be readily dynamically ejected from an R136-like cluster, through a close encounter with a very massive system. One out of four N-body cluster models produces a dynamically ejected very massive binary system with a mass comparable to R144. The system has a system mass of ≈355 M⊙ and is located at 36.8 pc from the centre of its parent cluster, moving away from the cluster with a velocity of 57 km s-1 at 2 Myr as a result of a binary-binary interaction. This implies that R144 could have been ejected from R136 through a strong encounter with another massive binary or single star. In addition, we discuss all massive binaries and single stars which are ejected dynamically from their parent cluster in the N-body models.

Characterizing the X-ray Emission in Small Magellanic Cloud Supernova Remnants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Man, Nicole; Auchettl, Katie; Lopez, Laura

2018-01-01

The Small Magellanic Cloud is a close, metal-poor galaxy with active star formation, and it has a diverse population of 24 supernova remnants (SNRs) that have been identified at several wavelengths. Past work has characterized the X-ray emission in these sources separately and aimed to constrain their explosive origins from observations with Chandra and XMM-Newton. Three SNRs have possible evidence for Type Ia explosions based on strong Fe-L emission in their X-ray spectra, although the environments and intermediate-mass element abundances are more consistent with those of core-collapse SNe. In this poster, we analyze the archival Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of the SMC SNR sample, and we model the sources' X-ray spectra in a systematic way to derive the plasma properties and to constrain the nature of the explosions. In one SNR, we note the presence of an X-ray binary near the source's geometric center, suggesting the compact object was produced in the SN explosion. As one of only three SNRs known in the Local Group to host a binary system, this source is worthy of follow-up investigations to probe explosions of massive stars in binary systems.

Gravitational radiation, inspiraling binaries, and cosmology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chernoff, David F.; Finn, Lee S.

1993-01-01

We show how to measure cosmological parameters using observations of inspiraling binary neutron star or black hole systems in one or more gravitational wave detectors. To illustrate, we focus on the case of fixed mass binary systems observed in a single Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO)-like detector. Using realistic detector noise estimates, we characterize the rate of detections as a function of a threshold SNR Rho(0), H0, and the binary 'chirp' mass. For Rho(0) = 8, H0 = 100 km/s/Mpc, and 1.4 solar mass neutron star binaries, the sample has a median redshift of 0.22. Under the same assumptions but independent of H0, a conservative rate density of coalescing binaries implies LIGO will observe about 50/yr binary inspiral events. The precision with which H0 and the deceleration parameter q0 may be determined depends on the number of observed inspirals. For fixed mass binary systems, about 100 observations with Rho(0) = 10 in the LIGO will give H0 to 10 percent in an Einstein-DeSitter cosmology, and 3000 will give q0 to 20 percent. For the conservative rate density of coalescing binaries, 100 detections with Rho(0) = 10 will require about 4 yrs.

Binary Lenses in OGLE-III EWS Database. Seasons 2002-2003

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaroszynski, M.; Udalski, A.; Kubiak, M.; Szymanski, M.; Pietrzynski, G.; Soszynski, I.; Zebrun, K.; Szewczyk, O.; Wyrzykowski, L.

2004-06-01

We present 15 binary lens candidates from OGLE-III Early Warning System database for seasons 2002-2003. We also found 15 events interpreted as single mass lensing of double sources. The candidates were selected by visual light curves inspection. Examining the models of binary lenses of this and our previous study (10 caustic crossing events of OGLE-II seasons 1997--1999) we find one case of extreme mass ratio binary (q approx 0.005) and the rest in the range 0.1

Extreme close approaches in hierarchical triple systems with comparable masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haim, Niv; Katz, Boaz

2018-06-01

We study close approaches in hierarchical triple systems with comparable masses using full N-body simulations, motivated by a recent model for type Ia supernovae involving direct collisions of white dwarfs (WDs). For stable hierarchical systems where the inner binary components have equal masses, we show that the ability of the inner binary to achieve very close approaches, where the separation between the components of the inner binary reaches values which are orders of magnitude smaller than the semi-major axis, can be analytically predicted from initial conditions. The rate of close approaches is found to be roughly linear with the mass of the tertiary. The rate increases in systems with unequal inner binaries by a marginal factor of ≲ 2 for mass ratios 0.5 ≤ m1/m2 ≤ 1 relevant for the inner white-dwarf binaries. For an average tertiary mass of ˜0.3M⊙ which is representative of typical M-dwarfs, the chance for clean collisions is ˜1% setting challenging constraints on the collisional model for type Ia's.

The incidence of stellar mergers and mass gainers among massive stars

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

De Mink, S. E.; Sana, H.; Langer, N.

2014-02-10

Because the majority of massive stars are born as members of close binary systems, populations of massive main-sequence stars contain stellar mergers and products of binary mass transfer. We simulate populations of massive stars accounting for all major binary evolution effects based on the most recent binary parameter statistics and extensively evaluate the effect of model uncertainties. Assuming constant star formation, we find that 8{sub −4}{sup +9}% of a sample of early-type stars are the products of a merger resulting from a close binary system. In total we find that 30{sub −15}{sup +10}% of massive main-sequence stars are the productsmore » of binary interaction. We show that the commonly adopted approach to minimize the effects of binaries on an observed sample by excluding systems detected as binaries through radial velocity campaigns can be counterproductive. Systems with significant radial velocity variations are mostly pre-interaction systems. Excluding them substantially enhances the relative incidence of mergers and binary products in the non-radial velocity variable sample. This poses a challenge for testing single stellar evolutionary models. It also raises the question of whether certain peculiar classes of stars, such as magnetic O stars, are the result of binary interaction and it emphasizes the need to further study the effect of binarity on the diagnostics that are used to derive the fundamental properties (star-formation history, initial mass function, mass-to-light ratio) of stellar populations nearby and at high redshift.« less

Highlights of Odessa Branch of AN in 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andronov, I. L.

2017-12-01

An annual report with a list of publications. Our group works on the variable star research within the international campaign "Inter-Longitude Astronomy" (ILA) based on temporarily working groups in collaboration with Poland, Slovakia, Korea, USA and other countries. A recent self-review on highlights was published in 2017. Our group continues the scientific school of Prof. Vladymir P. Tsesevich (1907 - 1983). Another project we participate is "AstroInformatics". The unprecedented photo-polarimetric monitoring of a group of AM Her - type magnetic cataclysmic variable stars was carried out since 1989 (photometry in our group - since 1978). A photometric monitoring of the intermediate polars (MU Cam, V1343 Her, V2306 Cyg et al.) was continued to study rotational evolution of magnetic white dwarfs. The super-low luminosity state was discovered in the outbursting intermediate polar = magnetic dwarf nova DO Dra. Previously typical low state was some times interrupted by outbursts, which are narrower than usual dwarf nova outbursts. Once there were detected TPO - "Transient Periodic Oscillations". The orbital and quasi-periodic variability was recently studied. Such super-low states are characteristic for nova-like variables (e.g. MV Lyr, TT Ari) or intermediate polars, but unusual for the dwarf novae. The electronic "Catalogue of Characteristics and Atlas of the Light Curves of Newly-Discovered Eclipsing Binary Stars" was compiled and is being prepared for publication. The software NAV ("New Algol Variable") with specially developed algorithms was used. It allows to determine the begin and end of the eclipses even in EB and EW - type stars, whereas the current classification (GCVS, VSX) claims that the begin and end of eclipses only in the EA - type objects. The further improvements of the NAV algorithm were comparatively studied. The "Wall-Supported Polynomial" (WSP) algoritms were implemented in the software MAVKA for statistically optimal modeling of flat eclipses and exoplanet transitions. MAVKA was used for studies of effects of the mass transfer and presence of the third components in close binary stellar systems and analysis of the poorly studied eclipsing binary 2MASS J20355082+5242136. Atlas of the Light Curves and Phase Plane Portraits of Selected Long-Period Variables was compiled.

The iron complex in high mass X-ray binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giménez-García, A.; Torrejón, J. M.; Martínez-Núñez, S.; Rodes-Rocas, J. J.; Bernabéu, G.

2013-05-01

An X-ray binary system consists of a compact object (a white dwarf, a neutron star or a black hole) accreting material from an optical companion star. The spectral type of the optical component strongly affects the mass transfer to the compact object. This is the reason why X-ray binary systems are usually divided in High Mass X-ray Binaries (companion O or B type, denoted HMXB) and Low Mass X-ray Binaries (companion type A or later). The HMXB are divided depending on the partner's luminosity class in two main groups: the Supergiant X-ray Binaries (SGXB) and Be X-ray Binaries (BeXB). We introduce the spectral characterization of a sample of 9 High Mass X-ray Binaries in the iron complex (˜ 6-7 keV). This spectral range is a fundamental tool in the study of the surrounding material of these systems. The sources have been divided into three main groups according to their current standard classification: SGXB, BeXB and γ Cassiopeae-like. The purpose of this work is to look for qualitative patterns in the iron complex, around 6-7 keV, in order to discern between current different classes that make up the group of HMXB. We find significant spectral patterns for each of the sets, reflecting differences in accretion physics thereof.

High-mass X-ray binary populations. 1: Galactic modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dalton, William W.; Sarazin, Craig L.

1995-01-01

Modern stellar evolutionary tracks are used to calculate the evolution of a very large number of massive binary star systems (M(sub tot) greater than or = 15 solar mass) which cover a wide range of total masses, mass ratios, and starting separations. Each binary is evolved accounting for mass and angular momentum loss through the supernova of the primary to the X-ray binary phase. Using the observed rate of star formation in our Galaxy and the properties of massive binaries, we calculate the expected high-mass X-ray binary (HMXRB) population in the Galaxy. We test various massive binary evolutionary scenarios by comparing the resulting HMXRB predictions with the X-ray observations. A major goal of this study is the determination of the fraction of matter lost from the system during the Roche lobe overflow phase. Curiously, we find that the total numbers of observable HMXRBs are nearly independent of this assumed mass-loss fraction, with any of the values tested here giving acceptable agreement between predicted and observed numbers. However, comparison of the period distribution of our HMXRB models with the observed period distribution does reveal a distinction among the various models. As a result of this comparison, we conclude that approximately 70% of the overflow matter is lost from a massive binary system during mass transfer in the Roche lobe overflow phase. We compare models constructed assuming that all X-ray emission is due to accretion onto the compact object from the donor star's wind with models that incorporate a simplified disk accretion scheme. By comparing the results of these models with observations, we conclude that the formation of disks in HMXRBs must be relatively common. We also calculate the rate of formation of double degenerate binaries, high velocity detached compact objects, and Thorne-Zytkow objects.

The Connection Between X-ray Binaries and Star Clusters in the Antennae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rangelov, Blagoy; Chandar, R.; Prestwich, A.

2011-05-01

High Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs) are believed to form in massive, compact star clusters. However the correlation between these young binary star systems and properties of their parent clusters are still poorly known. We compare the locations of 82 X-ray binaries detected in the merging Antennae galaxies by Zezas et al. (2006) based on observations taken with the Chandra Space Telescope, with a catalog of optically selected star clusters presented recently by Whitmore et al. (2010) based on observations taken with the Hubble Space Telescope. We find 22 X-ray binaries coincident or nearly coincident with star clusters. The ages of the clusters were estimated by comparing their UBVIHα colors with predictions from stellar evolutionary models. We find that 14 of the 22 coincident sources (64%) are hosted by star clusters with ages of 6 Myr or less. At these very young ages, only stars initially more massive than M ≥ 30 Msun have evolved into compact remnants, almost certainly black holes. Therefore, these 14 sources are likely to be black hole binaries. Five of the XRBs are hosted by young clusters with ages τ 30-50 Myr, while three are hosted by intermediate age clusters with τ 100-300 Myr. We suggest that these older X-ray binaries likely have neutron stars as the compact object. We conclude that precision age-dating of star clusters, which are spatially coincident with XRBs in nearby star forming galaxies, is a powerful method of constraining the nature of the XRBs.

Alternancia entre el estado de emisión de Rayos-X y Pulsar en Sistemas Binarios Interactuantes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Vito, M. A.; Benvenuto, O. G.; Horvath, J. E.

2015-08-01

Redbacks belong to the family of binary systems in which one of the components is a pulsar. Recent observations show redbacks that have switched their state from pulsar - low mass companion (where the accretion of material over the pulsar has ceased) to low mass X-ray binary system (where emission is produced by the mass accretion on the pulsar), or inversely. The irradiation effect included in our models leads to cyclic mass transfer episodes, which allow close binary systems to switch between one state to other. We apply our results to the case of PSR J1723-2837, and discuss the need to include new ingredients in our code of binary evolution to describe the observed state transitions.

NUMERICAL ANALYSES FOR TREATING DIFFUSION IN SINGLE-, TWO-, AND THREE-PHASE BINARY ALLOY SYSTEMS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tenney, D. R.

1994-01-01

This package consists of a series of three computer programs for treating one-dimensional transient diffusion problems in single and multiple phase binary alloy systems. An accurate understanding of the diffusion process is important in the development and production of binary alloys. Previous solutions of the diffusion equations were highly restricted in their scope and application. The finite-difference solutions developed for this package are applicable for planar, cylindrical, and spherical geometries with any diffusion-zone size and any continuous variation of the diffusion coefficient with concentration. Special techniques were included to account for differences in modal volumes, initiation and growth of an intermediate phase, disappearance of a phase, and the presence of an initial composition profile in the specimen. In each analysis, an effort was made to achieve good accuracy while minimizing computation time. The solutions to the diffusion equations for single-, two-, and threephase binary alloy systems are numerically calculated by the three programs NAD1, NAD2, and NAD3. NAD1 treats the diffusion between pure metals which belong to a single-phase system. Diffusion in this system is described by a one-dimensional Fick's second law and will result in a continuous composition variation. For computational purposes, Fick's second law is expressed as an explicit second-order finite difference equation. Finite difference calculations are made by choosing the grid spacing small enough to give convergent solutions of acceptable accuracy. NAD2 treats diffusion between pure metals which form a two-phase system. Diffusion in the twophase system is described by two partial differential equations (a Fick's second law for each phase) and an interface-flux-balance equation which describes the location of the interface. Actual interface motion is obtained by a mass conservation procedure. To account for changes in the thicknesses of the two phases as diffusion progresses, a variable grid technique developed by Murray and Landis is employed. These equations are expressed in finite difference form and solved numerically. Program NAD3 treats diffusion between pure metals which form a two-phase system with an intermediate third phase. Diffusion in the three-phase system is described by three partial differential expressions of Fick's second law and two interface-flux-balance equations. As with the two-phase case, a variable grid finite difference is used to numerically solve the diffusion equations. Computation time is minimized without sacrificing solution accuracy by treating the three-phase problem as a two-phase problem when the thickness of the intermediate phase is less than a preset value. Comparisons between these programs and other solutions have shown excellent agreement. The programs are written in FORTRAN IV for batch execution on the CDC 6600 with a central memory requirement of approximately 51K (octal) 60 bit words.

SOGRO (Superconducting Omni-directional Gravitational Radiation Observatory)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paik, Ho Jung

2018-01-01

Detection of gravitational waves (GWs) from merging binary black holes (BHs) by Advanced LIGO has ushered in the new era of GW astronomy. Many conceivable sources such as intermediate-mass BH binaries and white dwarf binaries, as well as stellar-mass BH inspirals, would emit GWs below 10 Hz. It is highly desirable to open a new window for GW astronomy in the infrasound frequency band. A low-frequency tensor detector could be constructed by combining six magnetically levitated superconducting test masses. Such a detector would be equally sensitive to GWs coming from anywhere in the sky, and would be capable of resolving the source direction and wave polarization. I will present the design concept of a new terrestrial GW detector, named SOGRO, which could reach a strain sensitivity of 10-19-10-21 Hz-1/2 at 0.1-10 Hz. Seismic and Newtonian gravity noises are serious obstacles in constructing terrestrial GW detectors at frequencies below 10 Hz. I will explain how these noises are rejected in SOGRO. I will also report the progress made in designing the platform and modelling its thermal noise.

Radio emission from the X-ray pulsar Her X-1: a jet launched by a strong magnetic field neutron star?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Eijnden, J.; Degenaar, N.; Russell, T. D.; Miller-Jones, J. C. A.; Wijnands, R.; Miller, J. M.; King, A. L.; Rupen, M. P.

2018-01-01

Her X-1 is an accreting neutron star (NS) in an intermediate-mass X-ray binary. Like low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), it accretes via Roche lobe overflow, but similar to many high-mass X-ray binaries containing a NS; Her X-1 has a strong magnetic field and slow spin. Here, we present the discovery of radio emission from Her X-1 with the Very Large Array. During the radio observation, the central X-ray source was partially obscured by a warped disc. We measure a radio flux density of 38.7 ± 4.8 μJy at 9 GHz but cannot constrain the spectral shape. We discuss possible origins of the radio emission, and conclude that coherent emission, a stellar wind, shocks and a propeller outflow are all unlikely explanations. A jet, as seen in LMXBs, is consistent with the observed radio properties. We consider the implications of the presence of a jet in Her X-1 on jet formation mechanisms and on the launching of jets by NSs with strong magnetic fields.

Colliding Winds in Massive Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thaller, M. L.

1998-12-01

In close binary systems of massive stars, the individual stellar winds will collide and form a bow shock between the stars, which may have significant impact on the mass-loss and evolution of the system. The existence of such a shock can be established through orbital-phase related variations in the UV resonance lines and optical emission lines. High density regions near the shock will produce Hα and Helium I emission which can be used to map the mass-flow structure of the system. The shock front between the stars may influence the balance of mass-loss versus mass-transfer in massive binary evolution, as matter lost to one star due to Roche lobe overflow may hit the shock and be deflected before it can accrete onto the surface of the other star. I have completed a high-resolution spectroscopic survey of 37 massive binaries, and compared the incidence and strength of emission to an independent survey of single massive stars. Binary stars show a statistically significant overabundance of optical emission, especially when one of the binary stars is in either a giant or supergiant phase of evolution. Seven systems in my survey exhibited clear signs of orbital phase related emission, and for three of the stars (HD 149404, HD 152248, and HD 163181), I present qualitative models of the mass-flow dynamics of the systems.

Compact Binary Progenitors of Short Gamma-Ray Bursts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giacomazzo, Bruno; Perna, Rosalba; Rezzolla, Luciano; Troja, Eleonora; Lazzati, Davide

2013-01-01

In recent years, detailed observations and accurate numerical simulations have provided support to the idea that mergers of compact binaries containing either two neutron stars (NSs) or an NS and a black hole (BH) may constitute the central engine of short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs). The merger of such compact binaries is expected to lead to the production of a spinning BH surrounded by an accreting torus. Several mechanisms can extract energy from this system and power the SGRBs. Here we connect observations and numerical simulations of compact binary mergers, and use the current sample of SGRBs with measured energies to constrain the mass of their powering tori. By comparing the masses of the tori with the results of fully general-relativistic simulations, we are able to infer the properties of the binary progenitors that yield SGRBs. By assuming a constant efficiency in converting torus mass into jet energy epsilon(sub jet) = 10%, we find that most of the tori have masses smaller than 0.01 Solar M, favoring "high-mass" binary NSs mergers, i.e., binaries with total masses approx >1.5 the maximum mass of an isolated NS. This has important consequences for the gravitational wave signals that may be detected in association with SGRBs, since "high-mass" systems do not form a long-lived hypermassive NS after the merger. While NS-BH systems cannot be excluded to be the engine of at least some of the SGRBs, the BH would need to have an initial spin of approx. 0.9 or higher.

SHAPING THE BROWN DWARF DESERT: PREDICTING THE PRIMORDIAL BROWN DWARF BINARY DISTRIBUTIONS FROM TURBULENT FRAGMENTATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jumper, Peter H.; Fisher, Robert T., E-mail: robert.fisher@umassd.edu

2013-05-20

The formation of brown dwarfs (BDs) poses a key challenge to star formation theory. The observed dearth of nearby ({<=}5 AU) BD companions to solar mass stars, known as the BD desert, as well as the tendency for low-mass binary systems to be more tightly bound than stellar binaries, has been cited as evidence for distinct formation mechanisms for BDs and stars. In this paper, we explore the implications of the minimal hypothesis that BDs in binary systems originate via the same fundamental fragmentation mechanism as stars, within isolated, turbulent giant molecular cloud cores. We demonstrate analytically that the scalingmore » of specific angular momentum with turbulent core mass naturally gives rise to the BD desert, as well as wide BD binary systems. Further, we show that the turbulent core fragmentation model also naturally predicts that very low mass binary and BD/BD systems are more tightly bound than stellar systems. In addition, in order to capture the stochastic variation intrinsic to turbulence, we generate 10{sup 4} model turbulent cores with synthetic turbulent velocity fields to show that the turbulent fragmentation model accommodates a small fraction of binary BDs with wide separations, similar to observations. Indeed, the picture which emerges from the turbulent fragmentation model is that a single fragmentation mechanism may largely shape both stellar and BD binary distributions during formation.« less

Wolf 1130: A Nearby Triple System Containing a Cool, Ultramassive White Dwarf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mace, Gregory N.; Mann, Andrew W.; Skiff, Brian A.; Sneden, Christopher; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Schneider, Adam C.; Kidder, Benjamin; Gosnell, Natalie M.; Kim, Hwihyun; Mulligan, Brian W.; Prato, L.; Jaffe, Daniel

2018-02-01

Following the discovery of the T8 subdwarf WISE J200520.38+542433.9 (Wolf 1130C), which has a proper motion in common with a binary (Wolf 1130AB) consisting of an M subdwarf and a white dwarf, we set out to learn more about the old binary in the system. We find that the A and B components of Wolf 1130 are tidally locked, which is revealed by the coherence of more than a year of V-band photometry phase-folded to the derived orbital period of 0.4967 days. Forty new high-resolution, near-infrared spectra obtained with the Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrometer provide radial velocities and a projected rotational velocity (v sin i) of 14.7 ± 0.7 {km} {{{s}}}-1 for the M subdwarf. In tandem with a Gaia parallax-derived radius and verified tidal locking, we calculate an inclination of i = 29° ± 2°. From the single-lined orbital solution and the inclination we derive an absolute mass for the unseen primary ({1.24}-0.15+0.19 M ⊙). Its non-detection between 0.2 and 2.5 μm implies that it is an old (>3.7 Gyr) and cool (T eff < 7000 K) ONe white dwarf. This is the first ultramassive white dwarf within 25 pc. The evolution of Wolf 1130AB into a cataclysmic variable is inevitable, making it a potential SN Ia progenitor. The formation of a triple system with a primary mass >100 times the tertiary mass and the survival of the system through the common-envelope phase, where ∼80% of the system mass was lost, is remarkable. Our analysis of Wolf 1130 allows us to infer its formation and evolutionary history, which has unique implications for understanding low-mass star and brown dwarf formation around intermediate-mass stars.

Matching asteroid population characteristics with a model constructed from the YORP-induced rotational fission hypothesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobson, Seth A.; Marzari, Francesco; Rossi, Alessandro; Scheeres, Daniel J.

2016-10-01

From the results of a comprehensive asteroid population evolution model, we conclude that the YORP-induced rotational fission hypothesis is consistent with the observed population statistics of small asteroids in the main belt including binaries and contact binaries. These conclusions rest on the asteroid rotation model of Marzari et al. ([2011]Icarus, 214, 622-631), which incorporates both the YORP effect and collisional evolution. This work adds to that model the rotational fission hypothesis, described in detail within, and the binary evolution model of Jacobson et al. ([2011a] Icarus, 214, 161-178) and Jacobson et al. ([2011b] The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 736, L19). Our complete asteroid population evolution model is highly constrained by these and other previous works, and therefore it has only two significant free parameters: the ratio of low to high mass ratio binaries formed after rotational fission events and the mean strength of the binary YORP (BYORP) effect. We successfully reproduce characteristic statistics of the small asteroid population: the binary fraction, the fast binary fraction, steady-state mass ratio fraction and the contact binary fraction. We find that in order for the model to best match observations, rotational fission produces high mass ratio (> 0.2) binary components with four to eight times the frequency as low mass ratio (<0.2) components, where the mass ratio is the mass of the secondary component divided by the mass of the primary component. This is consistent with post-rotational fission binary system mass ratio being drawn from either a flat or a positive and shallow distribution, since the high mass ratio bin is four times the size of the low mass ratio bin; this is in contrast to the observed steady-state binary mass ratio, which has a negative and steep distribution. This can be understood in the context of the BYORP-tidal equilibrium hypothesis, which predicts that low mass ratio binaries survive for a significantly longer period of time than high mass ratio systems. We also find that the mean of the log-normal BYORP coefficient distribution μB ≳10-2 , which is consistent with estimates from shape modeling (McMahon and Scheeres, 2012a).

Dynamic mass exchange in doubly degenerate binaries. I - 0.9 and 1.2 solar mass stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benz, W.; Cameron, A. G. W.; Press, W. H.; Bowers, R. L.

1990-01-01

The dynamic mass exchange process in doubly degenerate binaries was investigated using a three-dimensional numerical simulation of the evolution of a doubly degenerate binary system in which the primary is a 1.2-solar-mass white dwarf and the Roche lobe filling secondary is a 0.9-solar-mass dwarf. The results show that, in a little more than two orbital periods, the secondary is completely destroyed and transformed into a thick disk orbiting about the primary. Since only a very small fraction of the mass (0.0063 solar mass) escapes the system, the evolution of the binary results in the formation of a massive object. This object is composed of three parts, the initial white dwarf primary, a very hot pressure-supported spherical envelope, and a rotationally supported outer disk. The evolution of the system can be understood in terms of a simple analytical model where it is shown that the angular momentum carried by the mass during the transfer and stored in the disk determines the evolution of the system.

Establishment and yield of perennial grass monocultures and binary mixtures for bioenergy in North Dakota

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To develop appropriate bioenergy production systems to match site-specific situations, establishment and yield were evaluated for switchgrass, intermediate wheatgrass, tall wheatgrass, and three binary mixtures at four sites in North Dakota from 2006 to 2011. Canopy cover at harvest for intermediat...

Dynamical Mass Segregation Versus Disruption of Binary Stars in Dense Stellar Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Grijs, Richard; Li, C.; Deng, L.

2013-01-01

Upon their formation, dynamically cool (collapsing) star clusters will, within only a few million years, achieve stellar mass segregation for stars down to a few solar masses due to gravitational two-body encounters. Since binary systems are, on average, more massive than single stars, one would expect them to also rapidly mass segregate dynamically. Contrary to these expectations and based on high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope observations, we show that the compact, 15-30 Myr-old Large Magellanic Cloud cluster NGC 1818 is characterized by an increasing fraction of F-star binary systems (with combined masses of 1.3-1.6 solar masses) with increasing distance from the cluster center. This offers unprecedented support of the theoretically predicted but thus far unobserved dynamical disruption processes of the significant population of "soft" binary systems (with relatively low binding energies compared to the kinetic energy of their stellar members) in star clusters, which we could unravel by virtue of the cluster's unique combination of youth and high stellar density.

Gaia Assorted Mass Binaries Long Excluded from SLoWPoKES (GAMBLES): Identifying Ultra-wide Binary Pairs with Components of Diverse Mass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oelkers, Ryan J.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Dhital, Saurav, E-mail: ryan.j.oelkers@vanderbilt.edu

The formation and evolution of binary star systems are some of the remaining key questions in modern astronomy. Wide binary pairs (separations >10{sup 3} au) are particularly intriguing because their low binding energies make it difficult for the stars to stay gravitationally bound over extended timescales, and thus to probe the dynamics of binary formation and dissolution. Our previous SLoWPoKES catalogs, I and II, provided the largest and most complete sample of wide-binary pairs of low masses. Here we present an extension of these catalogs to a broad range of stellar masses: the Gaia Assorted Mass Binaries Long Excluded frommore » SloWPoKES (GAMBLES), comprising 8660 statistically significant wide pairs that we make available in a living online database. Within this catalog we identify a subset of 543 long-lived (dissipation timescale >1.5 Gyr) candidate binary pairs, of assorted mass, with typical separations between 10{sup 3} and 10{sup 5.5} au (0.002–1.5 pc), using the published distances and proper motions from the Tycho -Gaia Astrometric Solution and Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometry. Each pair has at most a false positive probability of 0.05; the total expectation is 2.44 false binaries in our sample. Among these, we find 22 systems with 3 components, 1 system with 4 components, and 15 pairs consisting of at least 1 possible red giant. We find the largest long-lived binary separation to be nearly 3.2 pc; even so, >76% of GAMBLES long-lived binaries have large binding energies and dissipation lifetimes longer than 1.5 Gyr. Finally, we find that the distribution of binary separations is clearly bimodal, corroborating the findings from SloWPoKES and suggesting multiple pathways for the formation and dissipation of the widest binaries in the Galaxy.« less

Gaia Assorted Mass Binaries Long Excluded from SLoWPoKES (GAMBLES): Identifying Ultra-wide Binary Pairs with Components of Diverse Mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oelkers, Ryan J.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Dhital, Saurav

2017-06-01

The formation and evolution of binary star systems are some of the remaining key questions in modern astronomy. Wide binary pairs (separations >103 au) are particularly intriguing because their low binding energies make it difficult for the stars to stay gravitationally bound over extended timescales, and thus to probe the dynamics of binary formation and dissolution. Our previous SLoWPoKES catalogs, I and II, provided the largest and most complete sample of wide-binary pairs of low masses. Here we present an extension of these catalogs to a broad range of stellar masses: the Gaia Assorted Mass Binaries Long Excluded from SloWPoKES (GAMBLES), comprising 8660 statistically significant wide pairs that we make available in a living online database. Within this catalog we identify a subset of 543 long-lived (dissipation timescale >1.5 Gyr) candidate binary pairs, of assorted mass, with typical separations between 103 and 105.5 au (0.002-1.5 pc), using the published distances and proper motions from the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution and Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometry. Each pair has at most a false positive probability of 0.05; the total expectation is 2.44 false binaries in our sample. Among these, we find 22 systems with 3 components, 1 system with 4 components, and 15 pairs consisting of at least 1 possible red giant. We find the largest long-lived binary separation to be nearly 3.2 pc even so, >76% of GAMBLES long-lived binaries have large binding energies and dissipation lifetimes longer than 1.5 Gyr. Finally, we find that the distribution of binary separations is clearly bimodal, corroborating the findings from SloWPoKES and suggesting multiple pathways for the formation and dissipation of the widest binaries in the Galaxy.

A photometric analysis of the neglected EW-type binary V336 TrA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kriwattanawong, W.; Sarotsakulchai, T.; Maungkorn, S.; Reichart, D. E.; Haislip, J. B.; Kouprianov, V. V.; LaCluyze, A. P.; Moore, J. P.

2018-05-01

This study presents an analysis of photometric light curves and absolute parameters for the EW-type binary V336 TrA. VRI imaging observations were taken in 2013 by using the robotic telescopes PROMPT 4 and PROMPT 5 at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), Chile. The observed light curves were fitted by using the Wilson-Devinney method. The results showed that V336 TrA is a W-type contact binary with a mass ratio of q = 1.396. The binary is a weak contact system with a fill-out factor of f = 15.69%. The system contains components with masses of 0.653 M⊙ and 0.912 M⊙ for the hotter and the cooler, respectively. The location of the secondary (less massive) component on the log M - log L diagram was found to be near the TAMS. The component has evolved to be oversize and overluminous. The orbital angular momentum of the binary was found to be log Jo = 51.61 cgs, less than all detached systems for same mass. The system has undergone angular momentum and/or mass loss, during the binary evolution from the detached to contact system.

Uncovering the identities of compact objects in high-mass X-ray binaries and gamma-ray binaries by astrometric measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, M. S.; Yano, T.; Gouda, N.

2018-03-01

We develop a method for identifying a compact object in binary systems with astrometric measurements and apply it to some binaries. Compact objects in some high-mass X-ray binaries and gamma-ray binaries are unknown, which is responsible for the fact that emission mechanisms in such systems have not yet confirmed. The accurate estimate of the mass of the compact object allows us to identify the compact object in such systems. Astrometric measurements are expected to enable us to estimate the masses of the compact objects in the binary systems via a determination of a binary orbit. We aim to evaluate the possibility of the identification of the compact objects for some binary systems. We then calculate probabilities that the compact object is correctly identified with astrometric observation (= confidence level) by taking into account a dependence of the orbital shape on orbital parameters and distributions of masses of white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. We find that the astrometric measurements with the precision of 70 μas for γ Cas allow us to identify the compact object at 99 per cent confidence level if the compact object is a white dwarf with 0.6 M⊙. In addition, we can identify the compact object with the precision of 10 μas at 97 per cent or larger confidence level for LS I +61° 303 and 99 per cent or larger for HESS J0632+057. These results imply that the astrometric measurements with the 10 μas precision level can realize the identification of compact objects for γ Cas, LS I +61° 303, and HESS J0632+057.

Extended main sequence turnoffs in intermediate-age star clusters: a correlation between turnoff width and early escape velocity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goudfrooij, Paul; Kozhurina-Platais, Vera; Kalirai, Jason S.

2014-12-10

We present a color-magnitude diagram analysis of deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging of a mass-limited sample of 18 intermediate-age (1-2 Gyr old) star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds, including eight clusters for which new data were obtained. We find that all star clusters in our sample feature extended main-sequence turnoff (eMSTO) regions that are wider than can be accounted for by a simple stellar population (including unresolved binary stars). FWHM widths of the MSTOs indicate age spreads of 200-550 Myr. We evaluate the dynamical evolution of clusters with and without initial mass segregation. Our main results are (1) the fractionmore » of red clump (RC) stars in secondary RCs in eMSTO clusters scales with the fraction of MSTO stars having pseudo-ages of ≲1.35 Gyr; (2) the width of the pseudo-age distributions of eMSTO clusters is correlated with their central escape velocity v {sub esc}, both currently and at an age of 10 Myr. We find that these two results are unlikely to be reproduced by the effects of interactive binary stars or a range of stellar rotation velocities. We therefore argue that the eMSTO phenomenon is mainly caused by extended star formation within the clusters; and (3) we find that v {sub esc} ≥ 15 km s{sup –1} out to ages of at least 100 Myr for all clusters featuring eMSTOs, and v {sub esc} ≤ 12 km s{sup –1} at all ages for two lower-mass clusters in the same age range that do not show eMSTOs. We argue that eMSTOs only occur for clusters whose early escape velocities are higher than the wind velocities of stars that provide material from which second-generation stars can form. The threshold of 12-15 km s{sup –1} is consistent with wind velocities of intermediate-mass asymptotic giant branch stars and massive binary stars in the literature.« less

Close binary systems among very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeffries, R. D.; Maxted, P. F. L.

2005-12-01

Using Monte Carlo simulations and published radial velocity surveys we have constrained the frequency and separation (a) distribution of very low-mass star (VLM) and brown dwarf (BD) binary systems. We find that simple Gaussian extensions of the observed wide binary distribution, with a peak at 4 AU and 0.6<\\sigma_{\\log(a/AU)}<1.0, correctly reproduce the observed number of close binary systems, implying a close (a<2.6 AU) binary frequency of 17-30 % and overall frequency of 32-45 %. N-body models of the dynamical decay of unstable protostellar multiple systems are excluded with high confidence because they do not produce enough close binary VLMs/BDs. The large number of close binaries and high overall binary frequency are also completely inconsistent with published smoothed particle hydrodynamical modelling and argue against a dynamical origin for VLMs/BDs.

Origin of the Elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Truran, J. W., Jr.; Heger, A.

2003-12-01

Nucleosynthesis is the study of the nuclear processes responsible for the formation of the elements which constitute the baryonic matter of the Universe. The elements of which the Universe is composed indeed have a quite complicated nucleosynthesis history, which extends from the first three minutes of the Big Bang through to the present. Contemporary nucleosynthesis theory associates the production of certain elements/isotopes or groups of elements with a number of specific astrophysical settings, the most significant of which are: (i) the cosmological Big Bang, (ii) stars, and (iii) supernovae.Cosmological nucleosynthesis studies predict that the conditions characterizing the Big Bang are consistent with the synthesis only of the lightest elements: 1H, 2H, 3He, 4He, and 7Li (Burles et al., 2001; Cyburt et al., 2002). These contributions define the primordial compositions both of galaxies and of the first stars formed therein. Within galaxies, stars and supernovae play the dominant role both in synthesizing the elements from carbon to uranium and in returning heavy-element-enriched matter to the interstellar gas from which new stars are formed. The mass fraction of our solar system (formed ˜4.6 Gyr ago) in the form of heavy elements is ˜1.8%, and stars formed today in our galaxy can be a factor 2 or 3 more enriched (Edvardsson et al., 1993). It is the processes of nucleosynthesis operating in stars and supernovae that we will review in this chapter. We will confine our attention to three broad categories of stellar and supernova site with which specific nucleosynthesis products are understood to be identified: (i) intermediate mass stars, (ii) massive stars and associated type II supernovae, and (iii) type Ia supernovae. The first two of these sites are the straightforward consequence of the evolution of single stars, while type Ia supernovae are understood to result from binary stellar evolution.Stellar nucleosynthesis resulting from the evolution of single stars is a strong function of stellar mass (Woosley et al., 2002). Following phases of hydrogen and helium burning, all stars consist of a carbon-oxygen core. In the mass range of the so-called "intermediate mass" stars (1<˜M/M⊙<˜10), the temperatures realized in their degenerate cores never reach levels at which carbon ignition can occur. Substantial element production occurs in such stars during the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase of evolution, accompanied by significant mass loss, and they evolve to white dwarfs of carbon-oxygen (or, less commonly, oxygen-neon) composition. In contrast, the increased pressures that are experienced in the cores of stars of masses M>˜10M⊙ yield higher core temperatures that enable subsequent phases of carbon, neon, oxygen, and silicon burning to proceed. Collapse of an iron core devoid of further nuclear energy then gives rise to a type II supernova and the formation of a neutron star or black hole remnant (Heger et al., 2003). The ejecta of type IIs contain the ashes of nuclear burning of the entire life of the star, but are also modified by the explosion itself. They are the source of most material (by mass) heavier than helium.Observations reveal that binary stellar systems comprise roughly half of all stars in our galaxy. Single star evolution, as noted above, can leave in its wake compact stellar remnants: white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. Indeed, we have evidence for the occurrence of all three types of condensed remnant in binaries. In close binary systems, mass transfer can take place from an evolving companion onto a compact object. This naturally gives rise to a variety of interesting phenomena: classical novae (involving hydrogen thermonuclear runaways in accreted shells on white dwarfs (Gehrz et al., 1998)), X-ray bursts (hydrogen/helium thermonuclear runaways on neutron stars (Strohmayer and Bildsten, 2003)), and X-ray binaries (accretion onto black holes). For some range of conditions, accretion onto carbon-oxygen white dwarfs will permit growth of the CO core to the Chandrasekhar limit MCh=1.4M⊙, and a thermonuclear runaway in to core leads to a type Ia supernova.In this chapter, we will review the characteristics of thermonuclear processing in the three environments we have identified: (i) intermediate-mass stars; (ii) massive stars and type II supernovae; and (iii) type Ia supernovae. This will be followed by a brief discussion of galactic chemical evolution, which illustrates how the contributions from each of these environments are first introduced into the interstellar media of galaxies. Reviews of nucleosynthesis processes include those by Arnett (1995), Trimble (1975), Truran (1984), Wallerstein et al. (1997), and Woosley et al. (2002). An overview of galactic chemical evolution is presented by Tinsley (1980).

Designing a Template Bank to Observe Compact Binary Coalescences in Advanced Ligo's Second Observing Run

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dal Canton, Tito; Harry, Ian W.

2017-01-01

We describe the methodology and novel techniques used to construct a set of waveforms, or template bank, applicable to searches for compact binary coalescences in Advanced LIGO's second observing run. This template bank is suitable for observing systems composed of two neutron stars, two black holes, or a neutron star and a black hole. The Post-Newtonian formulation is used to model waveforms with total mass less than 4 Solar Mass and the most recent effective-one-body model, calibrated to numerical relativity to include the merger and ringdown, is used for total masses greater than 4 Solar Mass. The effects of spin precession, matter, orbital eccentricity and radiation modes beyond the quadrupole are neglected. In contrast to the template bank used to search for compact binary mergers in Advanced LIGO's first observing run, here we are including binary-black-hole systems with total mass up to several hundreds of solar masses, thereby improving the ability to observe such systems. We introduce a technique to vary the starting frequency of waveform filters so that our bank can simultaneously contain binary-neutron-star and high-mass binary-black hole waveforms. We also introduce a lower-bound on the filter waveform length, to exclude very short-duration, high-mass templates whose sensitivity is strongly reduced by the characteristics and performance of the interferometers.

Estimating Mass Parameters of Doubly Synchronous Binary Asteroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Alex; Scheeres, Daniel J.

2017-10-01

The non-spherical mass distributions of binary asteroid systems lead to coupled mutual gravitational forces and torques. Observations of the coupled attitude and orbital dynamics can be leveraged to provide information about the mass parameters of the binary system. The full 3-dimensional motion has 9 degrees of freedom, and coupled dynamics require the use of numerical investigation only. In the current study we simplify the system to a planar ellipsoid-ellipsoid binary system in a doubly synchronous orbit. Three modes are identified for the system, which has 4 degrees of freedom, with one degree of freedom corresponding to an ignorable coordinate. The three modes correspond to the three major librational modes of the system when it is in a doubly synchronous orbit. The linearized periods of each mode are a function of the mass parameters of the two asteroids, enabling measurement of these parameters based on observations of the librational motion. Here we implement estimation techniques to evaluate the capabilities of this mass measurement method. We apply this methodology to the Trojan binary asteroid system 617 Patroclus and Menoetius (1906 VY), the final flyby target of the recently announced LUCY Discovery mission. This system is of interest because a stellar occultation campaign of the Patroclus and Menoetius system has suggested that the asteroids are similarly sized oblate ellipsoids moving in a doubly-synchronous orbit, making the system an ideal test for this investigation. A number of missed observations during the campaign also suggested the possibility of a crater on the southern limb of Menoetius, the presence of which could be evaluated by our mass estimation method. This presentation will review the methodology and potential accuracy of our approach in addition to evaluating how the dynamical coupling can be used to help understand light curve and stellar occultation observations for librating binary systems.

Photometric Analysis and Modeling of Five Mass-Transferring Binary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geist, Emily; Beaky, Matthew; Jamison, Kate

2018-01-01

In overcontact eclipsing binary systems, both stellar components have overfilled their Roche lobes, resulting in a dumbbell-shaped shared envelope. Mass transfer is common in overcontact binaries, which can be observed as a slow change on the rotation period of the system.We studied five overcontact eclipsing binary systems with evidence of period change, and thus likely mass transfer between the components, identified by Nelson (2014): V0579 Lyr, KN Vul, V0406 Lyr, V2240 Cyg, and MS Her. We used the 31-inch NURO telescope at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona to obtain images in B,V,R, and I filters for V0579 Lyr, and the 16-inch Meade LX200GPS telescope with attached SBIG ST-8XME CCD camera at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania to image KN Vul, V0406 Lyr, V2240 Cyg, and MS Her, also in B,V,R, and I.After data reduction, we created light curves for each of the systems and modeled the eclipsing binaries using the BinaryMaker3 and PHOEBE programs to determine their fundamental physical parameters for the first time. Complete light curves and preliminary models for each of these neglected eclipsing binary systems will be presented.

EVERY INTERACTING DOUBLE WHITE DWARF BINARY MAY MERGE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shen, Ken J.

2015-05-20

Interacting double white dwarf (WD) binaries can give rise to a wide variety of astrophysical outcomes ranging from faint thermonuclear and Type Ia supernovae to the formation of neutron stars and stably accreting AM Canum Venaticorum systems. One key factor affecting the final outcome is whether mass transfer remains dynamically stable or instead diverges, leading to the tidal disruption of the donor and the merger of the binary. It is typically thought that for low ratios of the donor mass to the accretor mass, mass transfer remains stable, especially if accretion occurs via a disk. In this Letter, we examinemore » low mass ratio double WD binaries and find that the initial phase of hydrogen-rich mass transfer leads to a classical nova-like outburst on the accretor. Dynamical friction within the expanding nova shell shrinks the orbit and causes the mass transfer rate to increase dramatically above the accretor's Eddington limit, possibly resulting in a binary merger. If the binary survives the first hydrogen-rich nova outbursts, dynamical friction within the subsequent helium-powered nova shells pushes the system even more strongly toward merger. While further calculations are necessary to confirm this outcome for the entire range of binaries previously thought to be dynamically stable, it appears likely that most, if not all, interacting double WD binaries will merge during the course of their evolution.« less

Modeling the binary circumstellar medium of Type IIb/L/n supernova progenitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolb, Christopher; Blondin, John; Borkowski, Kazik; Reynolds, Stephen

2018-01-01

Circumstellar interaction in close binary systems can produce a highly asymmetric environment, particularly for systems with a mass outflow velocity comparable to the binary orbital speed. This asymmetric circumstellar medium (CSM) becomes visible after a supernova explosion, when SN radiation illuminates the gas and when SN ejecta collide with the CSM. We aim to better understand the development of this asymmetric CSM, particularly for binary systems containing a red supergiant progenitor, and to study its impact on supernova morphology. To achieve this, we model the asymmetric wind and subsequent supernova explosion in full 3D hydrodynamics using the shock-capturing hydro code VH-1 on a spherical yin-yang grid. Wind interaction is computed in a frame co-rotating with the binary system, and gas is accelerated using a radiation pressure-driven wind model where optical depth of the radiative force is dependent on azimuthally-averaged gas density. We present characterization of our asymmetric wind density distribution model by fitting a polar-to-equatorial density contrast function to free parameters such as binary separation distance, primary mass loss rate, and binary mass ratio.

Photometric Study of Fourteen Low-mass Binaries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Korda, D.; Zasche, P.; Wolf, M.

2017-07-01

New CCD photometric observations of fourteen short-period low-mass eclipsing binaries (LMBs) in the photometric filters I, R, and V were used for a light curve analysis. A discrepancy remains between observed radii and those derived from the theoretical modeling for LMBs, in general. Mass calibration of all observed LMBs was performed using only the photometric indices. The light curve modeling of these selected systems was completed, yielding the new derived masses and radii for both components. We compared these systems with the compilation of other known double-lined LMB systems with uncertainties of masses and radii less then 5%, which includesmore » 66 components of binaries where both spectroscopy and photometry were combined together. All of our systems are circular short-period binaries, and for some of them, the photospheric spots were also used. A purely photometric study of the light curves without spectroscopy seems unable to achieve high enough precision and accuracy in the masses and radii to act as meaningful test of the M–R relation for low-mass stars.« less

Mass loss from interacting close binary systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plavec, M. J.

1981-01-01

The three well-defined classes of evolved binary systems that show evidence of present and/or past mass loss are the cataclysmic variables, the Algols, and Wolf-Rayet stars. It is thought that the transformation of supergiant binary systems into the very short-period cataclysmic variables must have been a complex process. The new evidence that has recently been obtained from the far ultraviolet spectra that a certain subclass of the Algols (the Serpentids) are undergoing fairly rapid evolution is discussed. It is thought probable that the remarkable mass outflow observed in them is connected with a strong wind powered by accretion. The origin of the circumbinary clouds or flat disks that probably surround many strongly interacting binaries is not clear. Attention is also given to binary systems with hot white dwarf or subdwarf components, such as the symbiotic objects and the BQ stars; it is noted that in them both components may be prone to an enhanced stellar wind.

Very Luminous X-ray Point Sources in Starburst Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colbert, E.; Heckman, T.; Ptak, A.; Weaver, K. A.; Strickland, D.

Extranuclear X-ray point sources in external galaxies with luminosities above 1039.0 erg/s are quite common in elliptical, disk and dwarf galaxies, with an average of ~ 0.5 and dwarf galaxies, with an average of ~0.5 sources per galaxy. These objects may be a new class of object, perhaps accreting intermediate-mass black holes, or beamed stellar mass black hole binaries. Starburst galaxies tend to have a larger number of these intermediate-luminosity X-ray objects (IXOs), as well as a large number of lower-luminosity (1037 - 1039 erg/s) point sources. These point sources dominate the total hard X-ray emission in starburst galaxies. We present a review of both types of objects and discuss possible schemes for their formation.

Testing the validity of the phenomenological gravitational waveform models for nonspinning binary black hole searches at low masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Hee-Suk

2015-11-01

The phenomenological gravitational waveform models, which we refer to as PhenomA, PhenomB, and PhenomC, generate full inspiral, merger, and ringdown (IMR) waveforms of coalescing binary back holes (BBHs). These models are defined in the Fourier domain, thus can be used for fast matched filtering in the gravitational wave search. PhenomA has been developed for nonspinning BBH waveforms, while PhenomB and PhenomC were designed to model the waveforms of BBH systems with nonprecessing (aligned) spins, but can also be used for nonspinning systems. In this work, we study the validity of the phenomenological models for nonspinning BBH searches at low masses, {m}{1,2}≥slant 4{M}⊙ and {m}1+{m}2\\equiv M≤slant 30{M}⊙ , with Advanced LIGO. As our complete signal waveform model, we adopt EOBNRv2, which is a time-domain IMR waveform model. To investigate the search efficiency of the phenomenological template models, we calculate fitting factors (FFs) by exploring overlap surfaces. We find that only PhenomC is valid to obtain FFs better than 0.97 in the mass range of M\\lt 15{M}⊙ . Above 15{M}⊙ , PhenomA is most efficient in symmetric mass region, PhenomB is most efficient in highly asymmetric mass region, and PhenomC is most efficient in the intermediate region. Specifically, we propose an effective phenomenological template family that can be constructed by employing the phenomenological models in four subregions individually. We find that FFs of the effective templates are better than 0.97 in our entire mass region and mostly greater than 0.99.

Collapse and Fragmentation Models of Tidally Interacting Molecular Cloud Cores. IV. Initial Slow Rotation and Magnetic Field Support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sigalotti, Leonardo Di G.; Klapp, Jaime

2000-03-01

Fragmentation has long been advocated as the primary mechanism for explaining the observed binary frequency among pre-main-sequence stars and, more recently, for explaining the emerging evidence for binary and multiple protostellar systems. The role of magnetic fields and ambipolar diffusion is essential to understand how dense cloud cores begin dynamic collapse and eventually fragment into protostars. Here we consider new numerical models of the gravitational collapse and fragmentation of slowly rotating molecular cloud cores, including the effects of magnetic support and ambipolar diffusion. The starting point of the evolution is provided by a magnetically stable (subcritical) condensation that results from adding a magnetic field pressure, B2/8π [with the field strength given by the scaling relation B=B0(ρ/ρ0)1/2], to a reference state consisting of a thermally supercritical (α~0.36), slowly rotating (β~0.037), Gaussian cloud core of prolate shape and central density ρ0. The effects of ambipolar diffusion are approximated by allowing the reference field strength B0 to gradually decrease over a timescale of 10 free-fall times. The models also include the effects of tidal interaction due to a gravitational encounter with another protostar, and so they may apply to low-mass star formation within a cluster-forming environment. The results indicate that the magnetic forces delay the onset of dynamic collapse, and hence of fragmentation, by an amount of time that depends on the initial central mass-to-flux ratio. Compared with previous magnetic collapse calculations of rapidly rotating (β=0.12) clouds, lower initial rotation (β~0.037) is seen to result in much shorter delay periods, thus anticipating binary fragmentation. In general, the results show that the models are still susceptible to fragment into binary systems. Intermediate magnetic support (η~0.285) and low tidal forces (τ<~0.201) may lead to final triple or quadruple protostellar systems, while increasing the size of η and τ always results in final binary protostellar cores. The formed binary systems have separations of ~200-350 AU, suggesting that the recently observed peaks around ~90 AU and 215 AU for T Tauri stars may be explained by the collapse and fragmentation of initially slowly rotating magnetic cloud cores with β<~0.04.

The occurrence of binary evolution pulsators in classical instability strip of RR Lyrae and Cepheid variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karczmarek, P.; Wiktorowicz, G.; Iłkiewicz, K.; Smolec, R.; Stępień, K.; Pietrzyński, G.; Gieren, W.; Belczynski, K.

2017-04-01

Single star evolution does not allow extremely low-mass stars to cross the classical instability strip (IS) during the Hubble time. However, within binary evolution framework low-mass stars can appear inside the IS once the mass transfer (MT) is taken into account. Triggered by a discovery of low-mass (0.26 M⊙) RR Lyrae-like variable in a binary system, OGLE-BLG-RRLYR-02792, we investigate the occurrence of similar binary components in the IS, which set up a new class of low-mass pulsators. They are referred to as binary evolution pulsators (BEPs) to underline the interaction between components, which is crucial for substantial mass-loss prior to the IS entrance. We simulate a population of 500 000 metal-rich binaries and report that 28 143 components of binary systems experience severe MT (losing up to 90 per cent of mass), followed by at least one IS crossing in luminosity range of RR Lyrae (RRL) or Cepheid variables. A half of these systems enter the IS before the age of 4 Gyr. BEPs display a variety of physical and orbital parameters, with the most important being the BEP mass in range 0.2-0.8 M⊙, and the orbital period in range 10-2 500 d. Based on the light curve only, BEPs can be misclassified as genuine classical pulsators, and as such they would contaminate genuine RRL and classical Cepheid variables at levels of 0.8 and 5 per cent, respectively. We state that the majority of BEPs will remain undetected and we discuss relevant detection limitations.

SDSS-III MARVELS Planet Candidate RV Follow-up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Jian; Thomas, Neil; Ma, Bo; Li, Rui; SIthajan, Sirinrat

2014-02-01

Planetary systems, discovered by the radial velocity (RV) surveys, reveal strong correlations between the planet frequency and stellar properties, such as metallicity and mass, and a greater diversity in planets than found in the solar system. However, due to the sample sizes of extant surveys (~100 to a few hundreds of stars) and their heterogeneity, many key questions remained to be addressed: Do metal poor stars obey the same trends for planet occurrence as metal rich stars? What is the distribution of giant planets around intermediate- mass stars and binaries? Is the ``planet desert'' within 0.6 AU in the planet orbital distribution of intermediate-mass stars real? The MARVELS survey has produced the largest homogeneous RV measurements of 3300 V=7.6-12 FGK stars. The latest data pipeline effort at UF has been able to remove long term systematic errors suffered in the earlier data pipeline. 18 high confident giant planet candidates have been identified among newly processed data. We propose to follow up these giant planet candidates with the KPNO EXPERT instrument to confirm the detection and also characterize their orbits. The confirmed planets will be used to measure occurrence rates, distributions and multiplicity of giants planets around F,G,K stars with a broad range of mass (~0.6-2.5 M_⊙) and metallicity ([Fe/H]~-1.5-0.5). The well defined MARVELS survey cadence allows robust determinations of completeness limits for rigorously testing giant planet formation theories and constraining models.

Wind accretion and formation of disk structures in symbiotic binary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Val-Borro, M.; Karovska, M.; Sasselov, D. D.; Stone, J. M.

2015-05-01

We investigate gravitationally focused wind accretion in binary systems consisting of an evolved star with a gaseous envelope and a compact accreting companion. We study the mass accretion and formation of an accretion disk around the secondary caused by the strong wind from the primary late-type component using global 2D and 3D hydrodynamic numerical simulations. In particular, the dependence of the mass accretion rate on the mass loss rate, wind temperature and orbital parameters of the system is considered. For a typical slow and massive wind from an evolved star the mass transfer through a focused wind results in rapid infall onto the secondary. A stream flow is created between the stars with accretion rates of a 2--10% percent of the mass loss from the primary. This mechanism could be an important method for explaining periodic modulations in the accretion rates for a broad range of interacting binary systems and fueling of a large population of X-ray binary systems. We test the plausibility of these accretion flows indicated by the simulations by comparing with observations of the symbiotic variable system CH Cyg.

Using White Dwarf Companions of Blue Stragglers to Constrain Mass Transfer Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gosnell, Natalie M.; Leiner, Emily; Geller, Aaron M.; Knigge, Christian; Mathieu, Robert D.; Sills, Alison; Leigh, Nathan

2018-06-01

Complete membership studies of old open clusters reveal that 25% of the evolved stars follow pathways in stellar evolution that are impacted by binary evolution. Recent studies show that the majority of blue straggler stars, traditionally defined to be stars brighter and bluer than the corresponding main sequence turnoff, are formed through mass transfer from a giant star onto a main sequence companion, resulting in a white dwarf in a binary system with a blue straggler. We will present constraints on the histories and mass transfer efficiencies for two blue straggler-white dwarf binaries in open cluster NGC 188. The constraints are a result of measuring white dwarf cooling temperatures and surface gravities with HST COS far-ultraviolet spectroscopy. This information sets both the timeline for mass transfer and the stellar masses in the pre-mass transfer binary, allowing us to constrain aspects of the mass transfer physics. One system is formed through Case C mass transfer, leaving a CO-core white dwarf, and provides an interesting test case for mass transfer from an asymptotic giant branch star in an eccentric system. The other system formed through Case B mass transfer, leaving a He-core white dwarf, and challenges our current understanding of the expected regimes for stable mass transfer from red giant branch stars.

LISA Pathfinder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stebbins, Robin

2008-01-01

USA Pathfinder is a space mission dedicated to demonstrating technology for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). LISA is a joint ESA/NASA mission to detect low-frequency gravitational waves on the 0.0001 to 0.1 Hz frequency band. LISA is expected to observe 100's of merging massive black hole binaries out z-15, tens of thousands of close compact binary systems in the Milky Way, merging intermediate-mass black hole binaries, tens of stellar-mass black holes falling into supermassive black holes in galactic centers, and possibly other exotic sources. Several critical LISA technologies have not been demonstrated at the requisite level of performance. In spaceflight, and some fight hardware cannot be tested in a 1-g environment. Hence, the LISA Pathfinder mission is being implemented to demonstrate these critical LISA technologies in a relevant flight environment. LISA Pathfinder mimics one arm of the LISA constellation by shrinking the 5-million-kilometer armlength down to a few tens of centimeters. The experimental concept is to measure the relative separation between two test masses nominally following their own geodesics, and thereby determine the relative residual acceleration between them near 1 mHz, about a decade above the lowest frequency required by LISA. To implement such a concept, disturbances on the test masses must be kept very small by many design features, but chiefly by "drag-free" flight. A drag-free spacecraft follows a free-falling test mass which it encloses, but has no mechanical connection to. The spacecraft senses it's orientation and separation with respect to the proof mass, and its propulsion system is commanded to keep the spacecraft centered about the test mass. Thus, the spacecraft shields the test mass from most external influences, and minimizes the effect of force gradients arising from the spacecraft, and acting on the test mass. LISA Pathfinder will compare the geodesic of one test mass against that of the other. Only a metrology system based on interferometry can achieve the displacement sensitivity. Interferometers monitor the separation of both test masses with a sensitivity comparable to that required by LISA, and using the same technologies. LISA Pathfinder is scheduled to be launched in the first half of 1020 to a Lissajous orbit around the first Sun-Earth Lagrange point, L1. In addition to a complete European technology package (the LISA Technology Package, or LTP), LISA Pathfinder will also carry thrusters and software, known as ST-7, a part of NASA's New Millennium Program.

Low-mass X-ray binary evolution and the origin of millisecond pulsars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, Juhan; King, Andrew R.; Lasota, Jean-Pierre

1992-01-01

The evolution of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) is considered. It is shown that X-ray irradiation of the companion stars causes these systems to undergo episodes of rapid mass transfer followed by detached phases. The systems are visible as bright X-ray binaries only for a short part of each cycle, so that their space density must be considerably larger than previously estimated. This removes the difficulty in regarding LMXBs as the progenitors of low-mass binary pulsars. The low-accretion-rate phase of the cycle with the soft X-ray transients is identified. It is shown that 3 hr is likely to be the minimum orbital period for LMXBs with main-sequence companions and it is suggested that the evolutionary endpoint for many LMXBs may be systems which are the sites of gamma-ray bursts.

The Algol-like binary TT Hydrae - The stars, circumstellar matter, and superionized plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plavec, Mirek J.

1988-01-01

This paper reports on superionized UV emission lines discovered in TT Hydrae (HD 97528), a semidetached eclipsing binary system in the Southern-Hemisphere sky. The list of emission lines observed is typical for interacting nondegenerate binaries of the Algol type, but with system-specific relative-intensity characteristics. The primary component of the system is a B9.5 V main-sequence star with effective temperature of 9800 K. Its mass equals 2.25 solar masses; the radius is 1.9 solar radii; and surface gravity log g equals 4.23. The secondary star has a mass of 0.41 solar mass and fills its critical Roche lobe. Evidence obtained on mass interaction supports the conclusion that HD 97528 is a normal semidetached system.

Protoplanetary Disk Masses from Stars to Brown Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohanty, Subhanjoy; Greaves, Jane; Mortlock, Daniel; Pascucci, Ilaria; Scholz, Aleks; Thompson, Mark; Apai, Daniel; Lodato, Giuseppe; Looper, Dagny

2013-08-01

We present SCUBA-2 850 μm observations of seven very low mass stars (VLMS) and brown dwarfs (BDs). Three are in Taurus and four in the TW Hydrae Association (TWA), and all are classical T Tauri (cTT) analogs. We detect two of the three Taurus disks (one only marginally), but none of the TWA ones. For standard grains in cTT disks, our 3σ limits correspond to a dust mass of 1.2 M ⊕ in Taurus and a mere 0.2 M ⊕ in the TWA (3-10× deeper than previous work). We combine our data with other submillimeter/millimeter (sub-mm/mm) surveys of Taurus, ρ Oph, and the TWA to investigate the trends in disk mass and grain growth during the cTT phase. Assuming a gas-to-dust mass ratio of 100:1 and fiducial surface density and temperature profiles guided by current data, we find the following. (1) The minimum disk outer radius required to explain the upper envelope of sub-mm/mm fluxes is ~100 AU for intermediate-mass stars, solar types, and VLMS, and ~20 AU for BDs. (2) While the upper envelope of apparent disk masses increases with M * from BDs to VLMS to solar-type stars, no such increase is observed from solar-type to intermediate-mass stars. We propose this is due to enhanced photoevaporation around intermediate stellar masses. (3) Many of the disks around Taurus and ρ Oph intermediate-mass and solar-type stars evince an opacity index of β ~ 0-1, indicating significant grain growth. Of the only four VLMS/BDs in these regions with multi-wavelength measurements, three are consistent with considerable grain growth, though optically thick disks are not ruled out. (4) For the TWA VLMS (TWA 30A and B), combining our 850 μm fluxes with the known accretion rates and ages suggests substantial grain growth by 10 Myr, comparable to that in the previously studied TWA cTTs Hen 3-600A and TW Hya. The degree of grain growth in the TWA BDs (2M1207A and SSPM1102) remains largely unknown. (5) A Bayesian analysis shows that the apparent disk-to-stellar mass ratio has a roughly constant mean of log10[M disk/M *] ≈ -2.4 all the way from intermediate-mass stars to VLMS/BDs, supporting previous qualitative suggestions that the ratio is ~1% throughout the stellar/BD domain. (6) Similar analysis shows that the disk mass in close solar-type Taurus binaries (sep <100 AU) is significantly lower than in singles (by a factor of 10), while that in wide solar-type Taurus binaries (>=100 AU) is closer to that in singles (lower by a factor of three). (7) We discuss the implications of these results for planet formation around VLMS/BDs, and for the observed dependence of accretion rate on stellar mass.

On the frequency of close binary systems among very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maxted, P. F. L.; Jeffries, R. D.

2005-09-01

We have used Monte Carlo simulation techniques and published radial velocity surveys to constrain the frequency of very low-mass star (VLMS) and brown dwarf (BD) binary systems and their separation (a) distribution. Gaussian models for the separation distribution with a peak at a= 4au and 0.6 <=σlog(a/au)<= 1.0, correctly predict the number of observed binaries, yielding a close (a < 2.6au) binary frequency of 17-30 per cent and an overall VLMS/BD binary frequency of 32-45 per cent. We find that the available N-body models of VLMS/BD formation from dynamically decaying protostellar multiple systems are excluded at >99 per cent confidence because they predict too few close binary VLMS/BDs. The large number of close binaries and high overall binary frequency are also very inconsistent with recent smoothed particle hydrodynamical modelling and argue against a dynamical origin for VLMS/BDs.

Numerical Simulations of Close and Contact Binary Systems Having Bipolytropic Equation of State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadam, Kundan; Clayton, Geoffrey C.; Motl, Patrick M.; Marcello, Dominic; Frank, Juhan

2017-01-01

I present the results of the numerical simulations of the mass transfer in close and contact binary systems with both stars having a bipolytropic (composite polytropic) equation of state. The initial binary systems are obtained by a modifying Hachisu’s self-consistent field technique. Both the stars have fully resolved cores with a molecular weight jump at the core-envelope interface. The initial properties of these simulations are chosen such that they satisfy the mass-radius relation, composition and period of a late W-type contact binary system. The simulations are carried out using two different Eulerian hydrocodes, Flow-ER with a fixed cylindrical grid, and Octo-tiger with an AMR capable cartesian grid. The detailed comparison of the simulations suggests an agreement between the results obtained from the two codes at different resolutions. The set of simulations can be treated as a benchmark, enabling us to reliably simulate mass transfer and merger scenarios of binary systems involving bipolytropic components.

The dynamical mass of a classical Cepheid variable star in an eclipsing binary system.

PubMed

Pietrzyński, G; Thompson, I B; Gieren, W; Graczyk, D; Bono, G; Udalski, A; Soszyński, I; Minniti, D; Pilecki, B

2010-11-25

Stellar pulsation theory provides a means of determining the masses of pulsating classical Cepheid supergiants-it is the pulsation that causes their luminosity to vary. Such pulsational masses are found to be smaller than the masses derived from stellar evolution theory: this is the Cepheid mass discrepancy problem, for which a solution is missing. An independent, accurate dynamical mass determination for a classical Cepheid variable star (as opposed to type-II Cepheids, low-mass stars with a very different evolutionary history) in a binary system is needed in order to determine which is correct. The accuracy of previous efforts to establish a dynamical Cepheid mass from Galactic single-lined non-eclipsing binaries was typically about 15-30% (refs 6, 7), which is not good enough to resolve the mass discrepancy problem. In spite of many observational efforts, no firm detection of a classical Cepheid in an eclipsing double-lined binary has hitherto been reported. Here we report the discovery of a classical Cepheid in a well detached, double-lined eclipsing binary in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We determine the mass to a precision of 1% and show that it agrees with its pulsation mass, providing strong evidence that pulsation theory correctly and precisely predicts the masses of classical Cepheids.

High Resolution Imaging of Very Low Mass Spectral Binaries: Three Resolved Systems and Detection of Orbital Motion in an L/T Transition Binary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella C.; Gelino, Christopher R.; Burgasser, Adam J.

2015-11-01

We present high resolution Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics imaging of 43 late-M, L and T dwarf systems with Keck/NIRC2. These include 17 spectral binary candidates, systems whose spectra suggest the presence of a T dwarf secondary. We resolve three systems: 2MASS J1341-3052, SDSS J1511+0607 and SDSS J2052-1609 the first two are resolved for the first time. All three have projected separations <8 AU and estimated periods of 14-80 years. We also report a preliminary orbit determination for SDSS J2052-1609 based on six epochs of resolved astrometry between 2005 and 2010. Among the 14 unresolved spectral binaries, 5 systems were confirmed binaries but remained unresolved, implying a minimum binary fraction of {47}-11+12% for this sample. Our inability to resolve most of the spectral binaries, including the confirmed binaries, supports the hypothesis that a large fraction of very low mass systems have relatively small separations and are missed with direct imaging. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W.M. Keck Foundation.

Equilibrium, stability, and orbital evolution of close binary systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lai, Dong; Rasio, Frederic A.; Shapiro, Stuart L.

1994-01-01

We present a new analytic study of the equilibrium and stability properties of close binary systems containing polytropic components. Our method is based on the use of ellipsoidal trial functions in an energy variational principle. We consider both synchronized and nonsynchronized systems, constructing the compressible generalizations of the classical Darwin and Darwin-Riemann configurations. Our method can be applied to a wide variety of binary models where the stellar masses, radii, spins, entropies, and polytropic indices are all allowed to vary over wide ranges and independently for each component. We find that both secular and dynamical instabilities can develop before a Roche limit or contact is reached along a sequence of models with decreasing binary separation. High incompressibility always makes a given binary system more susceptible to these instabilities, but the dependence on the mass ratio is more complicated. As simple applications, we construct models of double degenerate systems and of low-mass main-sequence star binaries. We also discuss the orbital evoltuion of close binary systems under the combined influence of fluid viscosity and secular angular momentum losses from processes like gravitational radiation. We show that the existence of global fluid instabilities can have a profound effect on the terminal evolution of coalescing binaries. The validity of our analytic solutions is examined by means of detailed comparisons with the results of recent numerical fluid calculations in three dimensions.

Three-dimensional simulations of the interaction between the nova ejecta, accretion disk, and companion star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figueira, Joana; José, Jordi; García-Berro, Enrique; Campbell, Simon W.; García-Senz, Domingo; Mohamed, Shazrene

2018-05-01

Context. Classical novae are thermonuclear explosions hosted by accreting white dwarfs in stellar binary systems. Material piles up on top of the white dwarf star under mildly degenerate conditions, driving a thermonuclear runaway. The energy released by the suite of nuclear processes operating at the envelope, mostly proton-capture reactions and β+-decays, heats the material up to peak temperatures ranging from 100 to 400 MK. In these events, about 10-3-10-7 M⊙, enriched in CNO and, sometimes, other intermediate-mass elements (e.g., Ne, Na, Mg, and Al) are ejected into the interstellar medium. Aims: To date, most of the efforts undertaken in the modeling of classical nova outbursts have focused on the early stages of the explosion and ejection, ignoring the interaction of the ejecta, first with the accretion disk orbiting the white dwarf and ultimately with the secondary star. Methods: A suite of 3D, smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of the interaction between the nova ejecta, accretion disk, and stellar companion were performed to fill this gap; these simulations were aimed at testing the influence of the model parameters—that is, the mass and velocity of the ejecta, mass and the geometry of the accretion disk—on the dynamical and chemical properties of the system. Results: We discuss the conditions that lead to the disruption of the accretion disk and to mass loss from the binary system. In addition, we discuss the likelihood of chemical contamination of the stellar secondary induced by the impact with the nova ejecta and its potential effect on the next nova cycle. Movies showing the full evolution of several models are available online at http://https://www.aanda.org and at http://www.fen.upc.edu/users/jjose/Downloads.html

The astrophysical science case for a decihertz gravitational-wave detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandel, Ilya; Sesana, Alberto; Vecchio, Alberto

2018-03-01

We discuss the astrophysical science case for a decihertz gravitational-wave mission. We focus on unique opportunities for scientific discovery in this frequency range, including probes of type IA supernova progenitors, mergers in the presence of third bodies, intermediate mass black holes, seeds of massive black holes, improved sky localization, and tracking the population of merging compact binaries.

The OmegaWhite Survey for Short-period Variable Stars. V. Discovery of an Ultracompact Hot Subdwarf Binary with a Compact Companion in a 44-minute Orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kupfer, T.; Ramsay, G.; van Roestel, J.; Brooks, J.; MacFarlane, S. A.; Toma, R.; Groot, P. J.; Woudt, P. A.; Bildsten, L.; Marsh, T. R.; Green, M. J.; Breedt, E.; Kilkenny, D.; Freudenthal, J.; Geier, S.; Heber, U.; Bagnulo, S.; Blagorodnova, N.; Buckley, D. A. H.; Dhillon, V. S.; Kulkarni, S. R.; Lunnan, R.; Prince, T. A.

2017-12-01

We report the discovery of the ultracompact hot subdwarf (sdOB) binary OW J074106.0-294811.0 with an orbital period of {P}{orb}=44.66279+/- 1.16× {10}-4 minutes, making it the most compact hot subdwarf binary known. Spectroscopic observations using the VLT, Gemini and Keck telescopes revealed a He-sdOB primary with an intermediate helium abundance, {T}{eff} = 39 400+/- 500 K and {log}g = 5.74 ± 0.09. High signal-to-noise ratio light curves show strong ellipsoidal modulation resulting in a derived sdOB mass {M}{sdOB}=0.23+/- 0.12 {M}⊙ with a WD companion ({M}{WD}=0.72+/- 0.17 {M}⊙ ). The mass ratio was found to be q={M}{sdOB}/{M}{WD}=0.32+/- 0.10. The derived mass for the He-sdOB is inconsistent with the canonical mass for hot subdwarfs of ≈ 0.47 {M}⊙ . To put constraints on the structure and evolutionary history of the sdOB star we compared the derived {T}{eff}, {log}g, and sdOB mass to evolutionary tracks of helium stars and helium white dwarfs calculated with Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA). We find that the best-fitting model is a helium white dwarf with a mass of 0.320 {M}⊙ , which left the common envelope ≈ 1.1 {Myr} ago, which is consistent with the observations. As a helium white dwarf with a massive white dwarf companion, the object will reach contact in 17.6 Myr at an orbital period of 5 minutes. Depending on the spin-orbit synchronization timescale the object will either merge to form an R CrB star or end up as a stably accreting AM CVn-type system with a helium white dwarf donor.

Three close binaries in different evolutionary stages in the old open cluster NGC 188

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, L. Y.; Qian, S. B.; Liu, L.

2014-02-01

NGC 188 is a good laboratory for studying the formation and evolution of W UMa type contact binaries due to its rich populations of them. We present a detailed photometric study of three short-period close binaries, EP Cep, ES Cep, and V369 Cep, in the old open cluster NGC 188 based on our two-set photometric observations. We discovered that both EP Cep and ES Cep are shallow-contact binaries with continuously decreasing periods. The difference is in their mass ratios. EP Cep has an extremely low-mass ratio, q = 0.15, while ES Cep has a relatively high-mass ratio, q = 0.69,more » indicating that they lie in different evolutionary stages. ES Cep is likely a newly formed contact binary via a Case A mass transfer, while EP Cep is an evolved system and may be on the oscillations caused by the combined effect of the thermal relaxation oscillation and the variable angular momentum loss. For another system, V369 Cep, we found that it is a primary-filling near-contact binary. Both the semidetached configuration and the continuous decrease in the orbital period indicate that it is undergoing a mass transfer from the primary component to the secondary one. This conclusion is in agreement with the excess luminosity seen in the light curves on the ingress of the secondary minimum produced by the impact of the mass transfer. All of the results suggest that V369 Cep is evolving into contact, and a shallow-contact high-mass ratio system similar to ES Cep will be formed. Then, it will evolve into a low-mass ratio contact binary just like EP Cep, and finally merge into a rapidly rotating single star.« less

Polarized light curves illuminate wind geometries in Wolf-Rayet binary stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, Jennifer L.; Fullard, Andrew G.; Nordsieck, Kenneth H.

2018-01-01

Although the majority of massive stars are affected by a companion during the course of their evolution, the role of binary systems in creating supernova and GRB progenitors is not well understood. Binaries containing Wolf-Rayet stars are particularly interesting because they may provide a mechanism for producing the rapid rotation necessary for GRB formation. However, constraining the evolutionary fate of a Wolf-Rayet binary system requires characterizing its mass loss and mass transfer, a difficult prospect in systems whose colliding winds obscure the stars and produce complicated spectral signatures.The technique of spectropolarimetry is ideally suited to studying WR binary systems because it can disentangle spectral components that take different scattering paths through a complex distribution of circumstellar material. In particular, comparing the polarization behavior as a function of orbital phase of the continuum (which arises from the stars) with that of the emission lines (which arise from the interaction region) can provide a detailed view of the wind structures in a WR+O binary and constrain the system’s mass loss and mass transfer properties.We present new continuum and line polarization curves for three WR+O binaries (WR 30, WR 47, and WR 113) obtained with the RSS spectropolarimeter at the Southern African Large Telescope. We use radiative transfer simulations to analyze the polarization curves, and discuss our interpretations in light of current models for V444 Cygni, a well-studied related binary system. Accurately characterizing the structures of the wind collision regions in these massive binaries is key to understanding their evolution and properly accounting for their contribution to the supernova (and possible GRB) progenitor population.

Wind-driven angular momentum loss in binary systems. I - Ballistic case

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brookshaw, Leigh; Tavani, Marco

1993-01-01

We study numerically the average loss of specific angular momentum from binary systems due to mass outflow from one of the two stars for a variety of initial injection geometries and wind velocities. We present results of ballistic calculations in three dimensions for initial mass ratios q of the mass-losing star to primary star in the range q between 10 exp -5 and 10. We consider injection surfaces close to the Roche lobe equipotential surface of the mass-losing star, and also cases with the mass-losing star underfilling its Roche lobe. We obtain that the orbital period is expected to have a negative time derivative for wind-driven secular evolution of binaries with q greater than about 3 and with the mass-losing star near filling its Roche lobe. We also study the effect of the presence of an absorbing surface approximating an accretion disk on the average final value of the specific angular momentum loss. We find that the effect of an accretion disk is to increase the wind-driven angular momentum loss. Our results are relevant for evolutionary models of high-mass binaries and low-mass X-ray binaries.

Modeling Kicks from the Merger of Generic Black-hole Binaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, John G.; Boggs, William D.; Centrella, Joan; Kelly, Bernard J.; McWilliams, Sean T.; Miller, M. Coleman; vanMeter, James R.

2008-01-01

Recent numerical relativistic results demonstrate that the merger of comparable-mass spinning black holes has a maximum "recoil kick" of up to approx. 4000 km/s. However the scaling of these recoil velocities with mass ratio is poorly understood. We present new runs showing that the maximum possible kick parallel to the orbital axis does not scale as approx. eta(sup 2) (where eta is the symmetric mass ratio), as previously proposed, but is more consistent with approx. eta(sup 3). We discuss the effect of this dependence on galactic ejection scenarios and retention of intermediate-mass black holes in globular clusters. S

Forming short-period Wolf-Rayet X-ray binaries and double black holes through stable mass transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Heuvel, E. P. J.; Portegies Zwart, S. F.; de Mink, S. E.

2017-11-01

We show that black hole high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) with O- or B-type donor stars and relatively short orbital periods, of order one week to several months may survive spiral-in, to then form Wolf-Rayet (WR) X-ray binaries with orbital periods of order a day to a few days; while in systems where the compact star is a neutron star, HMXBs with these orbital periods never survive spiral-in. We therefore predict that WR X-ray binaries can only harbour black holes. The reason why black hole HMXBs with these orbital periods may survive spiral-in is: the combination of a radiative envelope of the donor star and a high mass of the compact star. In this case, when the donor begins to overflow its Roche lobe, the systems are able to spiral in slowly with stable Roche lobe overflow, as is shown by the system SS433. In this case, the transferred mass is ejected from the vicinity of the compact star (so-called isotropic re-emission mass-loss mode, or SS433-like mass-loss), leading to gradual spiral-in. If the mass ratio of donor and black hole is ≳3.5, these systems will go into common-envelope evolution and are less likely to survive. If they survive, they produce WR X-ray binaries with orbital periods of a few hours to one day. Several of the well-known WR+O binaries in our Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds, with orbital periods in the range between a week and several months, are expected to evolve into close WR-black hole binaries, which may later produce close double black holes. The galactic formation rate of double black holes resulting from such systems is still uncertain, as it depends on several poorly known factors in this evolutionary picture. It might possibly be as high as ˜10-5 yr-1.

Low-mass Pre-He White Dwarf Stars in Kepler Eclipsing Binaries with Multi-periodic Pulsations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X. B.; Fu, J. N.; Liu, N.; Luo, C. Q.; Ren, A. B.

2017-12-01

We report the discovery of two thermally bloated low-mass pre-He white dwarfs (WDs) in two eclipsing binaries, KIC 10989032 and KIC 8087799. Based on the Kepler long-cadence photometry, we determined comprehensive photometric solutions of the two binary systems. The light curve analysis reveals that KIC 10989032 is a partially eclipsed detached binary system containing a probable low-mass WD with the temperature of about 10,300 K. Having a WD with the temperature of about 13,300, KKIC 8087799 is typical of an EL CVn system. By utilizing radial velocity measurements available for the A-type primary star of KIC 10989032, the mass and radius of the WD component are determined to be 0.24+/- 0.02 {M}⊙ and 0.50+/- 0.01 {R}⊙ , respectively. The values of mass and radius of the WD in KIC 8087799 are estimated as 0.16 ± 0.02 M ⊙ and 0.21 ± 0.01 R ⊙, respectively, according to the effective temperature and mean density of the A-type star derived from the photometric solution. We therefore introduce KIC 10989032 and KIC 8087799 as the eleventh and twelfth dA+WD eclipsing binaries in the Kepler field. Moreover, both binaries display marked multi-periodic pulsations superimposed on binary effects. A preliminary frequency analysis is applied to the light residuals when subtracting the synthetic eclipsing light curves from the observations, revealing that the light pulsations of the two systems are both due to the δ Sct-type primaries. We hence classify KIC 10989032 and KIC 8087799 as two WD+δ Sct binaries.

Numerical Simulations of Wind Accretion in Symbiotic Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Val-Borro, M.; Karovska, M.; Sasselov, D.

2009-08-01

About half of the binary systems are close enough to each other for mass to be exchanged between them at some point in their evolution, yet the accretion mechanism in wind accreting binaries is not well understood. We study the dynamical effects of gravitational focusing by a binary companion on winds from late-type stars. In particular, we investigate the mass transfer and formation of accretion disks around the secondary in detached systems consisting of an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) mass-losing star and an accreting companion. The presence of mass outflows is studied as a function of mass-loss rate, wind temperature, and binary orbital parameters. A two-dimensional hydrodynamical model is used to study the stability of mass transfer in wind accreting symbiotic binary systems. In our simulations we use an adiabatic equation of state and a modified version of the isothermal approximation, where the temperature depends on the distance from the mass losing star and its companion. The code uses a block-structured adaptive mesh refinement method that allows us to have high resolution at the position of the secondary and resolve the formation of bow shocks and accretion disks. We explore the accretion flow between the components and formation of accretion disks for a range of orbital separations and wind parameters. Our results show the formation of stream flow between the stars and accretion disks of various sizes for certain orbital configurations. For a typical slow and massive wind from an AGB star the flow pattern is similar to a Roche lobe overflow with accretion rates of 10% of the mass loss from the primary. Stable disks with exponentially decreasing density profiles and masses of the order 10-4 solar masses are formed when wind acceleration occurs at several stellar radii. The disks are geometrically thin with eccentric streamlines and close to Keplerian velocity profiles. The formation of tidal streams and accretion disks is found to be weakly dependent on the mass loss from the AGB star. Our simulations of gravitationally focused wind accretion in symbiotic binaries show the formation of stream flows and enhanced accretion rates onto the compact component. We conclude that mass transfer through a focused wind is an important mechanism in wind accreting interacting binaries and can have a significant impact on the evolution of the binary itself and the individual components.

The first gravitational-wave burst GW150914, as predicted by the scenario machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipunov, V. M.; Kornilov, V.; Gorbovskoy, E.; Tiurina, N.; Balanutsa, P.; Kuznetsov, A.

2017-02-01

The Advanced LIGO observatory recently reported (Abbott et al., 2016a) the first direct detection of gravitational waves predicted by Einstein (1916). The detection of this event was predicted in 1997 on the basis of the Scenario Machine population synthesis calculations (Lipunov et al., 1997b) Now we discuss the parameters of binary black holes and event rates predicted by different scenarios of binary evolution. We give a simple explanation of the big difference between detected black hole masses and the mean black hole masses observed in of X-ray Nova systems. The proximity of the masses of the components of GW150914 is in good agreement with the observed initial mass ratio distribution in massive binary systems, as is used in Scenario Machine calculations for massive binaries.

Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton Accretion onto Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antoni, Andrea; MacLeod, Morgan; Ramírez-Ruiz, Enrico

2018-01-01

Binary stars are not rare. While only close binary stars will eventually interact with one another, even the widest binary systems interact with their gaseous surroundings. The rates of accretion and the gaseous drag forces arising in these interactions are the key to understanding how these systems evolve. This poster examines accretion flows around a binary system moving supersonically through a background gas. We perform three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion using the adaptive mesh refinement code FLASH. We simulate a range of values of semi-major axis of the orbit relative to the gravitational focusing impact parameter of the pair. On large scales, gas is gravitationally focused by the center-of-mass of the binary, leading to dynamical friction drag and to the accretion of mass and momentum. On smaller scales, the orbital motion imprints itself on the gas. Notably, the magnitude and direction of the forces acting on the binary inherit this orbital dependence. The long-term evolution of the binary is determined by the timescales for accretion, slow down of the center-of-mass, and decay of the orbit. We use our simulations to measure these timescales and to establish a hierarchy between them. In general, our simulations indicate that binaries moving through gaseous media will slow down before the orbit decays.

Spin Evolution of Stellar Progenitors in Compact Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinle, Nathan; Kesden, Michael

2018-01-01

Understanding the effects of various processes on the spins of stellar progenitors in compact binary systems is important for modeling the binary’s evolution and thus for interpreting the gravitational radiation emitted during inspiral and merger. Tides, winds, and natal kicks can drastically modify the binary parameters: tidal interactions increase the spin magnitudes, align the spins with the orbital angular momentum, and circularize the orbit; stellar winds decrease the spin magnitudes and cause mass loss; and natal kicks can misalign the spins and orbital angular momentum or even disrupt the binary. Also, during Roche lobe overflow, the binary may experience either stable mass transfer or common envelope evolution. The former can lead to a mass ratio reversal and alter the component spins, while the latter can dramatically shrink the binary separation. For a wide range of physically reasonable stellar-evolution scenarios, we compare the timescales of these processes to assess their relative contributions in determining the initial spins of compact binary systems.

Constructing binary black hole initial data with high mass ratios and spins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ossokine, Serguei; Foucart, Francois; Pfeiffer, Harald; Szilagyi, Bela; Simulating Extreme Spacetimes Collaboration

2015-04-01

Binary black hole systems have now been successfully modelled in full numerical relativity by many groups. In order to explore high-mass-ratio (larger than 1:10), high-spin systems (above 0.9 of the maximal BH spin), we revisit the initial-data problem for binary black holes. The initial-data solver in the Spectral Einstein Code (SpEC) was not able to solve for such initial data reliably and robustly. I will present recent improvements to this solver, among them adaptive mesh refinement and control of motion of the center of mass of the binary, and will discuss the much larger region of parameter space this code can now address.

Close encounters of the third-body kind. [intruding bodies in binary star systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davies, M. B.; Benz, W.; Hills, J. G.

1994-01-01

We simulated encounters involving binaries of two eccentricities: e = 0 (i.e., circular binaries) and e = 0.5. In both cases the binary contained a point mass of 1.4 solar masses (i.e., a neutron star) and a 0.8 solar masses main-sequence star modeled as a polytrope. The semimajor axes of both binaries were set to 60 solar radii (0.28 AU). We considered intruders of three masses: 1.4 solar masses (a neutron star), 0.8 solar masses (a main-sequence star or a higher mass white dwarf), and 0.64 solar masses (a more typical mass white dwarf). Our strategy was to perform a large number (40,000) of encounters using a three-body code, then to rerun a small number of cases with a three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code to determine the importance of hydrodynamical effects. Using the results of the three-body runs, we computed the exchange across sections, sigma(sub ex). From the results of the SPH runs, we computed the cross sections for clean exchange, denoted by sigma(sub cx); the formation of a triple system, denoted by sigma(sub trp); and the formation of a merged binary with an object formed from the merger of two of the stars left in orbit around the third star, denoted by sigma(sub mb). For encounters between either binary and a 1.4 solar masses neutron star, sigma(sub cx) approx. 0.7 sigma(sub ex) and sigma(sub mb) + sigma(sub trp) approx. 0.3 sigma(sub ex). For encounters between either binary and the 0.8 solar masses main-sequence star, sigma(sub cx) approx. 0.50 sigma(sub ex) and sigma(sub mb) + sigma(sub trp) approx. 1.0 sigma(sub ex). If the main sequence star is replaced by a main-sequence star of the same mass, we have sigma(sub cx) approx. 0.5 sigma(sub ex) and sigma(sub mb) + sigma(sub trp) approx. 1.6 sigma(sub ex). Although the exchange cross section is a sensitive function of intruder mass, we see that the cross section to produce merged binaries is roughly independent of intruder mass. The merged binaries produced have semi-major axes much larger than either those of the original binaries or those of binaries produced in clean exchanges. Coupled with their lower kick velocities, received from the encounters, their larger size will enhance their cross section, shortening the waiting time to a subsequent encounter with another single star.

The PyCBC search for binary black hole coalescences in Advanced LIGO's first observing run

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willis, Joshua; LIGO Scientific Collaboration

2017-01-01

Advanced LIGO's first observing run saw the first detections of binary black hole coalescences. We describe the PyCBC matched filter analysis, and the results of that search for binary systems with total mass up to 100 solar masses. This is a matched filter search for general-relativistic signals from binary black hole systems. Two signals, GW150914 and GW151226, were identified with very high significance, and a third possible signal, LVT151012, was found, though at much lower significance. Supported by NSF award PHY-1506254.

KOI-3278: a self-lensing binary star system.

PubMed

Kruse, Ethan; Agol, Eric

2014-04-18

Over 40% of Sun-like stars are bound in binary or multistar systems. Stellar remnants in edge-on binary systems can gravitationally magnify their companions, as predicted 40 years ago. By using data from the Kepler spacecraft, we report the detection of such a "self-lensing" system, in which a 5-hour pulse of 0.1% amplitude occurs every orbital period. The white dwarf stellar remnant and its Sun-like companion orbit one another every 88.18 days, a long period for a white dwarf-eclipsing binary. By modeling the pulse as gravitational magnification (microlensing) along with Kepler's laws and stellar models, we constrain the mass of the white dwarf to be ~63% of the mass of our Sun. Further study of this system, and any others discovered like it, will help to constrain the physics of white dwarfs and binary star evolution.

Planetary Formation and Dynamics in Binary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, J. W.

2013-01-01

As of today, over 500 exoplanets have been detected since the first exoplanet was discovered around a solar-like star in 1995. The planets in binaries could be common as stars are usually born in binary or multiple star systems. Although current observations show that the planet host rate in multiple star systems is around 17%, this fraction should be considered as a lower limit because of noticeable selection effects against binaries in planet searches. Most of the current known planet-bearing binary systems are S-types, meaning the companion star acts as a distant satellite, typically orbiting the inner star-planet system over 100 AU away. Nevertheless, there are four systems with a smaller separation of 20 AU, including the Gamma Cephei, GJ 86, HD 41004, and HD 196885. In addition to the planets in circumprimary (S-type) orbits discussed above, planets in circumbinary (P-type) orbits have been found in only two systems. In this thesis, we mainly study the planet formation in the S-type binary systems. In chapter 1, we first summarize current observational facts of exoplanets both in single-star and binary systems, then review the theoretical models of planet formation, with special attention to the application in binary systems. Perturbative effects from stellar companions render the planet formation process in binary systems even more complex than that in single-star systems. The perturbations from a binary companion can excite planetesimal orbits, and increase their mutual impact velocities to the values that might exceed their escape velocity or even the critical velocity for the onset of eroding collisions. The intermediate stage of the formation process---from planetesimals to planetary embryos---is thus the most problematic. In the following chapters, we investigate whether and how the planet formation goes through such a problematic stage. In chapter 2, we study the effects of gas dissipation on the planetesimals' mutual accretion. We find that in a dissipating gas disk, all the planetesimals eventually converge toward the same forced orbits regardless of their size, leading to the much lower impact velocities. This process progressively increases the net mass accretion and can even trigger the runaway growth for large planetesimals. In chapter 3, for the first time, we adopt a 3-dimensional approach to investigate the planetesimals' mutual accretion in binary systems. We find that the inclusion of a small inclination between the binary orbital plane and the circumstellar disk plane leads to the realization of the differential orbital phasing in 3-dimensional space. In such a case, impacts mainly occur between similar-sized bodies with the impact velocities being significantly reduced, and thus the planetesimal accretion is more favored. In chapter 4, we investigate the planet formation in a specific system, the habitable zone of Alpha Centauri B. For the first time, we develop a scaling method to estimate the planetesimal collisional timescale in binary systems. We find that the accretion-favorable conditions satisfied at 1˜2 AU from Alpha Centauri B after the first 10^5 years. However, the planetesimal accretion is significantly less efficient as compared to the single star case. Our results suggest that the formation of Earth-like planets through the accretion of km-sized planetesimals is possible in Alpha Centauri B, while the formation of gaseous giant planets is not favorable. In chapter 5, we outline a new concept, which we call the ``snowball'' growth mode. In this snowball phase, the isolated planetesimals move in the Keplerian orbits, and grow solely via the direct accretion of subcentimeter-sized dust entrained with the gas in the protoplanetary disk. Using a simplified model in which the planetesimals are progressively produced from the dust, we find that the snowball growth phase can be the dominant mode to transfer mass from the dust to planetesimals. The snowball growth mode could provide an alternative explanation for the turnover point in the size distribution of the present-day asteroid belt. For the specific case of close binaries such as Alpha Centauri, the snowball growth mode provides a safe way for the bodies to grow through the problematic range with a size of 1˜50 km. In chapter 6, we investigate the intermediate stages of the planet formation in highly inclined cases. We find that the gas drag plays a crucial role in the evolution of the planetesimals' semi-major axis, and the results can be generally divided into two categories, i.e., the Kozai-on regime and the Kozai-off regime. For both regimes, a robust outcome over a wide range of parameters is that, the planetesimals migrate/jump inwards and pile up, leading to a severely truncated and dense planetesimal disk around the primary. In this compact and dense disk, the collision rates are high but the relative velocities are low, providing conditions which are favorable for the planetesimal growth, and potentially allow for the subsequent formation of planets. Finally, we summarize this thesis in chapter 7. Many open questions still remain in current research field of planet formation in binary systems, and the current Kepler project provides an unprecedented opportunity for such researches. A comprehensive understanding of planets in binaries requires placing them in a bigger context to include the formation and evolution of stars and/or clusters.

Terrestrial Planet Formation Around Close Binary Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; Quintana, Elisa V.

2003-01-01

Most stars reside in multiple star systems; however, virtually all models of planetary growth have assumed an isolated single star. Numerical simulations of the collapse of molecular cloud cores to form binary stars suggest that disks will form within such systems. Observations indirectly suggest disk material around one or both components within young binary star systems. If planets form at the right places within such circumstellar disks, they can remain in stable orbits within the binary star systems for eons. We are simulating the late stages of growth of terrestrial planets around close binary stars, using a new, ultrafast, symplectic integrator that we have developed for this purpose. The sum of the masses of the two stars is one solar mass, and the initial disk of planetary embryos is the same as that used for simulating the late stages of terrestrial planet growth within our Solar System and in the Alpha Centauri wide binary star system. Giant planets &are included in the simulations, as they are in most simulations of the late stages of terrestrial planet accumulation in our Solar System. When the stars travel on a circular orbit with semimajor axis of up to 0.1 AU about their mutual center of mass, the planetary embryos grow into a system of terrestrial planets that is statistically identical to those formed about single stars, but a larger semimajor axis and/or a significantly eccentric binary orbit can lead to significantly more dynamically hot terrestrial planet systems.

DISCOVERY OF A HIGHLY UNEQUAL-MASS BINARY T DWARF WITH KECK LASER GUIDE STAR ADAPTIVE OPTICS: A COEVALITY TEST OF SUBSTELLAR THEORETICAL MODELS AND EFFECTIVE TEMPERATURES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Michael C.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Leggett, S. K., E-mail: mliu@ifa.hawaii.ed

Highly unequal-mass ratio binaries are rare among field brown dwarfs, with the mass ratio distribution of the known census described by q {sup (4.9{+-}0.7)}. However, such systems enable a unique test of the joint accuracy of evolutionary and atmospheric models, under the constraint of coevality for the individual components (the 'isochrone test'). We carry out this test using two of the most extreme field substellar binaries currently known, the T1 + T6 {epsilon} Ind Bab binary and a newly discovered 0.''14 T2.0 + T7.5 binary, 2MASS J12095613-1004008AB, identified with Keck laser guide star adaptive optics. The latter is the mostmore » extreme tight binary resolved to date (q {approx} 0.5). Based on the locations of the binary components on the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram, current models successfully indicate that these two systems are coeval, with internal age differences of log(age) = -0.8 {+-} 1.3(-1.0{sup +1.2}{sub -1.3}) dex and 0.5{sup +0.4}{sub -0.3}(0.3{sup +0.3}{sub -0.4}) dex for 2MASS J1209-1004AB and {epsilon} Ind Bab, respectively, as inferred from the Lyon (Tucson) models. However, the total mass of {epsilon} Ind Bab derived from the H-R diagram ({approx} 80 M{sub Jup} using the Lyon models) is strongly discrepant with the reported dynamical mass. This problem, which is independent of the assumed age of the {epsilon} Ind Bab system, can be explained by a {approx} 50-100 K systematic error in the model atmosphere fitting, indicating slightly warmer temperatures for both components; bringing the mass determinations from the H-R diagram and the visual orbit into consistency leads to an inferred age of {approx} 6 Gyr for {epsilon} Ind Bab, older than previously assumed. Overall, the two T dwarf binaries studied here, along with recent results from T dwarfs in age and mass benchmark systems, yield evidence for small ({approx}100 K) errors in the evolutionary models and/or model atmospheres, but not significantly larger. Future parallax, resolved spectroscopy, and dynamical mass measurements for 2MASS J1209-1004AB will enable a more stringent application of the isochrone test. Finally, the binary nature of this object reduces its utility as the primary T3 near-IR spectral typing standard; we suggest SDSS J1206+2813 as a replacement.« less

Lateral Diffusion in a DMPC:DMPE-EO Binary Monolayer at the Air/Water Interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adalsteinsson, Thorsteinn; Porter, Ryan; Yu, Hyuk

2002-03-01

Polyethylene glycol tethered phospholipids (lipo-polymers) have recently attracted attention for improving the stability of liposomes and other bilayer delivery systems. Here, we report a study of surface pressure measurement and diffusion measurements of a probe lipid (NBD-DMPC) in a binary monolayer of DMPC and DMPE-EO at the Air/Water interface. Our findings are that the DMPE-EO lipo-polymer desorbs from the interface at intermediate surface pressures if the EO tail is sufficiently large (i.e. EO_45) and does not interfere with the diffusion of the probe thereafter. In the case where the EO tail is short (i.e. EO_17) the lipo-polymer retards the diffusion of the probe, but as the surface pressure increases, the diffusion behavior approaches that of pure DMPC monolayer independent of lipo-polymer. Thus, we conclude that the surface pressure and EO molar mass dependent desorption of the lipo-polymer modulates the probe diffusion retardation.

SWIFT J1910.2-0546: A Possible Black Hole Binary with a Retrograde Spin or Truncated Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reis, R. C.; Reynolds, M. T.; Miller, J. M.; Walton, D. J.; Maitra, D.; King, A.; Degenaar, N.

2013-12-01

We present the first results from a long (51 ks) XMM-Newton observation of the Galactic X-ray binary SWIFT J1910.2-0546 in an intermediate state, obtained during its 2012 outburst. A clear, asymmetric iron emission line is observed and physically motivated models are used to fully describe the emission-line profile. Unlike other sources in their intermediate spectral states, the inner accretion disk in SWIFT J1910.2-0546 appears to be truncated, with an inner radius of r in =9.4^{+1.7}_{-1.3} r g at a 90% confidence limit. Quasi-periodic oscillations are also found at approximately 4.5 and 6 Hz, which correlates well with the break frequency of the underlying broad-band noise. Assuming that the line emission traces the innermost stable circular orbit, as would generally be expected for an intermediate state, the current observation of SWIFT J1910.2-0546 may offer the best evidence for a possible retrograde stellar mass black hole with a spin parameter a < - 0.32cJ/GM2 (90% confidence). Although this is an intriguing possibility, there are also a number of alternative scenarios which do not require a retrograde spin. For example, the inner accretion disk may be truncated at an unusually high luminosity in this case, potentially suffering frequent evaporation/condensation, or it could instead be persistently evacuated through mass loss in a relativistic jet. Further observations are required to distinguish between these different interpretations.

What we learn from eclipsing binaries in the ultraviolet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guinan, Edward F.

1990-01-01

Recent results on stars and stellar physics from IUE (International Ultraviolet Explorer) observations of eclipsing binaries are discussed. Several case studies are presented, including V 444 Cyg, Aur stars, V 471 Tau and AR Lac. Topics include stellar winds and mass loss, stellar atmospheres, stellar dynamos, and surface activity. Studies of binary star dynamics and evolution are discussed. The progress made with IUE in understanding the complex dynamical and evolutionary processes taking place in W UMa-type binaries and Algol systems is highlighted. The initial results of intensive studies of the W UMa star VW Cep and three representative Algol-type binaries (in different stages of evolution) focused on gas flows and accretion, are included. The future prospects of eclipsing binary research are explored. Remaining problems are surveyed and the next challenges are presented. The roles that eclipsing binaries could play in studies of stellar evolution, cluster dynamics, galactic structure, mass luminosity relations for extra galactic systems, cosmology, and even possible detection of extra solar system planets using eclipsing binaries are discussed.

Search for gravitational waves from binary black hole inspiral, merger, and ringdown

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abernathy, M.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adhikari, R.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Allen, G. S.; Amador Ceron, E.; Amin, R. S.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Antonucci, F.; Arain, M. A.; Araya, M. C.; Aronsson, M.; Aso, Y.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Atkinson, D.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Babak, S.; Baker, P.; Ballardin, G.; Ballinger, T.; Ballmer, S.; Barker, D.; Barnum, S.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barriga, P.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Bastarrika, M.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th. S.; Behnke, B.; Beker, M. G.; Belletoile, A.; Benacquista, M.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Beveridge, N.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Birindelli, S.; Biswas, R.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Bland, B.; Blom, M.; Boccara, C.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Bondarescu, R.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Boschi, V.; Bose, S.; Bosi, L.; Bouhou, B.; Boyle, M.; Braccini, S.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Brau, J. E.; Breyer, J.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Britzger, M.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Budzyński, R.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Burguet-Castell, J.; Burmeister, O.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Cain, J.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campagna, E.; Campsie, P.; Cannizzo, J.; Cannon, K.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C.; Carbognani, F.; Caride, S.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chaibi, O.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chalkley, E.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chelkowski, S.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Christensen, N.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, C. T. Y.; Clark, D.; Clark, J.; Clayton, J. H.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Colacino, C. N.; Colas, J.; Colla, A.; Colombini, M.; Conte, R.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coulon, J.-P.; Coward, D. M.; Coyne, D. C.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Cruise, A. M.; Culter, R. M.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dahl, K.; Danilishin, S. L.; Dannenberg, R.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Das, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daudert, B.; Davier, M.; Davies, G.; Davis, A.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; Derosa, R.; Debra, D.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; Del Prete, M.; Dergachev, V.; de Rosa, R.; Desalvo, R.; Devanka, P.; Dhurandhar, S.; di Fiore, L.; di Lieto, A.; di Palma, I.; di Paolo Emilio, M.; di Virgilio, A.; Díaz, M.; Dietz, A.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doomes, E. E.; Dorsher, S.; Douglas, E. S. D.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Dueck, J.; Dumas, J.-C.; Eberle, T.; Edgar, M.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Ehrens, P.; Ely, G.; Engel, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fan, Y.; Farr, B. F.; Fazi, D.; Fehrmann, H.; Feldbaum, D.; Ferrante, I.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Flaminio, R.; Flanigan, M.; Flasch, K.; Foley, S.; Forrest, C.; Forsi, E.; Forte, L. A.; Fotopoulos, N.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franc, J.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Friedrich, D.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Galimberti, M.; Gammaitoni, L.; Garofoli, J. A.; Garufi, F.; Gáspár, M. E.; Gemme, G.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Gholami, I.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giampanis, S.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, C.; Goetz, E.; Goggin, L. M.; González, G.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Graef, C.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Greverie, C.; Grosso, R.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hage, B.; Hall, P.; Hallam, J. M.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Haughian, K.; Hayama, K.; Hayau, J.-F.; Hayler, T.; Heefner, J.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Hewitson, M.; Hild, S.; Hirose, E.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hoyland, D.; Huet, D.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Jaranowski, P.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, G.; Jones, R.; Ju, L.; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kanner, J. B.; Katsavounidis, E.; Kawabe, K.; Kawamura, S.; Kawazoe, F.; Kells, W.; Keppel, D. G.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, H.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kondrashov, V.; Kopparapu, R.; Koranda, S.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D.; Krause, T.; Kringel, V.; Krishnamurthy, S.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kullman, J.; Kumar, R.; Kwee, P.; Landry, M.; Lang, M.; Lantz, B.; Lastzka, N.; Lazzarini, A.; Leaci, P.; Leong, J.; Leonor, I.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Li, J.; Li, T. G. F.; Liguori, N.; Lin, H.; Lindquist, P. E.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lodhia, D.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lu, P.; Luan, J.; Lubiński, M.; Lucianetti, A.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. D.; Machenschalk, B.; Macinnis, M.; Mageswaran, M.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Mak, C.; Maksimovic, I.; Man, N.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIvor, G.; McKechan, D. J. A.; Meadors, G.; Mehmet, M.; Meier, T.; Melatos, A.; Melissinos, A. C.; Mendell, G.; Menéndez, D. F.; Mercer, R. A.; Merill, L.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyer, M. S.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Milano, L.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mino, Y.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moe, B.; Mohan, M.; Mohanty, S. D.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Moraru, D.; Moreau, J.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Morgia, A.; Morioka, T.; Mors, K.; Mosca, S.; Moscatelli, V.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Müller-Ebhardt, H.; Munch, J.; Murray, P. G.; Nash, T.; Nawrodt, R.; Nelson, J.; Neri, I.; Newton, G.; Nishizawa, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Ogin, G. H.; Oldenburg, R. G.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Page, A.; Pagliaroli, G.; Palladino, L.; Palomba, C.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Papa, M. A.; Pardi, S.; Pareja, M.; Parisi, M.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patel, P.; Pathak, D.; Pedraza, M.; Pekowsky, L.; Penn, S.; Peralta, C.; Perreca, A.; Persichetti, G.; Pichot, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pietka, M.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Pletsch, H. J.; Plissi, M. V.; Poggiani, R.; Postiglione, F.; Prato, M.; Predoi, V.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Quetschke, V.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radke, T.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Rakhmanov, M.; Rankins, B.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Re, V.; Reed, C. M.; Reed, T.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Ricci, F.; Riesen, R.; Riles, K.; Roberts, P.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Robinson, C.; Robinson, E. L.; Rocchi, A.; Roddy, S.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J.; Romano, J. D.; Romano, R.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Röver, C.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Sakata, S.; Sakosky, M.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sancho de La Jordana, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sannibale, V.; Santamaría, L.; Santostasi, G.; Saraf, S.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Sato, S.; Satterthwaite, M.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R.; Schilling, R.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schulz, B.; Schutz, B. F.; Schwinberg, P.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Searle, A. C.; Seifert, F.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sibley, A.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Singer, A.; Sintes, A. M.; Skelton, G.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M. R.; Smith, N. D.; Somiya, K.; Sorazu, B.; Speirits, F. C.; Sperandio, L.; Stein, A. J.; Stein, L. C.; Steinlechner, S.; Steplewski, S.; Stochino, A.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Strigin, S.; Stroeer, A. S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sung, M.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Szokoly, G. P.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, J. R.; Taylor, R.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Thüring, A.; Titsler, C.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Torre, O.; Torres, C.; Torrie, C. I.; Tournefier, E.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Trias, M.; Tseng, K.; Turner, L.; Ugolini, D.; Urbanek, K.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vaishnav, B.; Vajente, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; van den Broeck, C.; van der Putten, S.; van der Sluys, M. V.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasuth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vavoulidis, M.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Veltkamp, C.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Villar, A. E.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vyachanin, S. P.; Waldman, S. J.; Wallace, L.; Wanner, A.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Wei, P.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Wen, L.; Wen, S.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whitcomb, S. E.; White, D.; Whiting, B. F.; Wilkinson, C.; Willems, P. A.; Williams, L.; Willke, B.; Winkelmann, L.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wiseman, A. G.; Woan, G.; Wooley, R.; Worden, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yamamoto, K.; Yeaton-Massey, D.; Yoshida, S.; Yu, P.; Yvert, M.; Zanolin, M.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, Z.; Zhao, C.; Zotov, N.; Zucker, M. E.; Zweizig, J.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

2011-06-01

We present the first modeled search for gravitational waves using the complete binary black-hole gravitational waveform from inspiral through the merger and ringdown for binaries with negligible component spin. We searched approximately 2 years of LIGO data, taken between November 2005 and September 2007, for systems with component masses of 1-99M⊙ and total masses of 25-100M⊙. We did not detect any plausible gravitational-wave signals but we do place upper limits on the merger rate of binary black holes as a function of the component masses in this range. We constrain the rate of mergers for 19M⊙≤m1, m2≤28M⊙ binary black-hole systems with negligible spin to be no more than 2.0Mpc-3Myr-1 at 90% confidence.

Evolution of double white dwarf binaries undergoing direct-impact accretion: Implications for gravitational wave astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kremer, Kyle; Breivik, Katelyn; Larson, Shane L.; Kalogera, Vassiliki

2017-01-01

For close double white dwarf binaries, the mass-transfer phenomenon known as direct-impact accretion (when the mass transfer stream impacts the accretor directly rather than forming a disc) may play a pivotal role in the long-term evolution of the systems. In this analysis, we explore the long-term evolution of white dwarf binaries accreting through direct-impact and explore implications of such systems to gravitational wave astronomy. We cover a broad range of parameter space which includes initial component masses and the strength of tidal coupling, and show that these systems, which lie firmly within the LISA frequency range, show strong negative chirps which can last as long as several million years. Detections of double white dwarf systems in the direct-impact phase by detectors such as LISA would provide astronomers with unique ways of probing the physics governing close compact object binaries.

Two stellar-mass black holes in the globular cluster M22.

PubMed

Strader, Jay; Chomiuk, Laura; Maccarone, Thomas J; Miller-Jones, James C A; Seth, Anil C

2012-10-04

Hundreds of stellar-mass black holes probably form in a typical globular star cluster, with all but one predicted to be ejected through dynamical interactions. Some observational support for this idea is provided by the lack of X-ray-emitting binary stars comprising one black hole and one other star ('black-hole/X-ray binaries') in Milky Way globular clusters, even though many neutron-star/X-ray binaries are known. Although a few black holes have been seen in globular clusters around other galaxies, the masses of these cannot be determined, and some may be intermediate-mass black holes that form through exotic mechanisms. Here we report the presence of two flat-spectrum radio sources in the Milky Way globular cluster M22, and we argue that these objects are black holes of stellar mass (each ∼10-20 times more massive than the Sun) that are accreting matter. We find a high ratio of radio-to-X-ray flux for these black holes, consistent with the larger predicted masses of black holes in globular clusters compared to those outside. The identification of two black holes in one cluster shows that ejection of black holes is not as efficient as predicted by most models, and we argue that M22 may contain a total population of ∼5-100 black holes. The large core radius of M22 could arise from heating produced by the black holes.

PRS J0045-7319: A massive SMC binary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, J. F.

1994-04-01

The existence of X-ray binary systems shows that neutron stars are found in orbit around massive stars. Before these systems enter the mass accretion phase, one would expect the neutron star might be detectable as a radio pulsar. The discovery of PSR B1259-63 by Johnston et al. (1992, Astrophys. J. Lett, 387, L37), which is in orbit around the Be star SS2883, provided the first evidence for such systems. PSR J0045-7319 was discovered in a systematic search of the Magellanic Clouds for radio pulsars by McConnell et al. (1991, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 249, 645). Its dispersion measure of 105 pc/cu cm assures its association with the Small Magellanic Cloud making it the only known pulsar in the SMC. The discovery of regular Doppler shifts of the pulse period of PSR J0045-7319 implies that the pulsar is in a highly eccentric 51-day binary orbit, making it the most luminous binary pulsar known (Kaspi et al., 1993, submitted to Astrophys. J.). The observed Keplerian orbital parameters show that the companion mass is greater the 4 solar mass. Optical observations of the field reveal a 16th magnitude, 11 solar mass, B1 main-sequence star, which we conclude is the pulsar's companion. The timing observations imply that this pulsar has not been spun up by accretion from the companion. This suggests that, like the PSR B1259-63 binary system, the PSR J0045-7319 system is a progenitor of an X-ray binary system. At periastron the pulsar approaches to within six stellar radii of the companion.

Dynamical Formation Signatures of Black Hole Binaries in the First Detected Mergers by LIGO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Leary, Ryan M.; Meiron, Yohai; Kocsis, Bence

2016-06-01

The dynamical formation of stellar-mass black hole-black hole binaries has long been a promising source of gravitational waves for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Mass segregation, gravitational focusing, and multibody dynamical interactions naturally increase the interaction rate between the most massive black holes in dense stellar systems, eventually leading them to merge. We find that dynamical interactions, particularly three-body binary formation, enhance the merger rate of black hole binaries with total mass M tot roughly as \\propto {M}{{tot}}β , with β ≳ 4. We find that this relation holds mostly independently of the initial mass function, but the exact value depends on the degree of mass segregation. The detection rate of such massive black hole binaries is only further enhanced by LIGO’s greater sensitivity to massive black hole binaries with M tot ≲ 80 {M}⊙ . We find that for power-law BH mass functions dN/dM ∝ M -α with α ≤ 2, LIGO is most likely to detect black hole binaries with a mass twice that of the maximum initial black hole mass and a mass ratio near one. Repeated mergers of black holes inside the cluster result in about ˜5% of mergers being observed between two and three times the maximum initial black hole mass. Using these relations, one may be able to invert the observed distribution to the initial mass function with multiple detections of merging black hole binaries.

Waveform model for an eccentric binary black hole based on the effective-one-body-numerical-relativity formalism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Zhoujian; Han, Wen-Biao

2017-08-01

Binary black hole systems are among the most important sources for gravitational wave detection. They are also good objects for theoretical research for general relativity. A gravitational waveform template is important to data analysis. An effective-one-body-numerical-relativity (EOBNR) model has played an essential role in the LIGO data analysis. For future space-based gravitational wave detection, many binary systems will admit a somewhat orbit eccentricity. At the same time, the eccentric binary is also an interesting topic for theoretical study in general relativity. In this paper, we construct the first eccentric binary waveform model based on an effective-one-body-numerical-relativity framework. Our basic assumption in the model construction is that the involved eccentricity is small. We have compared our eccentric EOBNR model to the circular one used in the LIGO data analysis. We have also tested our eccentric EOBNR model against another recently proposed eccentric binary waveform model; against numerical relativity simulation results; and against perturbation approximation results for extreme mass ratio binary systems. Compared to numerical relativity simulations with an eccentricity as large as about 0.2, the overlap factor for our eccentric EOBNR model is better than 0.98 for all tested cases, including spinless binary and spinning binary, equal mass binary, and unequal mass binary. Hopefully, our eccentric model can be the starting point to develop a faithful template for future space-based gravitational wave detectors.

Searching for brown dwarfs from submotions of binaries with speckle observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Hsieh-Hai

1994-01-01

The search for brown dwarfs in binary systems is of great scientific interest and is a quest that pushes observing accuracy to its limit. The study of brown dwarfs is related to the search for dark matter, the initial mass function for stars of all masses, and theories of stellar formation. On the other hand, searching for brown dwarfs is a challenge because of their faintness and very low mass. Although many techniques have been used to detect brown dwarfs, a direct measurement of mass is the only criterion for distinguishing a brown dwarf from a star, and binary observation is still the best way for determining the accurate masses of celestial objects through Kepler's third law. Since 1976, CHARA has accumulated thousands of binary star speckle observations with high precision that can be used to find masses of possible unseen companions in binary systems through astrometrically measured submotions. A modified discrete Fourier transform was used to detect periodicity in data sets having uneven temporal distributions. This dissertation, an extension of work initiated by Dr. Ali Al-Shukri in 1991, uses the CHARA speckle measurements to evaluate their limiting accuracy and then to search for unseen companions from submotions of binary orbital motions. The successful detection of the previously known 1.83-year period sub-motion of the astrometric system ADS 8119 Aa demonstrates that this analysis can be used to find other systems in future investigations, even though no convincing evidence was found for the existence of a brown dwarf. Four possible companions were found to the binaries ADS 8197, ADS 9392, ADS 9494, and ADS 14073 with periods of 3.3, 2.6, 0.3, and 3.78 years and minimum masses in the ranges of 0.015-0.019, 0.11-0.65, 0.04-0.19, and 0.14-0.16 solar masses, respectively. The overall null result for detecting brown dwarfs may be partially explained as a real lack of massive brown dwarfs as members of multiple systems.

Activity from the Be/X-ray binary system V0332+53 during its intermediate-luminosity outburst in 2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caballero-García, M. D.; Camero-Arranz, A.; Özbey Arabacı, M.; Zurita, C.; Suso, J.; Gutiérrez-Soto, J.; Beklen, E.; Kiaeerad, F.; Garrido, R.; Hudec, R.

2016-05-01

Aims: We present a study of the Be/X-ray binary system V 0332+53 with the main goal of characterizing its behaviour mainly during the intermediate-luminosity X-ray event in 2008. In addition, we aim to contribute to the understanding of the behaviour of the donor companion by including optical data from our dedicated campaign starting in 2006. Methods: V 0332+53 was observed by RXTE and Swift during the decay of the intermediate-luminosity X-ray outburst of 2008, and with Suzaku before the rising of the third normal outburst of the 2010 series. In addition, we present recent data from the Spanish ground-based astronomical observatories of El Teide (Tenerife), Roque de los Muchachos (La Palma), and Sierra Nevada (Granada), and since 2006 from the Turkish TÜBİTAK National Observatory (Antalya). We have performed temporal analyses to investigate the transient behaviour of this system during several outbursts. Results: Our optical study revealed that continuous mass ejection episodes from the Be star have been taking place since 2006 and another is currently ongoing. The broad-band 1-60 keV X-ray spectrum of the neutron star during the decay of the 2008 outburst was well fitted with standard phenomenological models that were enhanced by an absorption feature of unknown origin at about 10 keV and a narrow iron K-alpha fluorescence line at 6.4 keV. For the first time in V 0332+53 we tentatively see an increase in the cyclotron line energy with increasing flux (although further and more sensitive observations are needed to confirm this). The fast aperiodic variability shows a quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) at 227 ± 9 mHz only during the lowest luminosities, which might indicate that the inner regions surrounding the magnetosphere are more visible during the lowest flux states.

Component masses of young, wide, non-magnetic white dwarf binaries in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baxter, R. B.; Dobbie, P. D.; Parker, Q. A.; Casewell, S. L.; Lodieu, N.; Burleigh, M. R.; Lawrie, K. A.; Külebi, B.; Koester, D.; Holland, B. R.

2014-06-01

We present a spectroscopic component analysis of 18 candidate young, wide, non-magnetic, double-degenerate binaries identified from a search of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (DR7). All but two pairings are likely to be physical systems. We show SDSS J084952.47+471247.7 + SDSS J084952.87+471249.4 to be a wide DA + DB binary, only the second identified to date. Combining our measurements for the components of 16 new binaries with results for three similar, previously known systems within the DR7, we have constructed a mass distribution for the largest sample to date (38) of white dwarfs in young, wide, non-magnetic, double-degenerate pairings. This is broadly similar in form to that of the isolated field population with a substantial peak around M ˜ 0.6 M⊙. We identify an excess of ultramassive white dwarfs and attribute this to the primordial separation distribution of their progenitor systems peaking at relatively larger values and the greater expansion of their binary orbits during the final stages of stellar evolution. We exploit this mass distribution to probe the origins of unusual types of degenerates, confirming a mild preference for the progenitor systems of high-field-magnetic white dwarfs, at least within these binaries, to be associated with early-type stars. Additionally, we consider the 19 systems in the context of the stellar initial mass-final mass relation. None appear to be strongly discordant with current understanding of this relationship.

Effect of intruder mass on collisions with hard binaries. II - Dependence on impact parameter and computations of the interaction cross sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hills, J. G.

1992-06-01

Over 125,000 encounters between a hard binary with equal mass, components and orbital eccentricity of 0, and intruders with solar masses ranging from 0.01 to 10,000 are simulated. Each encounter was followed up to a maximum of 5 x 10 exp 6 integration steps to allow long-term 'resonances', temporary trinary systems, to break into a binary and a single star. These simulations were done over a range of impact parameters to find the cross sections for various processes occurring in these encounters. A critical impact parameter found in these simulations is the one beyond which no exchange collisions can occur. The energy exchange between the binary and a massive intruder decreases greatly in collisions with Rmin of not less than Rc. The semimajor axes and orbital eccentricity of the surviving binary also drops rapidly at Rc in encounters with massive intruders. The formation of temporary trinary systems is important for all intruder masses.

A Comparison of Grid-based and SPH Binary Mass-transfer and Merger Simulations

DOE PAGES

Motl, Patrick M.; Frank, Juhan; Staff, Jan; ...

2017-03-29

There is currently a great amount of interest in the outcomes and astrophysical implications of mergers of double degenerate binaries. In a commonly adopted approximation, the components of such binaries are represented by polytropes with an index of n = 3/2. We present detailed comparisons of stellar mass-transfer and merger simulations of polytropic binaries that have been carried out using two very different numerical algorithms—a finite-volume "grid" code and a smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code. We find that there is agreement in both the ultimate outcomes of the evolutions and the intermediate stages if the initial conditions for each code aremore » chosen to match as closely as possible. We find that even with closely matching initial setups, the time it takes to reach a concordant evolution differs between the two codes because the initial depth of contact cannot be matched exactly. There is a general tendency for SPH to yield higher mass transfer rates and faster evolution to the final outcome. Here, we also present comparisons of simulations calculated from two different energy equations: in one series, we assume a polytropic equation of state and in the other series an ideal gas equation of state. In the latter series of simulations, an atmosphere forms around the accretor, which can exchange angular momentum and cause a more rapid loss of orbital angular momentum. In the simulations presented here, the effect of the ideal equation of state is to de-stabilize the binary in both SPH and grid simulations, but the effect is more pronounced in the grid code.« less

Hyperfast pulsars as the remnants of massive stars ejected from young star clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvaramadze, Vasilii V.; Gualandris, Alessia; Portegies Zwart, Simon

2008-04-01

Recent proper motion and parallax measurements for the pulsar PSR B1508+55 indicate a transverse velocity of ~1100kms-1, which exceeds earlier measurements for any neutron star. The spin-down characteristics of PSR B1508+55 are typical for a non-recycled pulsar, which implies that the velocity of the pulsar cannot have originated from the second supernova disruption of a massive binary system. The high velocity of PSR B1508+55 can be accounted for by assuming that it received a kick at birth or that the neutron star was accelerated after its formation in the supernova explosion. We propose an explanation for the origin of hyperfast neutron stars based on the hypothesis that they could be the remnants of a symmetric supernova explosion of a high-velocity massive star which attained its peculiar velocity (similar to that of the pulsar) in the course of a strong dynamical three- or four-body encounter in the core of dense young star cluster. To check this hypothesis, we investigated three dynamical processes involving close encounters between: (i) two hard massive binaries, (ii) a hard binary and an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) and (iii) a single stars and a hard binary IMBH. We find that main-sequence O-type stars cannot be ejected from young massive star clusters with peculiar velocities high enough to explain the origin of hyperfast neutron stars, but lower mass main-sequence stars or the stripped helium cores of massive stars could be accelerated to hypervelocities. Our explanation for the origin of hyperfast pulsars requires a very dense stellar environment of the order of 106- 107starspc-3. Although such high densities may exist during the core collapse of young massive star clusters, we caution that they have never been observed.

The massive multiple system HD 64315

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenzo, J.; Simón-Díaz, S.; Negueruela, I.; Vilardell, F.; Garcia, M.; Evans, C. J.; Montes, D.

2017-10-01

Context. The O6 Vn star HD 64315 is believed to belong to the star-forming region known as NGC 2467, but previous distance estimates do not support this association. Moreover, it has been identified as a spectroscopic binary, but existing data support contradictory values for its orbital period. Aims: We explore the multiple nature of this star with the aim of determining its distance, and understanding its connection to NGC 2467. Methods: A total of 52 high-resolution spectra have been gathered over a decade. We use their analysis, in combination with the photometric data from All Sky Automated Survey and Hipparcos catalogues, to conclude that HD 64315 is composed of at least two spectroscopic binaries, one of which is an eclipsing binary. We have developed our own program to fit four components to the combined line shapes. Once the four radial velocities were derived, we obtained a model to fit the radial-velocity curves using the Spectroscopic Binary Orbit Program (SBOP). We then implemented the radial velocities of the eclipsing binary and the light curves in the Wilson-Devinney code iteratively to derive stellar parameters for its components. We were also able to analyse the non-eclipsing binary, and to derive minimum masses for its components which dominate the system flux. Results: HD 64315 contains two binary systems, one of which is an eclipsing binary. The two binaries are separated by 0.09 arcsec (or 500 AU) if the most likely distance to the system, 5 kpc, is considered. The presence of fainter companions is not excluded by current observations. The non-eclipsing binary (HD 64315 AaAb) has a period of 2.70962901 ± 0.00000021 d. Its components are hotter than those of the eclipsing binary, and dominate the appearance of the system. The eclipsing binary (HD 64315 BaBb) has a shorter period of 1.0189569 ± 0.0000008 d. We derive masses of 14.6 ± 2.3 M⊙ for both components of the BaBb system. They are almost identical; both stars are overfilling their respective Roche lobes, and share a common envelope in an overcontact configuration. The non-eclipsing binary is a detached system composed of two stars with spectral types around O6 V with minimum masses of 10.8 M⊙ and 10.2 M⊙, and likely masses ≈ 30 M⊙. Conclusions: HD 64315 provides a cautionary tale about high-mass star isolation and multiplicity. Its total mass is likely above 90M⊙, but it seems to have formed without an accompanying cluster. It contains one the most massive overcontact binaries known, a likely merger progenitor in a very wide multiple system. Based on observations obtained at the European Southern Observatory under programmes 078.D-0665(A), 082-D.0136 and 093.A-9001(A). Based on observations made with the Nordic Optical Telescope, operated on the island of La Palma jointly by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias.

Common-envelope ejection in massive binary stars. Implications for the progenitors of GW150914 and GW151226

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruckow, M. U.; Tauris, T. M.; Langer, N.; Szécsi, D.; Marchant, P.; Podsiadlowski, Ph.

2016-11-01

Context. The recently detected gravitational wave signals (GW150914 and GW151226) of the merger event of a pair of relatively massive stellar-mass black holes (BHs) calls for an investigation of the formation of such progenitor systems in general. Aims: We analyse the common-envelope (CE) stage of the traditional formation channel in binaries where the first-formed compact object undergoes an in-spiral inside the envelope of its evolved companion star and ejects the envelope in this process. Methods: We calculated envelope binding energies of donor stars with initial masses between 4 and 115M⊙ for metallicities of Z = ZMilky Way ≃ Z⊙/ 2 and Z = Z⊙/ 50, and derived minimum masses of in-spiralling objects needed to eject these envelopes. Results: In addition to producing double white dwarf and double neutron star binaries, CE evolution may also produce massive BH-BH systems with individual BH component masses of up to 50 - 60M⊙, in particular for donor stars evolved to giants beyond the Hertzsprung gap. However, the physics of envelope ejection of massive stars remains uncertain. We discuss the applicability of the energy-budget formalism, the location of the bifurcation point, the recombination energy, and the accretion energy during in-spiral as possible energy sources, and also comment on the effect of inflated helium cores. Conclusions: Massive stars in a wide range of metallicities and with initial masses of up to at least 115M⊙ may shed their envelopes and survive CE evolution, depending on their initial orbital parameters, similarly to the situation for intermediate- and low-mass stars with degenerate cores. In addition to being dependent on stellar radius, the envelope binding energies and λ-values also depend on the applied convective core-overshooting parameter, whereas these structure parameters are basically independent of metallicity for stars with initial masses below 60M⊙. Metal-rich stars ≳60M⊙ become luminous blue variables and do not evolve to reach the red giant stage. We conclude that based on stellar structure calculations, and in the view of the usual simple energy budget analysis, events like GW150914 and GW151226 might be produced by the CE channel. Calculations of post-CE orbital separations, however, and thus the estimated LIGO detection rates, remain highly uncertain.

30+ New & Known SB2s in the SDSS-III/APOGEE M Dwarf Ancillary Science Project Sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skinner, Jacob; Covey, Kevin; Bender, Chad; De Lee, Nathan Michael; Chojnowski, Drew; Troup, Nicholas; Badenes, Carles; Mahadevan, Suvrath; Terrien, Ryan

2018-01-01

Close stellar binaries can drive dynamical interactions that affect the structure and evolution of planetary systems. Binary surveys indicate that the multiplicity fraction and typical orbital separation decrease with primary mass, but correlations with higher order architectural parameters such as the system's mass ratio are less well constrained. We seek to identify and characterize double-lined spectroscopic binaries (SB2s) among the 1350 M dwarf ancillary science targets with APOGEE spectra in the SDSS-III Data Release 13. We quantitatively measure the degree of asymmetry in the APOGEE pipeline cross-correlation functions (CCFs), and use those metrics to identify a sample of 44 high-likelihood candidate SB2s. Extracting radial velocities (RVs) for both binary components from the CCF, we then measure mass ratios for 31 SB2s; we also use Bayesian techniques to fit orbits for 4 systems with 8 or more distinct APOGEE observations. The (incomplete) mass ratio distribution of this sample rises quickly towards unity. Two-sided Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) tests find probabilities of 13.8% and 14.2% that the M dwarf mass ratio distribution is consistent with those measured by Pourbaix et al. (2004) and Fernandez et al. (2017), respectively. The samples analyzed by Pourbaix et al. and Fernandez et al. are dominated by higher-mass solar type stars; this suggests that the mass ratio distribution of close binaries is not strongly dependent on primary mass.

Gravitational Waves and Intermediate-mass Black Hole Retention in Globular Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fragione, Giacomo; Ginsburg, Idan; Kocsis, Bence

2018-04-01

The recent discovery of gravitational waves (GWs) has opened new horizons for physics. Current and upcoming missions, such as LIGO, VIRGO, KAGRA, and LISA, promise to shed light on black holes of every size from stellar mass (SBH) sizes up to supermassive black holes. The intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) family has not been detected beyond any reasonable doubt. Recent analyses suggest observational evidence for the presence of IMBHs in the centers of two Galactic globular clusters (GCs). In this paper, we investigate the possibility that GCs were born with a central IMBH, which undergoes repeated merger events with SBHs in the cluster core. By means of a semi-analytical method, we follow the evolution of the primordial cluster population in the galactic potential and the mergers of the binary IMBH-SBH systems. Our models predict ≈1000 IMBHs within 1 kpc from the galactic center and show that the IMBH-SBH merger rate density changes from { \\mathcal R }≈ 1000 Gpc‑3 yr‑1 beyond z ≈ 2 to { \\mathcal R }≈ 1{--}10 Gpc‑3 yr‑1 at z ≈ 0. The rates at low redshifts may be significantly higher if young massive star clusters host IMBHs. The merger rates are dominated by IMBHs with masses between 103 and 104 M ⊙. Currently, there are no LIGO/VIRGO upper limits for GW sources in this mass range, but our results show that at design sensitivity, these instruments will detect IMBH-SBH mergers in the coming years. LISA and the Einstein Telescope will be best suited to detect these events. The inspirals of IMBH-SBH systems may also generate an unresolved GW background.

The Effects of Single and Close Binary Evolution on the Stellar Mass Function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, R. N. F.; Izzard, G. R.; de Mink, S.; Langer, N., Stolte, A., de Koter, A.; Gvaramadze, V. V.; Hussmann, B.; Liermann, A.; Sana, H.

2013-06-01

Massive stars are almost exclusively born in star clusters, where stars in a cluster are expected to be born quasi-simultaneously and with the same chemical composition. The distribution of their birth masses favors lower over higher stellar masses, such that the most massive stars are rare, and the existence of an stellar upper mass limit is still debated. The majority of massive stars are born as members of close binary systems and most of them will exchange mass with a close companion during their lifetime. We explore the influence of single and binary star evolution on the high mass end of the stellar mass function using a rapid binary evolution code. We apply our results to two massive Galactic star clusters and show how the shape of their mass functions can be used to determine cluster ages and comment on the stellar upper mass limit in view of our new findings.

Star formation history: Modeling of visual binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gebrehiwot, Y. M.; Tessema, S. B.; Malkov, O. Yu.; Kovaleva, D. A.; Sytov, A. Yu.; Tutukov, A. V.

2018-05-01

Most stars form in binary or multiple systems. Their evolution is defined by masses of components, orbital separation and eccentricity. In order to understand star formation and evolutionary processes, it is vital to find distributions of physical parameters of binaries. We have carried out Monte Carlo simulations in which we simulate different pairing scenarios: random pairing, primary-constrained pairing, split-core pairing, and total and primary pairing in order to get distributions of binaries over physical parameters at birth. Next, for comparison with observations, we account for stellar evolution and selection effects. Brightness, radius, temperature, and other parameters of components are assigned or calculated according to approximate relations for stars in different evolutionary stages (main-sequence stars, red giants, white dwarfs, relativistic objects). Evolutionary stage is defined as a function of system age and component masses. We compare our results with the observed IMF, binarity rate, and binary mass-ratio distributions for field visual binaries to find initial distributions and pairing scenarios that produce observed distributions.

Spectroscopic and photometric study of the eclipsing interacting binary V495 Centauri

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosales Guzmán, J. A.; Mennickent, R. E.; Djurašević, G.; Araya, I.; Curé, M.

2018-05-01

Double Periodic Variables (DPV) are among the new enigmas of semidetached eclipsing binaries. These are intermediate-mass binaries characterized by a long photometric period lasting on average 33 times the orbital period. We present a spectroscopic and photometric study of the DPV V495 Cen based on new high-resolution spectra and the ASAS V-band light curve. We have determined an improved orbital period of 33.492 ± 0.002 d and a long period of 1283 d. We find a cool evolved star of M2=0.91± 0.2 M_{⊙}, T2 = 6000 ± 250 K and R2=19.3 ± 0.5 R_{⊙} and a hot companion of M1= 5.76± 0.3 M_{⊙}, T1 = 16960 ± 400 K and R=4.5± 0.2 R_{⊙}. The mid-type B dwarf is surrounded by a concave and geometrically thick disc, of radial extension Rd= 40.2± 1.3 R_{⊙} contributing ˜11 per cent to the total luminosity of the system at the V band. The system is seen under inclination 84.8° ± 0.6° and it is at a distance d = 2092 ± 104.6 pc. The light-curve analysis suggests that the mass transfer stream impacts the external edge of the disc forming a hot region 11 per cent hotter than the surrounding disc material. The persistent V < R asymmetry of the Hα emission suggests the presence of a wind and the detection of a secondary absorption component in He I lines indicates a possible wind origin in the hotspot region.

Investigating mass transfer in symbiotic systems with hydrodynamic simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Val-Borro, Miguel; Karovska, Margarita; Sasselov, Dimitar D.

2014-06-01

We investigate gravitationally focused wind accretion in binary systems consisting of an evolved star with a gaseous envelope and a compact accreting companion. We study the mass accretion and formation of an accretion disk around the secondary caused by the strong wind from the primary late-type component using global 2D and 3D hydrodynamic numerical simulations. In particular, the dependence on the mass accretion rate on the mass loss rate, wind temperature and orbital parameters of the system is considered. For a typical slow and massive wind from an evolved star the mass transfer through a focused wind results in rapid infall onto the secondary. A stream flow is created between the stars with accretion rates of a 2-10% percent of the mass loss from the primary. This mechanism could be an important method for explaining periodic modulations in the accretion rates for a broad range of interacting binary systems and fueling of a large population of X-ray binary systems. We test the plausibility of these accretion flows indicated by the simulations by comparing with observations of the symbiotic CH Cyg variable system.

The architecture of the hierarchical triple star KOI 928 from eclipse timing variations seen in Kepler photometry

DOE PAGES

Steffen, J. H.; Quinn, S. N.; Borucki, W. J.; ...

2011-10-01

We present a hierarchical triple star system (KIC 9140402) where a low mass eclipsing binary orbits a more massive third star. The orbital period of the binary (4.98829 Days) is determined by the eclipse times seen in photometry from NASA's Kepler spacecraft. The periodically changing tidal field, due to the eccentric orbit of the binary about the tertiary, causes a change in the orbital period of the binary. The resulting eclipse timing variations provide insight into the dynamics and architecture of this system and allow the inference of the total mass of the binary (0.424±0.017M circle-dot) and the orbital parametersmore » of the binary about the central star.« less

Molecular dynamics study of polysaccharides in binary solvent mixtures of an ionic liquid and water.

PubMed

Liu, Hanbin; Sale, Kenneth L; Simmons, Blake A; Singh, Seema

2011-09-01

Some ionic liquids (ILs) have great promise as effective solvents for biomass pretreatment, and there are several that have been reported that can dissolve large amounts of cellulose. The solubilized cellulose can then be recovered by addition of antisolvents, such as water or ethanol, and this regeneration process plays an important role in the subsequent enzymatic saccharification reactions and in the recovery of the ionic liquid. To date, little is known about the fundamental intermolecular interactions that drive the dissolution and subsequent regeneration of cellulose in complex mixtures of ionic liquids, water, and cellulose. To investigate these interactions, in this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to study binary and ternary mixtures of the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2mim][OAc]) with water and a cellulose oligomer. Simulations of a cellulose oligomer dissolved in three concentrations of binary mixtures of [C2mim][OAc] and water were used to represent the ternary system in the dissolution phase (high [C2mim][OAc] concentration) and present during the initial phase of the regeneration step (intermediate and low [C2mim][OAc] concentrations). The MD analysis of the structure and dynamics that exist in these binary and ternary mixtures provides information on the key intermolecular interactions between cellulose and [C2mim][OAc] that lead to dissolution of cellulose and the key intermolecular interactions in the intermediate states of cellulose precipitation as a function of water content in the cellulose/IL/water system. The analysis of this intermediate state provides new insight into the molecular driving forces present in this ternary system. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Irradiation-driven Mass Transfer Cycles in Compact Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Büning, A.; Ritter, H.

2005-08-01

We elaborate on the analytical model of Ritter, Zhang, & Kolb (2000) which describes the basic physics of irradiation-driven mass transfer cycles in semi-detached compact binary systems. In particular, we take into account a contribution to the thermal relaxation of the donor star which is unrelated to irradiation and which was neglected in previous studies. We present results of simulations of the evolution of compact binaries undergoing mass transfer cycles, in particular also of systems with a nuclear evolved donor star. These computations have been carried out with a stellar evolution code which computes mass transfer implicitly and models irradiation of the donor star in a point source approximation, thereby allowing for much more realistic simulations than were hitherto possible. We find that low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) and cataclysmic variables (CVs) with orbital periods ⪉ 6hr can undergo mass transfer cycles only for low angular momentum loss rates. CVs containing a giant donor or one near the terminal age main sequence are more stable than previously thought, but can possibly also undergo mass transfer cycles.

Multivariate classification with random forests for gravitational wave searches of black hole binary coalescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Paul T.; Caudill, Sarah; Hodge, Kari A.; Talukder, Dipongkar; Capano, Collin; Cornish, Neil J.

2015-03-01

Searches for gravitational waves produced by coalescing black hole binaries with total masses ≳25 M⊙ use matched filtering with templates of short duration. Non-Gaussian noise bursts in gravitational wave detector data can mimic short signals and limit the sensitivity of these searches. Previous searches have relied on empirically designed statistics incorporating signal-to-noise ratio and signal-based vetoes to separate gravitational wave candidates from noise candidates. We report on sensitivity improvements achieved using a multivariate candidate ranking statistic derived from a supervised machine learning algorithm. We apply the random forest of bagged decision trees technique to two separate searches in the high mass (≳25 M⊙ ) parameter space. For a search which is sensitive to gravitational waves from the inspiral, merger, and ringdown of binary black holes with total mass between 25 M⊙ and 100 M⊙ , we find sensitive volume improvements as high as 70±13%-109±11% when compared to the previously used ranking statistic. For a ringdown-only search which is sensitive to gravitational waves from the resultant perturbed intermediate mass black hole with mass roughly between 10 M⊙ and 600 M⊙ , we find sensitive volume improvements as high as 61±4%-241±12% when compared to the previously used ranking statistic. We also report how sensitivity improvements can differ depending on mass regime, mass ratio, and available data quality information. Finally, we describe the techniques used to tune and train the random forest classifier that can be generalized to its use in other searches for gravitational waves.

Research on the Orbital Period of Massive Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, E.; Qain, S.

2011-12-01

Massive binary is the kind of binary, whose spectral type is earlier than B5. Research on massive binary plays an important role in the mass and angular momentum transfer or loss between the components, and the evolution of binary. Some massive binaries are observed and analyzed, including O-type binary LY Aur, B-type contact binary RZ Pyx and B-type semi-detached binary AI Cru. It is found that all of their periods have a long-term increasing, which indicates that the system is undergoing a Case A slow mass transfer stage on the nuclear time-scale of the secondary. Moreover, analysis show a cyclic change of orbital period, which can be explained by the light-travel effect time of the third body.

Gravitational Wave (GW) Classification, Space GW Detection Sensitivities and AMIGO (Astrodynamical Middle-frequency Interferometric GW Observatory)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Wei-Tou

2018-01-01

After first reviewing the gravitational wave (GW) spectral classification. we discuss the sensitivities of GW detection in space aimed at low frequency band (100 nHz-100 mHz) and middle frequency band (100 mHz-10 Hz). The science goals are to detect GWs from (i) Supermassive Black Holes; (ii) Extreme-Mass-Ratio Black Hole Inspirals; (iii) Intermediate-Mass Black Holes; (iv) Galactic Compact Binaries; (v) Stellar-Size Black Hole Binaries; and (vi) Relic GW Background. The detector proposals have arm length ranging from 100 km to 1.35×109 km (9 AU) including (a) Solar orbiting detectors and (b) Earth orbiting detectors. We discuss especially the sensitivities in the frequency band 0.1-10 μHz and the middle frequency band (0.1 Hz-10 Hz). We propose and discuss AMIGO as an Astrodynamical Middlefrequency Interferometric GW Observatory.

ROTATION PERIODS OF WIDE BINARIES IN THE KEPLER FIELD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Janes, K. A.

In a search of proper motion catalogs for common proper motion stars in the field of the Kepler spacecraft I identified 93 likely binary systems. A comparison of their rotation periods is a test of the gyrochronology concept. To find their periods I calculated the autocorrelation function (ACF) of the Kepler mission photometry for each star. In most systems for which good periods can be found, the cooler star has a longer period than the hotter component, in general agreement with models. However, there is a wide range in the gradients of lines connecting binary pairs in a period–color diagram.more » Furthermore, near the solar color, only a few stars have longer periods than the Sun, suggesting that they, and their cooler companions, are not much older than the Sun. In addition, there is an apparent gap at intermediate periods in the period distribution of the late K and early M stars. Either star formation in this direction has been variable, or stars evolve in period at a non-uniform rate, or some stars evolve more rapidly than others at the same mass. Finally, using the ACF as a measure of the activity level, I found that while the F, G, and early K stars become less active as their periods increase, there is no correlation between period and activity for the mid K to early M stars.« less

A Statistical Study on Neutron Star Masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Z.; Zhang, C. M.; Zhao, Y. H.; Wang, D. H.; Pan, Y. Y.; Lei, Y. J.

2013-11-01

We investigate the measurement of neutron star masses in different population of binaries. Based on the collection of the orbital parameters of 40 systems (46 sources), we apply the boot-strap method together with the Monte Carlo method to reconstruct the likelihood curves for each source separately. The cumulative analysis of the simulation result shows that the neutron star masses in X-ray systems and radio systems obey different distributions, and no evidence for the bimodal distribution could be found. Employing the Bayesian statistical techniques, we find that the most likely distributions for the high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs), low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), double neutron star (DNS) systems, and neutron star-white dwarf (NS-WD) binary systems are (1.340±0.230) M_{⊙}, (1.505±0.125) M_{⊙}, (1.335±0.055) M_{⊙}, and (1.495±0.225) M_{⊙}, respectively. The statistical distribution has no significant deviation from the standard neutron star formation mechanism. It is noticed that the statistical results of the center masses of LMXBs and NS-WD systems are significantly higher than the other groups by about 0.16 M_{⊙}, which could be regarded as the evidence of accretion episodes. And if we regard the HMXBs and LMXBs as the progenitors of DNS and NS-WD systems, then we can draw the conclusion that the accretion effect must be very week during the evolution trajectory from HMXBs to DNS systems, and this could be the reason why the masses of DNS systems have such a narrow distribution.

Models for 60 double-lined binaries containing giants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eggleton, Peter P.; Yakut, Kadri

2017-07-01

The observed masses, radii and temperatures of 60 medium- to long-period binaries, most of which contain a cool, evolved star and a hotter less evolved one, are compared with theoretical models which include (a) core convective overshooting, (b) mass-loss, possibly driven by dynamo action as in RS CVn binaries, and (c) tidal friction, including its effect on orbital period through magnetic braking. A reasonable fit is found in about 42 cases, but in 11 other cases the primaries appear to have lost either more mass or less mass than the models predict, and in 4 others the orbit is predicted to be either more or less circular than observed. Of the remaining three systems, two (γ Per and HR 8242) have a markedly 'overevolved' secondary, our explanation being that the primary component is the merged remnant of a former short-period sub-binary in a former triple system. The last system (V695 Cyg) defies any agreement at present. Mention is also made of three other systems (V643 Ori, OW Gem and V453 Cep), which are relevant to our discussion.

LUT Reveals a New Mass-transferring Semi-detached Binary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, S.-B.; Zhou, X.; Zhu, L.-Y.; Zejda, M.; Soonthornthum, B.; Zhao, E.-G.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, B.; Liao, W.-P.

2015-12-01

GQ Dra is a short-period eclipsing binary in a double stellar system that was discovered by Hipparcos. Complete light curves in the UV band were obtained with the Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope in 2014 November and December. Photometric solutions are determined using the W-D (Wilson and Devinney) method. It is discovered that GQ Dra is a classical Algol-type semi-detached binary where the secondary component is filling the critical Roche lobe. An analysis of all available times of minimum light suggests that the orbital period is increasing continuously at a rate of \\dot{P}=+3.48(+/- 0.23)× {10}-7 days yr-1. This could be explained by mass transfer from the secondary to the primary, which is in agreement with the semi-detached configuration with a lobe-filling secondary. By assuming a conservation of mass and angular momentum, the mass transfer rate is estimated as \\dot{m}=9.57(+/- 0.63)× {10}-8 {M}⊙ {{yr}}-1. All of these results reveal that GQ Dra is a mass-transferring semi-detached binary in a double system that was formed from an initially detached binary star. After the massive primary evolves to fill the critical Roche lobe, the mass transfer will be reversed and the binary will evolve into a contact configuration with two sub-giant or giant component stars.

Full Phase Multi-Band Study of Eclipsing Binaries 1SWASP J061850.43+220511.9 and 2MASSJ07095549+3643564

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terheide, Rachel; Zhang, Liyun; Han, Xianming; Lu, Hongpeng

2018-01-01

We present full-phase VRI-band light curves for eclipsing binary 1SWASP J061850.43+220511.9, and full-phase BVRI-band light curves for eclipsing binary 2MASS J07095549+3643564. The observations were conducted using the 0.94-m Holcomb Observatory telescope located on Butler University Campus in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the 0.6-m SARA telescope located at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. We obtained key system parameters for both eclipsing binaries. For 1SWASP J061850.43+220511.9, the period is 0.21482 ±0.00053 days compared to 0.21439 days from an older study (Lohr et. al), the system mass ratio is found as 2.50 and the system is classified as EW type. Similarly, for 2MASS J07095549+3643564, we obtained a linear ephemeris and a physical model for the first time. We found its period to be 0.22297 ±0.00032 days, as compared to 0.446092 days and 0.11152 days from previous research (Drake et. al 2014, Hartman et. al 2011). 2MASS J07095549+3643564 is classified as a W Uma type eclipsing binary.

WIYN OPEN CLUSTER STUDY. XXXVI. SPECTROSCOPIC BINARY ORBITS IN NGC 188

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Geller, Aaron M.; Mathieu, Robert D.; Harris, Hugh C.

2009-04-15

We present 98 spectroscopic binary orbits resulting from our ongoing radial velocity survey of the old (7 Gyr) open cluster NGC 188. All but 13 are high-probability cluster members based on both radial velocity and proper motion membership analyses. Fifteen of these member binaries are double lined. Our stellar sample spans a magnitude range of 10.8 {<=}V{<=} 16.5 (1.14-0.92 M {sub sun}) and extends spatially to 17 pc ({approx}13 core radii). All of our binary orbits have periods ranging from a few days to on the order of 10{sup 3} days, and thus are hard binaries that dynamically power themore » cluster. For each binary, we present the orbital solutions and place constraints on the component masses. Additionally, we discuss a few binaries of note from our sample, identifying a likely blue straggler-blue straggler binary system (7782), a double-lined binary with a secondary star which is underluminous for its mass (5080), two potential eclipsing binaries (4705 and 5762), and two binaries which are likely members of a quadruple system (5015a and 5015b)« less

Episodic accretion in binary protostars emerging from self-gravitating solar mass cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riaz, R.; Vanaverbeke, S.; Schleicher, D. R. G.

2018-06-01

Observations show a large spread in the luminosities of young protostars, which are frequently explained in the context of episodic accretion. We tested this scenario with numerical simulations that follow the collapse of a solar mass molecular cloud using the GRADSPH code, thereby varying the strength of the initial perturbations and temperature of the cores. A specific emphasis of this paper is to investigate the role of binaries and multiple systems in the context of episodic accretion and to compare their evolution to the evolution in isolated fragments. Our models form a variety of low-mass protostellar objects including single, binary, and triple systems in which binaries are more active in exhibiting episodic accretion than isolated protostars. We also find a general decreasing trend in the average mass accretion rate over time, suggesting that the majority of the protostellar mass is accreted within the first 105 years. This result can potentially help to explain the surprisingly low average luminosities in the majority of the protostellar population.

An Eccentric Binary Millisecond Pulsar in the Galactic Plane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Champion, David J.; Ransom, Scott M.; Lazarus, Patrick; Camilo, Fernando; Bassa, Cess; Kaspi, Victoria M.; Nice, David J.; Freire, Paulo C. C.; Stairs, Ingrid H.; vanLeeuwen, Joeri;

The minimum mass ratio of W Ursae Majoris binaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rasio, Frederic A.

1995-01-01

The minimum mass ratio for tidal stability of a contact binary containing two unevolved main-sequence stars is calculated to be q(sub min) approximately =0.09 in the case of a mostly radiative primary, and it is higher if an appreciable fraction of the mass lies in a convective envelope. At least one observed system, AW UMa, has a mass ratio just below this value (q = 0.075), implying that, if the system is stable, the primary must be slightly evolved and must have a very shallow convective envelope. Contact binaries with mass ratios significantly below that of AW UMa should not be observed, since they are tidally unstable and quickly merge into a single, rapidly rotating object, on a timescale approximately 10(exp 3)-10(exp 4) yr.

Upper Limits on the Rates of Binary Neutron Star and Neutron Star-Black Hole Mergers from Advanced LIGO’s First Observing Run

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Adya, V. B.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Agatsuma, K.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Aiello, L.; Ain, A.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Altin, P. A.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C. C.; Areeda, J. S.; Arnaud, N.; Arun, K. G.; Ascenzi, S.; Ashton, G.; Ast, M.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Babak, S.; Bacon, P.; Bader, M. K. M.; Baker, P. T.; Baldaccini, F.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barclay, S. E.; Barish, B. C.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barta, D.; Bartlett, J.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J. C.; Baune, C.; Bavigadda, V.; Bazzan, M.; Bejger, M.; Bell, A. S.; Berger, B. K.; Bergmann, G.; Berry, C. P. L.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Bhagwat, S.; Bhandare, R.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Birney, R.; Biscans, S.; Bisht, A.; Bitossi, M.; Biwer, C.; Bizouard, M. A.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blair, C. D.; Blair, D. G.; Blair, R. M.; Bloemen, S.; Bock, O.; Boer, M.; Bogaert, G.; Bogan, C.; Bohe, A.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonnand, R.; Boom, B. A.; Bork, R.; Boschi, V.; Bose, S.; Bouffanais, Y.; Bozzi, A.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Briant, T.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Brockill, P.; Broida, J. E.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brown, N. M.; Brunett, S.; Buchanan, C. C.; Buikema, A.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cabero, M.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Cahillane, C.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Callister, T.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Cannon, K. C.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Capocasa, E.; Carbognani, F.; Caride, S.; Casanueva Diaz, J.; Casentini, C.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C. B.; Cerboni Baiardi, L.; Cerretani, G.; Cesarini, E.; Chamberlin, S. J.; Chan, M.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Cheeseboro, B. D.; Chen, H. Y.; Chen, Y.; Cheng, C.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Cho, M.; Chow, J. H.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colla, A.; Collette, C. G.; Cominsky, L.; Constancio., M., Jr.; Conte, A.; Conti, L.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Cortese, S.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coughlin, S. B.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S. T.; Couvares, P.; Cowan, E. E.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M. J.; Coyne, D. C.; Coyne, R.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Cripe, J.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dal Canton, T.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Darman, N. S.; Dasgupta, A.; Da Silva Costa, C. F.; Dattilo, V.; Dave, I.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; De, S.; DeBra, D.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; De Laurentis, M.; Deléglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dergachev, V.; De Rosa, R.; DeRosa, R. T.; DeSalvo, R.; Devine, R. C.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M. C.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Giovanni, M.; Di Girolamo, T.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Pace, S.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Dolique, V.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Douglas, R.; Downes, T. P.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Ducrot, M.; Dwyer, S. E.; Edo, T. B.; Edwards, M. C.; Effler, A.; Eggenstein, H.-B.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Engels, W.; Essick, R. C.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T. M.; Everett, R.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fair, H.; Fairhurst, S.; Fan, X.; Fang, Q.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W. M.; Favata, M.; Fays, M.; Fehrmann, H.; Fejer, M. M.; Fenyvesi, E.; Ferrante, I.; Ferreira, E. C.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Fiori, I.; Fiorucci, D.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Fletcher, M.; Fournier, J.-D.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Frey, V.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gabbard, H. A. G.; Gair, J. R.; Gammaitoni, L.; Gaonkar, S. G.; Garufi, F.; Gaur, G.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Geng, P.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; George, J.; Gergely, L.; Germain, V.; Ghosh, Abhirup; Ghosh, Archisman; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, K.; Glaefke, A.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gonzalez Castro, J. M.; Gopakumar, A.; Gordon, N. A.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S. E.; Gosselin, M.; Gouaty, R.; Grado, A.; Graef, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greco, G.; Green, A. C.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guo, X.; Gupta, A.; Gupta, M. K.; Gushwa, K. E.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hacker, J. J.; Hall, B. R.; Hall, E. D.; Hammond, G.; Haney, M.; Hanke, M. M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hannam, M. D.; Hanson, J.; Hardwick, T.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Hart, M. J.; Hartman, M. T.; Haster, C.-J.; Haughian, K.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M. C.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Hennig, J.; Henry, J.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hofman, D.; Holt, K.; Holz, D. E.; Hopkins, P.; Hough, J.; Houston, E. A.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y. M.; Huang, S.; Huerta, E. A.; Huet, D.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Indik, N.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isa, H. N.; Isac, J.-M.; Isi, M.; Isogai, T.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacqmin, T.; Jang, H.; Jani, K.; Jaranowski, P.; Jawahar, S.; Jian, L.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; K, Haris; Kalaghatgi, C. V.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kapadia, S. J.; Karki, S.; Karvinen, K. S.; Kasprzack, M.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, S.; Kaur, T.; Kawabe, K.; Kéfélian, F.; Kehl, M. S.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Kennedy, R.; Key, J. S.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khan, I.; Khan, S.; Khan, Z.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kijbunchoo, N.; Kim, Chi-Woong; Kim, Chunglee; Kim, J.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, W.; Kim, Y.-M.; Kimbrell, S. J.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kissel, J. S.; Klein, B.; Kleybolte, L.; Klimenko, S.; Koehlenbeck, S. M.; Koley, S.; Kondrashov, V.; Kontos, A.; Korobko, M.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D. B.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Krueger, C.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Lackey, B. D.; Landry, M.; Lange, J.; Lantz, B.; Lasky, P. D.; Laxen, M.; Lazzarini, A.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, K.; Lenon, A.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Lewis, J. B.; Li, T. G. F.; Libson, A.; Littenberg, T. B.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lombardi, A. L.; London, L. T.; Lord, J. E.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J. D.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Lynch, R.; Ma, Y.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magaña-Sandoval, F.; Magaña Zertuche, L.; Magee, R. M.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mansell, G. L.; Manske, M.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A. S.; Maros, E.; Martelli, F.; Martellini, L.; Martin, I. W.; Martynov, D. V.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Masso-Reid, M.; Mastrogiovanni, S.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazumder, N.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McCormick, S.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McManus, D. J.; McRae, T.; McWilliams, S. T.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Meidam, J.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Merilh, E. L.; Merzougui, M.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Messick, C.; Metzdorff, R.; Meyers, P. M.; Mezzani, F.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Middleton, H.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Miller, A. L.; Miller, A.; Miller, B. B.; Miller, J.; Millhouse, M.; Minenkov, Y.; Ming, J.; Mirshekari, S.; Mishra, C.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moggi, A.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Montani, M.; Moore, B. C.; Moore, C. J.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, G.; Muir, A. W.; Mukherjee, Arunava; Mukherjee, D.; Mukherjee, S.; Mukund, N.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D. J.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nardecchia, I.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R. K.; Nedkova, K.; Nelemans, G.; Nelson, T. J. N.; Neri, M.; Neunzert, A.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T. T.; Nielsen, A. B.; Nissanke, S.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E. N.; Nuttall, L. K.; Oberling, J.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Oliver, M.; Oppermann, P.; Oram, Richard J.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Ottaway, D. J.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Pai, A.; Pai, S. A.; Palamos, J. R.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pal-Singh, A.; Pan, H.; Pankow, C.; Pannarale, F.; Pant, B. C.; Paoletti, F.; Paoli, A.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H. R.; Parker, W.; Pascucci, D.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patricelli, B.; Patrick, Z.; Pearlstone, B. L.; Pedraza, M.; Pedurand, R.; Pekowsky, L.; Pele, A.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Perri, L. M.; Phelps, M.; Piccinni, O. J.; Pichot, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pillant, G.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poe, M.; Poggiani, R.; Popolizio, P.; Post, A.; Powell, J.; Prasad, J.; Predoi, V.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Pürrer, M.; Qi, H.; Qin, J.; Qiu, S.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E. A.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajan, C.; Rakhmanov, M.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Razzano, M.; Re, V.; Read, J.; Reed, C. M.; Regimbau, T.; Rei, L.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Rew, H.; Reyes, S. D.; Ricci, F.; Riles, K.; Rizzo, M.; Robertson, N. A.; Robie, R.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Roma, V. J.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Sachdev, S.; Sadecki, T.; Sadeghian, L.; Sakellariadou, M.; Salconi, L.; Saleem, M.; Salemi, F.; Samajdar, A.; Sammut, L.; Sanchez, E. J.; Sandberg, V.; Sandeen, B.; Sanders, J. R.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Sauter, O. E. S.; Savage, R. L.; Sawadsky, A.; Schale, P.; Schilling, R.; Schmidt, J.; Schmidt, P.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schönbeck, A.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schutz, B. F.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Setyawati, Y.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shaffer, T.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Sheperd, A.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Shoemaker, D. M.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sieniawska, M.; Sigg, D.; Silva, A. D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L. P.; Singh, A.; Singh, R.; Singhal, A.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, N. D.; Smith, R. J. E.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Sorrentino, F.; Souradeep, T.; Srivastava, A. K.; Staley, A.; Steinke, M.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steinmeyer, D.; Stephens, B. C.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Stratta, G.; Strauss, N. A.; Strigin, S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sun, L.; Sunil, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B. L.; Szczepańczyk, M. J.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tápai, M.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taracchini, A.; Taylor, R.; Theeg, T.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, E. G.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, S.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Toland, K.; Tomlinson, C.; Tonelli, M.; Tornasi, Z.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Töyrä, D.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Trifirò, D.; Tringali, M. C.; Trozzo, L.; Tse, M.; Turconi, M.; Tuyenbayev, D.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Usman, S. A.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Valdes, G.; van Bakel, N.; van Beuzekom, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; Vander-Hyde, D. C.; van der Schaaf, L.; van Heijningen, J. V.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vardaro, M.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Vinciguerra, S.; Vine, D. J.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Voss, D. V.; Vousden, W. D.; Vyatchanin, S. P.; Wade, A. R.; Wade, L. E.; Wade, M.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Walsh, S.; Wang, G.; Wang, H.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Wang, Y.; Ward, R. L.; Warner, J.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Wen, L.; Weßels, P.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whiting, B. F.; Williams, R. D.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M. H.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Woehler, J.; Worden, J.; Wright, J. L.; Wu, D. S.; Wu, G.; Yablon, J.; Yam, W.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yu, H.; Yvert, M.; Zadrożny, A.; Zangrando, L.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zevin, M.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, M.; Zhang, Y.; Zhao, C.; Zhou, M.; Zhou, Z.; Zhu, X. J.; Zucker, M. E.; Zuraw, S. E.; Zweizig, J.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

2016-12-01

We report here the non-detection of gravitational waves from the merger of binary-neutron star systems and neutron star-black hole systems during the first observing run of the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). In particular, we searched for gravitational-wave signals from binary-neutron star systems with component masses \\in [1,3] {M}⊙ and component dimensionless spins <0.05. We also searched for neutron star-black hole systems with the same neutron star parameters, black hole mass \\in [2,99] {M}⊙ , and no restriction on the black hole spin magnitude. We assess the sensitivity of the two LIGO detectors to these systems and find that they could have detected the merger of binary-neutron star systems with component mass distributions of 1.35 ± 0.13 M ⊙ at a volume-weighted average distance of ˜70 Mpc, and for neutron star-black hole systems with neutron star masses of 1.4 M ⊙ and black hole masses of at least 5 M ⊙, a volume-weighted average distance of at least ˜110 Mpc. From this we constrain with 90% confidence the merger rate to be less than 12,600 Gpc-3 yr-1 for binary-neutron star systems and less than 3600 Gpc-3 yr-1 for neutron star-black hole systems. We discuss the astrophysical implications of these results, which we find to be in conflict with only the most optimistic predictions. However, we find that if no detection of neutron star-binary mergers is made in the next two Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo observing runs we would place significant constraints on the merger rates. Finally, assuming a rate of {10}-7+20 Gpc-3 yr-1, short gamma-ray bursts beamed toward the Earth, and assuming that all short gamma-ray bursts have binary-neutron star (neutron star-black hole) progenitors, we can use our 90% confidence rate upper limits to constrain the beaming angle of the gamma-ray burst to be greater than 2\\buildrel{\\circ}\\over{.} {3}-1.1+1.7 (4\\buildrel{\\circ}\\over{.} {3}-1.9+3.1).

UNDERSTANDING THE EVOLUTION OF CLOSE BINARY SYSTEMS WITH RADIO PULSARS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Benvenuto, O. G.; De Vito, M. A.; Horvath, J. E., E-mail: obenvenu@fcaglp.unlp.edu.ar, E-mail: adevito@fcaglp.unlp.edu.ar, E-mail: foton@astro.iag.usp.br

We calculate the evolution of close binary systems (CBSs) formed by a neutron star (behaving as a radio pulsar) and a normal donor star, which evolve either to a helium white dwarf (HeWD) or to ultra-short orbital period systems. We consider X-ray irradiation feedback and evaporation due to radio pulsar irradiation. We show that irradiation feedback leads to cyclic mass transfer episodes, allowing CBSs to be observed in between episodes as binary radio pulsars under conditions in which standard, non-irradiated models predict the occurrence of a low-mass X-ray binary. This behavior accounts for the existence of a family of eclipsingmore » binary systems known as redbacks. We predict that redback companions should almost fill their Roche lobe, as observed in PSR J1723-2837. This state is also possible for systems evolving with larger orbital periods. Therefore, binary radio pulsars with companion star masses usually interpreted as larger than expected to produce HeWDs may also result in such quasi-Roche lobe overflow states, rather than hosting a carbon-oxygen WD. We found that CBSs with initial orbital periods of P{sub i} < 1 day evolve into redbacks. Some of them produce low-mass HeWDs, and a subgroup with shorter P{sub i} becomes black widows (BWs). Thus, BWs descend from redbacks, although not all redbacks evolve into BWs. There is mounting observational evidence favoring BW pulsars to be very massive (≳ 2 M {sub ☉}). As they should be redback descendants, redback pulsars should also be very massive, since most of the mass is transferred before this stage.« less

Photometric Solutions of Three Eclipsing Binary Stars Observed from Dome A, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, N.; Fu, J. N.; Zong, W.; Wang, L. Z.; Uddin, S. A.; Zhang, X. B.; Zhang, Y. P.; Cang, T. Q.; Li, G.; Yang, Y.; Yang, G. C.; Mould, J.; Morrell, N.

2018-04-01

Based on spectroscopic observations for the eclipsing binaries CSTAR 036162 and CSTAR 055495 with the WiFeS/2.3 m telescope at SSO and CSTAR 057775 with the Mage/Magellan I at LCO in 2017, stellar parameters are derived. More than 100 nights of almost-continuous light curves reduced from the time-series photometric observations by CSTAR at Dome A of Antarctic in i in 2008 and in g and r in 2009, respectively, are applied to find photometric solutions for the three binaries with the Wilson–Devinney code. The results show that CSTAR 036162 is a detached configuration with the mass ratio q = 0.354 ± 0.0009, while CSTAR 055495 is a semi-detached binary system with the unusual q = 0.946 ± 0.0006, which indicates that CSTAR 055495 may be a rare binary system with mass ratio close to one and the secondary component filling its Roche Lobe. This implies that a mass-ratio reversal has just occurred and CSTAR 055495 is in a rapid mass-transfer stage. Finally, CSTAR 057775 is believed to be an A-type W UMa binary with q = 0.301 ± 0.0008 and a fill-out factor of f = 0.742(8).

Astronomy in Denver: Spectropolarimetric Observations of 5 Wolf-Rayet Binary Stars with SALT/RSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fullard, Andrew; Ansary, Zyed; Azancot Luchtan, Daniel; Gallegos, Hunter; Luepker, Martin; Hoffman, Jennifer L.; Nordsieck, Kenneth H.; SALT observation team

2018-06-01

Mass loss from massive stars is an important yet poorly understood factor in shaping their evolution. Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars are of particular interest due to their stellar winds, which create large regions of circumstellar material (CSM). They are also supernova and possible gamma-ray burst (GRB) progenitors. Like other massive stars, WR stars often occur in binaries, where interaction can affect their mass loss rates and provide the rapid rotation thought to be required for GRB production. The diagnostic tool of spectropolarimetry, along with the potentially eclipsing nature of a binary system, helps us to better characterize the CSM created by the stars’ colliding winds. Thus, we can determine mass loss rates and infer rapid rotation. We present spectropolarimetric results for five WR+O eclipsing binary systems, obtained with the Robert Stobie Spectrograph at the South African Large Telescope, between April 2017 and April 2018. The data allow us to map both continuum and emission line polarization variations with phase, which constrains where different CSM components scatter light in the systems. We discuss our initial findings and interpretations of the polarimetric variability in each binary system, and compare the systems.

Binary Microlensing Events from the MACHO Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alcock, C.; Allsman, R. A.; Alves, D.; Axelrod, T. S.; Baines, D.; Becker, A. C.; Bennett, D. P.; Bourke, A.; Brakel, A.; Cook, K. H.; Crook, B.; Crouch, A.; Dan, J.; Drake, A. J.; Fragile, P. C.; Freeman, K. C.; Gal-Yam, A.; Geha, M.; Gray, J.; Griest, K.; Gurtierrez, A.; Heller, A.; Howard, J.; Johnson, B. R.; Kaspi, S.; Keane, M.; Kovo, O.; Leach, C.; Leach, T.; Leibowitz, E. M.; Lehner, M. J.; Lipkin, Y.; Maoz, D.; Marshall, S. L.; McDowell, D.; McKeown, S.; Mendelson, H.; Messenger, B.; Minniti, D.; Nelson, C.; Peterson, B. A.; Popowski, P.; Pozza, E.; Purcell, P.; Pratt, M. R.; Quinn, J.; Quinn, P. J.; Rhie, S. H.; Rodgers, A. W.; Salmon, A.; Shemmer, O.; Stetson, P.; Stubbs, C. W.; Sutherland, W.; Thomson, S.; Tomaney, A.; Vandehei, T.; Walker, A.; Ward, K.; Wyper, G.

2000-09-01

We present the light curves of 21 gravitational microlensing events from the first six years of the MACHO Project gravitational microlensing survey that are likely examples of lensing by binary systems. These events were manually selected from a total sample of ~350 candidate microlensing events that were either detected by the MACHO Alert System or discovered through retrospective analyses of the MACHO database. At least 14 of these 21 events exhibit strong (caustic) features, and four of the events are well fit with lensing by large mass ratio (brown dwarf or planetary) systems, although these fits are not necessarily unique. The total binary event rate is roughly consistent with predictions based upon our knowledge of the properties of binary stars, but a precise comparison cannot be made without a determination of our binary lens event detection efficiency. Toward the Galactic bulge, we find a ratio of caustic crossing to noncaustic crossing binary lensing events of 12:4, excluding one event for which we present two fits. This suggests significant incompleteness in our ability to detect and characterize noncaustic crossing binary lensing. The distribution of mass ratios, N(q), for these binary lenses appears relatively flat. We are also able to reliably measure source-face crossing times in four of the bulge caustic crossing events, and recover from them a distribution of lens proper motions, masses, and distances consistent with a population of Galactic bulge lenses at a distance of 7+/-1 kpc. This analysis yields two systems with companions of ~0.05 Msolar.

Giant Planet Candidates, Brown Dwarfs, and Binaries from the SDSS-III MARVELS Planet Survey.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Neil; Ge, Jian; Li, Rui; de Lee, Nathan M.; Heslar, Michael; Ma, Bo; SDSS-Iii Marvels Team

2015-01-01

We report the discoveries of giant planet candidates, brown dwarfs, and binaries from the SDSS-III MARVELS survey. The finalized 1D pipeline has provided 18 giant planet candidates, 16 brown dwarfs, and over 500 binaries. An additional 96 targets having RV variability indicative of a giant planet companion are also reported for future investigation. These candidates are found using the advanced MARVELS 1D data pipeline developed at UF from scratch over the past three years. This pipeline carefully corrects most of the instrument effects (such as trace, slant, distortion, drifts and dispersion) and observation condition effects (such as illumination profile, fiber degradation, and tracking variations). The result is long-term RV precisions that approach the photon limits in many cases for the ~89,000 individual stellar observations. A 2D version of the pipeline that uses interferometric information is nearing completion and is demonstrating a reduction of errors to half the current levels. The 2D processing will be used to increase the robustness of the detections presented here and to find new candidates in RV regions not confidently detectable with the 1D pipeline. The MARVELS survey has produced the largest homogeneous RV measurements of 3300 V=7.6-12 FGK stars with a well defined cadence of 27 RV measurements over 2 years. The MARVELS RV data and other follow-up data (photometry, high contrast imaging, high resolution spectroscopy and RV measurements) will explore the diversity of giant planet companion formation and evolution around stars with a broad range in metallicity (Fe/H -1.5-0.5), mass ( 0.6-2.5M(sun)), and environment (thin disk and thick disk), and will help to address the key scientific questions identified for the MARVELS survey including, but not limited to: Do metal poor stars obey the same trends for planet occurrence as metal rich stars? What is the distribution of giant planets around intermediate-mass stars and binaries? Is the 'planet desert' within 0.6 AU in the planet orbital distribution of intermediate-mass stars real?

Data-analysis driven comparison of analytic and numerical coalescing binary waveforms: Nonspinning case

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pan Yi; Buonanno, Alessandra; McWilliams, Sean T.

2008-01-15

We compare waveforms obtained by numerically evolving nonspinning binary black holes to post-Newtonian (PN) template families currently used in the search for gravitational waves by ground-based detectors. We find that the time-domain 3.5PN template family, which includes the inspiral phase, has fitting factors (FFs) {>=}0.96 for binary systems with total mass M=10-20M{sub {center_dot}}. The time-domain 3.5PN effective-one-body template family, which includes the inspiral, merger, and ring-down phases, gives satisfactory signal-matching performance with FFs {>=}0.96 for binary systems with total mass M=10-120M{sub {center_dot}}. If we introduce a cutoff frequency properly adjusted to the final black-hole ring-down frequency, we find that themore » frequency-domain stationary-phase-approximated template family at 3.5PN order has FFs {>=}0.96 for binary systems with total mass M=10-20M{sub {center_dot}}. However, to obtain high matching performances for larger binary masses, we need to either extend this family to unphysical regions of the parameter space or introduce a 4PN order coefficient in the frequency-domain gravitational wave (GW) phase. Finally, we find that the phenomenological Buonanno-Chen-Vallisneri family has FFs {>=}0.97 with total mass M=10-120M{sub {center_dot}}. The main analyses use the noise-spectral density of LIGO, but several tests are extended to VIRGO and advanced LIGO noise-spectral densities.« less

Brown Dwarf Binaries from Disintegrating Triple Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reipurth, Bo; Mikkola, Seppo

2015-04-01

Binaries in which both components are brown dwarfs (BDs) are being discovered at an increasing rate, and their properties may hold clues to their origin. We have carried out 200,000 N-body simulations of three identical stellar embryos with masses drawn from a Chabrier IMF and embedded in a molecular core. The bodies are initially non-hierarchical and undergo chaotic motions within the cloud core, while accreting using Bondi-Hoyle accretion. The coupling of dynamics and accretion often leads to one or two dominant bodies controlling the center of the cloud core, while banishing the other(s) to the lower-density outskirts, leading to stunted growth. Eventually each system transforms either to a bound hierarchical configuration or breaks apart into separate single and binary components. The orbital motion is followed for 100 Myr. In order to illustrate 200,000 end-states of such dynamical evolution with accretion, we introduce the “triple diagnostic diagram,” which plots two dimensionless numbers against each other, representing the binary mass ratio and the mass ratio of the third body to the total system mass. Numerous freefloating BD binaries are formed in these simulations, and statistical properties are derived. The separation distribution function is in good correspondence with observations, showing a steep rise at close separations, peaking around 13 AU and declining more gently, reaching zero at separations greater than 200 AU. Unresolved BD triple systems may appear as wider BD binaries. Mass ratios are strongly peaked toward unity, as observed, but this is partially due to the initial assumptions. Eccentricities gradually increase toward higher values, due to the lack of viscous interactions in the simulations, which would both shrink the orbits and decrease their eccentricities. Most newborn triple systems are unstable and while there are 9209 ejected BD binaries at 1 Myr, corresponding to about 4% of the 200,000 simulations, this number has grown to 15,894 at 100 Myr (˜8%). The total binary fraction among freefloating BDs is 0.43, higher than indicated by current observations, which, however, are still incomplete. Also, the gradual breakup of higher-order multiples leads to many more singles, thus lowering the binary fraction. The main threat to newly born triple systems is internal instabilities, not external perturbations. At 1 Myr there are 1325 BD binaries still bound to a star, corresponding to 0.66% of the simulations, but only 253 (0.13%) are stable on timescales >100 Myr. These simulations indicate that dynamical interactions in newborn triple systems of stellar embryos embedded in and accreting from a cloud core naturally form a population of freefloating BD binaries, and this mechanism may constitute a significant pathway for the formation of BD binaries.

ON THE LIKELIHOOD OF PLANET FORMATION IN CLOSE BINARIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jang-Condell, Hannah, E-mail: hjangcon@uwyo.edu

2015-02-01

To date, several exoplanets have been discovered orbiting stars with close binary companions (a ≲ 30 AU). The fact that planets can form in these dynamically challenging environments implies that planet formation must be a robust process. The initial protoplanetary disks in these systems from which planets must form should be tidally truncated to radii of a few AU, which indicates that the efficiency of planet formation must be high. Here, we examine the truncation of circumstellar protoplanetary disks in close binary systems, studying how the likelihood of planet formation is affected over a range of disk parameters. If themore » semimajor axis of the binary is too small or its eccentricity is too high, the disk will have too little mass for planet formation to occur. However, we find that the stars in the binary systems known to have planets should have once hosted circumstellar disks that were capable of supporting planet formation despite their truncation. We present a way to characterize the feasibility of planet formation based on binary orbital parameters such as stellar mass, companion mass, eccentricity, and semimajor axis. Using this measure, we can quantify the robustness of planet formation in close binaries and better understand the overall efficiency of planet formation in general.« less

Gravitational Conundrum? Dynamical Mass Segregation versus Disruption of Binary Stars in Dense Stellar Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Grijs, Richard; Li, Chengyuan; Zheng, Yong; Deng, Licai; Hu, Yi; Kouwenhoven, M. B. N.; Wicker, James E.

2013-03-01

Upon their formation, dynamically cool (collapsing) star clusters will, within only a few million years, achieve stellar mass segregation for stars down to a few solar masses, simply because of gravitational two-body encounters. Since binary systems are, on average, more massive than single stars, one would expect them to also rapidly mass segregate dynamically. Contrary to these expectations and based on high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope observations, we show that the compact, 15-30 Myr old Large Magellanic Cloud cluster NGC 1818 exhibits tantalizing hints at the >~ 2σ level of significance (>3σ if we assume a power-law secondary-to-primary mass-ratio distribution) of an increasing fraction of F-star binary systems (with combined masses of 1.3-1.6 M ⊙) with increasing distance from the cluster center, specifically between the inner 10''-20'' (approximately equivalent to the cluster's core and half-mass radii) and the outer 60''-80''. If confirmed, then this will offer support for the theoretically predicted but thus far unobserved dynamical disruption processes of the significant population of "soft" binary systems—with relatively low binding energies compared to the kinetic energy of their stellar members—in star clusters, which we have access to here by virtue of the cluster's unique combination of youth and high stellar density.

Photometric detection of a candidate low-mass giant binary system at the Milky Way Galactic Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishna Gautam, Abhimat; Do, Tuan; Ghez, Andrea; Sakai, Shoko; Morris, Mark; Lu, Jessica; Witzel, Gunther; Jia, Siyao; Becklin, Eric Eric; Matthews, Keith

2018-01-01

We present the discovery of a new periodic variable star at the Milky Way Galactic Center (GC). This study uses laser guide-star adaptive optics data collected with the W. M. Keck 10 m telescope in the K‧-band (2.2 µm) over 35 nights spanning an 11 year time baseline, and 5 nights of additional H-band (1.6 µm) data. We implemented an iterative photometric calibration and local correction technique, resulting in a photometric uncertainty of Δm_K‧ ∼ 0.03 to a magnitude of m_K‧ ∼ 16.The periodically variable star has a 39.42 day period. We find that the star is not consistent with known periodically variable star classes in this period range with its observed color and luminosity, nor with an eclipsing binary system. The star's color and luminosity are however consistent with an ellipsoidal binary system at the GC, consisting of a K-giant and a dwarf component with an orbital period of 78.84 days. If a binary system, it represents the first detection of a low-mass giant binary system in the central half parsec of the GC. Such long-period binary systems can easily evaporate in the dense environment of the GC due to interactions with other stars. The existence and properties of a low-mass, long-period binary system can thus place valuable constraints on dynamical models of the GC environment and probe the density of the hypothesized dark cusp of stellar remnants at the GC.

EXTraS discovery of a 1.2-s X-ray pulsar in M31

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esposito, P.; Israel, G.; Belfiore, A.; Novara, G.; Sidoli, L.; Rodriguez Castillo, G.; De Luca, A.; Tiengo, A.; Haberl, F.; Salvaterra, R.

2017-10-01

A systematic search for periodic signals in the XMM-Newton's EPIC archive carried out within the EXTraS project resulted in the discovery of a 1.2-s flux modulation in 3XMM J004301.4+413017. It is the first accreting neutron star in M31 for which the spin period has been detected. Besides this distinction, 3XMM J0043 proved to be an interesting system. Doppler shifts of the spin modulation revealed an orbital motion with period of 1.27 d and the analysis of optical data shows that, while the source is likely associated to a globular cluster, a counterpart with V ˜ 22 outside the cluster cannot be excluded. The emission of the pulsar appears rather hard (most data are described by a power law with photon index <1) and, assuming the distance to M31, the 0.3-10 keV luminosity was variable, from ˜3×10^{37} to 2×10^{38} erg/s. Based on this, we discuss two main possible scenarios for 3X J0043: a peculiar low-mass X-ray binary, perhaps similar to 4U 1822-37 or 4U 1626-67, or an intermediate-mass X-ray binary akin Her X-1.

MONTE CARLO POPULATION SYNTHESIS OF POST-COMMON-ENVELOPE WHITE DWARF BINARIES AND TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA RATE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ablimit, Iminhaji; Maeda, Keiichi; Li, Xiang-Dong

Binary population synthesis (BPS) studies provide a comprehensive way to understand the evolution of binaries and their end products. Close white dwarf (WD) binaries have crucial characteristics for examining the influence of unresolved physical parameters on binary evolution. In this paper, we perform Monte Carlo BPS simulations, investigating the population of WD/main-sequence (WD/MS) binaries and double WD binaries using a publicly available binary star evolution code under 37 different assumptions for key physical processes and binary initial conditions. We considered different combinations of the binding energy parameter ( λ {sub g}: considering gravitational energy only; λ {sub b}: considering bothmore » gravitational energy and internal energy; and λ {sub e}: considering gravitational energy, internal energy, and entropy of the envelope, with values derived from the MESA code), CE efficiency, critical mass ratio, initial primary mass function, and metallicity. We find that a larger number of post-CE WD/MS binaries in tight orbits are formed when the binding energy parameters are set by λ {sub e} than in those cases where other prescriptions are adopted. We also determine the effects of the other input parameters on the orbital periods and mass distributions of post-CE WD/MS binaries. As they contain at least one CO WD, double WD systems that evolved from WD/MS binaries may explode as type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) via merging. In this work, we also investigate the frequency of two WD mergers and compare it to the SNe Ia rate. The calculated Galactic SNe Ia rate with λ = λ {sub e} is comparable to the observed SNe Ia rate, ∼8.2 × 10{sup 5} yr{sup 1} – ∼4 × 10{sup 3} yr{sup 1} depending on the other BPS parameters, if a DD system does not require a mass ratio higher than ∼0.8 to become an SNe Ia. On the other hand, a violent merger scenario, which requires the combined mass of two CO WDs ≥ 1.6 M {sub ⊙} and a mass ratio >0.8, results in a much lower SNe Ia rate than is observed.« less

Contribution of Primordial Binary Evolution to the Two Blue-straggler Sequences in Globular Cluster M30

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Dengkai; Chen, Xuefei; Li, Lifang; Han, Zhanwen

2017-11-01

Two blue-straggler sequences discovered in globular cluster M30 provide a strong constraint on the formation mechanisms of blue stragglers. We study the formation of blue-straggler binaries through binary evolution, and find that binary evolution can contribute to the blue stragglers in both of the sequences. Whether a blue-straggler is located in the blue sequence or red sequence depends on the contribution of the mass donor to the total luminosity of the binary, which is generally observed as a single star in globular clusters. The blue stragglers in the blue sequence have a cool white dwarf companion, while the majority (˜60%) of the objects in the red sequence are binaries that are still experiencing mass transfer. However, there are also some objects for which the donors have just finished the mass transfer (the stripped-core stars, ˜10%) or the blue stragglers (the accretors) have evolved away from the blue sequence (˜30%). Meanwhile, W UMa contact binaries found in both sequences may be explained by various mass ratios, that is, W UMa contact binaries in the red sequence have two components with comparable masses (e.g., mass ratio q ˜ 0.3-1.0), while those in the blue sequence have low mass ratios (e.g., q< 0.3). However, the fraction of the blue sequence in M30 cannot be reproduced by binary population synthesis if we assumed the initial parameters of a binary sample to be the same as those of the field. This possibly indicates that dynamical effects on binary systems are very important in globular clusters.

Accreting Double White Dwarf Binaries: Implications for LISA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kremer, Kyle; Breivik, Katelyn; Larson, Shane L.; Kalogera, Vassiliki

2017-09-01

We explore the long-term evolution of mass-transferring white dwarf (WD) binaries undergoing both direct-impact and disk accretion and explore implications of such systems to gravitational-wave (GW) astronomy. We cover a broad range of initial component masses and show that these systems, the majority of which lie within the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) sensitivity range, exhibit prominent negative orbital frequency evolution (chirp) for a significant fraction of their lifetimes. Using a galactic population synthesis, we predict ˜2700 of these systems will be observable with a negative chirp of 0.1 yr-2 by a space-based GW detector like LISA. We also show that detections of mass-transferring double WD systems by LISA may provide astronomers with unique ways of probing the physics governing close compact object binaries.

SEARCHING FOR BINARY Y DWARFS WITH THE GEMINI MULTI-CONJUGATE ADAPTIVE OPTICS SYSTEM (GeMS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Opitz, Daniela; Tinney, C. G.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.

The NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has discovered almost all the known members of the new class of Y-type brown dwarfs. Most of these Y dwarfs have been identified as isolated objects in the field. It is known that binaries with L- and T-type brown dwarf primaries are less prevalent than either M-dwarf or solar-type primaries, they tend to have smaller separations and are more frequently detected in near-equal mass configurations. The binary statistics for Y-type brown dwarfs, however, are sparse, and so it is unclear if the same trends that hold for L- and T-type brown dwarfs alsomore » hold for Y-type ones. In addition, the detection of binary companions to very cool Y dwarfs may well be the best means available for discovering even colder objects. We present results for binary properties of a sample of five WISE Y dwarfs with the Gemini Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics System. We find no evidence for binary companions in these data, which suggests these systems are not equal-luminosity (or equal-mass) binaries with separations larger than ∼0.5–1.9 AU. For equal-mass binaries at an age of 5 Gyr, we find that the binary binding energies ruled out by our observations (i.e., 10{sup 42} erg) are consistent with those observed in previous studies of hotter ultra-cool dwarfs.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nyland, Kristina; Marvil, Josh; Young, Lisa M.

We present the results of deep, high-resolution, 5 GHz Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA) observations of the nearby, dwarf lenticular galaxy and intermediate-mass black hole candidate (M{sub BH} {approx} 4.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 5} M{sub Sun }), NGC 404. For the first time, radio emission at frequencies above 1.4 GHz has been detected in this galaxy. We found a modestly resolved source in the NGC 404 nucleus with a total radio luminosity of 7.6 {+-} 0.7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 17} W Hz{sup -1} at 5 GHz and a spectral index from 5 to 7.45 GHz of {alpha} = -0.88 {+-} 0.30. NGCmore » 404 is only the third central intermediate-mass black hole candidate detected in the radio regime with subarcsecond resolution. The position of the radio source is consistent with the optical center of the galaxy and the location of a known, hard X-ray point source (L{sub X} {approx} 1.2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 37} erg s{sup -1}). The faint radio and X-ray emission could conceivably be produced by an X-ray binary, star formation, a supernova remnant, or a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus powered by an intermediate-mass black hole. In light of our new EVLA observations, we find that the most likely scenario is an accreting intermediate-mass black hole, with other explanations being either incompatible with the observed X-ray and/or radio luminosities or statistically unlikely.« less

Distinguishing Between Formation Channels for Binary Black Holes with LISA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breivik, Katelyn; Rodriguez, Carl L.; Larson, Shane L.; Kalogera, Vassiliki; Rasio, Frederic A.

2017-01-01

The recent detections of GW150914 and GW151226 imply an abundance of stellar-mass binary-black-hole mergers in the local universe. While ground-based gravitational-wave detectors are limited to observing the final moments before a binary merges, space-based detectors, such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), can observe binaries at lower orbital frequencies where such systems may still encode information about their formation histories. In particular, the orbital eccentricity and mass of binary black holes in the LISA frequency band can be used together to discriminate between binaries formed in isolation in galactic fields and those formed in dense stellar environments such as globular clusters. In this letter, we explore the orbital eccentricity and mass of binary-black-hole populations as they evolve through the LISA frequency band. Overall we find that there are two distinct populations discernible by LISA. We show that up to ~90% of binaries formed either dynamically or in isolation have eccentricities measurable by LISA. Finally, we note how measured eccentricities of low-mass binary black holes evolved in isolation could provide detailed constraints on the physics of black-hole natal kicks and common-envelope evolution.

Frontiers of stellar evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambert, David L. (Editor)

1991-01-01

The present conference discusses theoretical and observational views of star formation, spectroscopic constraints on the evolution of massive stars, very low mass stars and brown dwarfs, asteroseismology, globular clusters as tests of stellar evolution, observational tests of stellar evolution, and mass loss from cool evolved giant stars. Also discussed are white dwarfs and hot subdwarfs, neutron stars and black holes, supernovae from single stars, close binaries with evolved components, accretion disks in interacting binaries, supernovae in binary systems, stellar evolution and galactic chemical evolution, and interacting binaries containing compact components.

Spectroscopic obit for the eclipsing binary IQ Persei

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Young, A.

1975-10-01

Spectroscopic orbital elements are derived for the eclipsing binary IQ Per. Faint secondary lines are detected, and a mass ratio and individual masses are inferred. The components are found to be on the main sequence, and the system is detached. (auth)

WFC3 Micro-arcsecond astrometry of the possible SNIa progenitor BPM 71214

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debes, John

2012-10-01

We propose to use the newly commissioned scanning mode on WFC3 to obtain astrometric measurements of the ~0.008 AU WD/M dwarf binary BPM 71214. This system is a fascinating mystery for post-common envelope binary evolution and may be a SN1a progenitor. COS spectra of the WD in the system shows that it is rapidly rotating with a vsin i of 200 km/s, implying that it has already accreted significant mass from its companion, but mass transfer has since stopped. The COS spectra imply a near Chandrasekar mass for the WD, while optical spectroscopy suggests a mass of 0.8 M_Sun. We propose to take four orbits of WFC3 observations in scanning mode to obtain astrometric measurements of this system at a per-measurement precision of ~30~micro-arcseconds. Such measurements will definitively constrain the mass of the WD and fully solve for both masses in the binary.

Double-lined M dwarf eclipsing binaries from Catalina Sky Survey and LAMOST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Chien-Hsiu; Lin, Chien-Cheng

2017-02-01

Eclipsing binaries provide a unique opportunity to determine fundamental stellar properties. In the era of wide-field cameras and all-sky imaging surveys, thousands of eclipsing binaries have been reported through light curve classification, yet their basic properties remain unexplored due to the extensive efforts needed to follow them up spectroscopically. In this paper we investigate three M2-M3 type double-lined eclipsing binaries discovered by cross-matching eclipsing binaries from the Catalina Sky Survey with spectroscopically classified M dwarfs from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope survey data release one and two. Because these three M dwarf binaries are faint, we further acquire radial velocity measurements using GMOS on the Gemini North telescope with R˜ 4000, enabling us to determine the mass and radius of individual stellar components. By jointly fitting the light and radial velocity curves of these systems, we derive the mass and radius of the primary and secondary components of these three systems, in the range between 0.28-0.42M_⊙ and 0.29-0.67R_⊙, respectively. Future observations with a high resolution spectrograph will help us pin down the uncertainties in their stellar parameters, and render these systems benchmarks to study M dwarfs, providing inputs to improving stellar models in the low mass regime, or establishing an empirical mass-radius relation for M dwarf stars.

MERGERS OF UNEQUAL-MASS GALAXIES: SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE BINARY EVOLUTION AND STRUCTURE OF MERGER REMNANTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khan, Fazeel Mahmood; Preto, Miguel; Berentzen, Ingo

Galaxy centers are residing places for supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Galaxy mergers bring SMBHs close together to form gravitationally bound binary systems, which, if able to coalesce in less than a Hubble time, would be one of the most promising sources of gravitational waves (GWs) for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. In spherical galaxy models, SMBH binaries stall at a separation of approximately 1 pc, leading to the 'final parsec problem' (FPP). On the other hand, it has been shown that merger-induced triaxiality of the remnant in equal-mass mergers is capable of supporting a constant supply of stars on themore » so-called centrophilic orbits that interact with the binary and thus avoid the FPP. In this paper, using a set of direct N-body simulations of mergers of initially spherically symmetric galaxies with different mass ratios, we show that the merger-induced triaxiality is also able to drive unequal-mass SMBH binaries to coalescence. The binary hardening rates are high and depend only weakly on the mass ratios of SMBHs for a wide range of mass ratios q. There is, however, an abrupt transition in the hardening rates for mergers with mass ratios somewhere between q {approx} 0.05 and 0.1, resulting from the monotonic decrease of merger-induced triaxiality with mass ratio q, as the secondary galaxy becomes too small and light to significantly perturb the primary, i.e., the more massive one. The hardening rates are significantly higher for galaxies having steep cusps in comparison with those having shallow cups at centers. The evolution of the binary SMBH leads to relatively shallower inner slopes at the centers of the merger remnants. The stellar mass displaced by the SMBH binary on its way to coalescence is {approx}1-5 times the combined mass of binary SMBHs. The coalescence timescales for SMBH binary with mass {approx}10{sup 6} M{sub Sun} are less than 1 Gyr and for those at the upper end of SMBH masses 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun} are 1-2 Gyr for less eccentric binaries whereas they are less than 1 Gyr for highly eccentric binaries. SMBH binaries are thus expected to be promising sources of GWs at low and high redshifts.« less

A Comparison of Grid-based and SPH Binary Mass-transfer and Merger Simulations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Motl, Patrick M.; Frank, Juhan; Clayton, Geoffrey C.

2017-04-01

There is currently a great amount of interest in the outcomes and astrophysical implications of mergers of double degenerate binaries. In a commonly adopted approximation, the components of such binaries are represented by polytropes with an index of n  = 3/2. We present detailed comparisons of stellar mass-transfer and merger simulations of polytropic binaries that have been carried out using two very different numerical algorithms—a finite-volume “grid” code and a smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code. We find that there is agreement in both the ultimate outcomes of the evolutions and the intermediate stages if the initial conditions for each code are chosen to matchmore » as closely as possible. We find that even with closely matching initial setups, the time it takes to reach a concordant evolution differs between the two codes because the initial depth of contact cannot be matched exactly. There is a general tendency for SPH to yield higher mass transfer rates and faster evolution to the final outcome. We also present comparisons of simulations calculated from two different energy equations: in one series, we assume a polytropic equation of state and in the other series an ideal gas equation of state. In the latter series of simulations, an atmosphere forms around the accretor, which can exchange angular momentum and cause a more rapid loss of orbital angular momentum. In the simulations presented here, the effect of the ideal equation of state is to de-stabilize the binary in both SPH and grid simulations, but the effect is more pronounced in the grid code.« less

Formation of Kuiper-belt binaries through multiple chaotic scattering encounters with low-mass intruders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Astakhov, Sergey A.; Lee, Ernestine A.; Farrelly, David

2005-06-01

The discovery that many trans-Neptunian objects exist in pairs, or binaries, is proving invaluable for shedding light on the formation, evolution and structure of the outer Solar system. Based on recent systematic searches it has been estimated that up to 10 per cent of Kuiper-belt objects might be binaries. However, all examples discovered to date are unusual, as compared with near-Earth and main-belt asteroid binaries, for their mass ratios of the order of unity and their large, eccentric orbits. In this article we propose a common dynamical origin for these compositional and orbital properties based on four-body simulations in the Hill approximation. Our calculations suggest that binaries are produced through the following chain of events. Initially, long-lived quasi-bound binaries form by two bodies getting entangled in thin layers of dynamical chaos produced by solar tides within the Hill sphere. Next, energy transfer through gravitational scattering with a low-mass intruder nudges the binary into a nearby non-chaotic, stable zone of phase space. Finally, the binary hardens (loses energy) through a series of relatively gentle gravitational scattering encounters with further intruders. This produces binary orbits that are well fitted by Kepler ellipses. Dynamically, the overall process is strongly favoured if the original quasi-bound binary contains comparable masses. We propose a simplified model of chaotic scattering to explain these results. Our findings suggest that the observed preference for roughly equal-mass ratio binaries is probably a real effect; that is, it is not primarily due to an observational bias for widely separated, comparably bright objects. Nevertheless, we predict that a sizeable population of very unequal-mass Kuiper-belt binaries is probably awaiting discovery.

Accreting white dwarf models for type 1 supernovae. 1: Presupernova evolution and triggering mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nomoto, K.

1981-01-01

As a plausible explosion model for a Type I supernova, the evolution of carbon-oxygen white dwarfs accreting helium in binary systems was investigated from the onset of accretion up to the point at which a thermonuclear explosion occurs. The relationship between the conditions in the binary system and the triggering mechanism for the supernova explosion is discussed, especially for the cases with relatively slow accretion rate. It is found that the growth of a helium zone on the carbon-oxygen core leads to a supernova explosion which is triggered either by the off-center helium detonation for slow and intermediate accretion rates or by the carbon deflagration for slow and rapid accretion rates. Both helium detonation and carbon deflagration are possible for the case of slow accretion, since in this case the initial mass of the white dwarf is an important parameter for determining the mode of ignition. Finally, various modes of building up the helium zone on the white dwarf, namely, direct transfer of helium from the companion star and the various types and strength of the hydrogen shell flashes are discussed in some detail.

Massive companions of binary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jableka, D.; Zola, S.; Zakrzewski, B.; Kreiner, J. M.; Ogloza, W.

2018-04-01

We examined the O-C diagrams of eclipsing binary systems and selected these exhibiting cyclic shape, either sinusoidal or quasi sinusoidal. Assuming these variations being due to the Light Time Travel effect (LTE), we estimated the parameters of companions with the Monte Carlo method. As a result, we identified nearly two dozen of eclipsing systems that might have companions with a minimum mass larger than that of a neutron star. Their masses fall into the range between 1.7 and 34 solar masses. This sample of triples with high mass companions can be confirmed with the help of observations gathered by Gaia: parallaxes and astrometric measurements.

A two-step initial mass function:. Consequences of clustered star formation for binary properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durisen, R. H.; Sterzik, M. F.; Pickett, B. K.

2001-06-01

If stars originate in transient bound clusters of moderate size, these clusters will decay due to dynamic interactions in which a hard binary forms and ejects most or all the other stars. When the cluster members are chosen at random from a reasonable initial mass function (IMF), the resulting binary characteristics do not match current observations. We find a significant improvement in the trends of binary properties from this scenario when an additional constraint is taken into account, namely that there is a distribution of total cluster masses set by the masses of the cloud cores from which the clusters form. Two distinct steps then determine final stellar masses - the choice of a cluster mass and the formation of the individual stars. We refer to this as a ``two-step'' IMF. Simple statistical arguments are used in this paper to show that a two-step IMF, combined with typical results from dynamic few-body system decay, tends to give better agreement between computed binary characteristics and observations than a one-step mass selection process.

KIC 7177553: A QUADRUPLE SYSTEM OF TWO CLOSE BINARIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lehmann, H.; Borkovits, T.; Rappaport, S. A.

2016-03-01

KIC 7177553 was observed by the Kepler satellite to be an eclipsing eccentric binary star system with an 18-day orbital period. Recently, an eclipse timing study of the Kepler binaries has revealed eclipse timing variations (ETVs) in this object with an amplitude of ∼100 s and an outer period of 529 days. The implied mass of the third body is that of a super-Jupiter, but below the mass of a brown dwarf. We therefore embarked on a radial velocity (RV) study of this binary to determine its system configuration and to check the hypothesis that it hosts a giant planet. Frommore » the RV measurements, it became immediately obvious that the same Kepler target contains another eccentric binary, this one with a 16.5-day orbital period. Direct imaging using adaptive optics reveals that the two binaries are separated by 0.″4 (∼167 AU) and have nearly the same magnitude (to within 2%). The close angular proximity of the two binaries and very similar γ velocities strongly suggest that KIC 7177553 is one of the rare SB4 systems consisting of two eccentric binaries where at least one system is eclipsing. Both systems consist of slowly rotating, nonevolved, solar-like stars of comparable masses. From the orbital separation and the small difference in γ velocity, we infer that the period of the outer orbit most likely lies in the range of 1000–3000 yr. New images taken over the next few years, as well as the high-precision astrometry of the Gaia satellite mission, will allow us to set much narrower constraints on the system geometry. Finally, we note that the observed ETVs in the Kepler data cannot be produced by the second binary. Further spectroscopic observations on a longer timescale will be required to prove the existence of the massive planet.« less

The evolution of photoevaporating viscous discs in binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosotti, Giovanni P.; Clarke, Cathie J.

2018-02-01

A large fraction of stars are in binary systems, yet the evolution of protoplanetary discs in binaries has been little explored from the theoretical side. In this paper, we investigate the evolution of the discs surrounding the primary and secondary components of binary systems on the assumption that this is driven by photoevaporation induced by X-rays from the respective star. We show how for close enough separations (20-30 au for average X-ray luminosities) the tidal torque of the companion changes the qualitative behaviour of disc dispersal from inside out to outside in. Fewer transition discs created by photoevaporation are thus expected in binaries. We also demonstrate that in close binaries the reduction in viscous time leads to accelerated disc clearing around both components, consistent with unresolved observations. When looking at the differential disc evolution around the two components, in close binaries discs around the secondary clear first due to the shorter viscous time-scale associated with the smaller outer radius. In wide binaries instead the difference in photoevaporation rate makes the secondaries longer lived, though this is somewhat dependent on the assumed scaling of viscosity with stellar mass. We find that our models are broadly compatible with the growing sample of resolved observations of discs in binaries. We also predict that binaries have higher accretion rates than single stars for the same disc mass. Thus, binaries probably contribute to the observed scatter in the relationship between disc mass and accretion rate in young stars.

REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: Masses of black holes in binary stellar systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherepashchuk, Anatolii M.

1996-08-01

Mass determination methods and their results for ten black holes in X-ray binary systems are summarised. A unified interpretation of the radial velocity and optical light curves allows one to reliably justify the close binary system model and to prove the correctness of determination of the optical star mass function fv(m).The orbit plane inclination i can be estimated from an analysis of optical light curve of the system, which is due mainly to the ellipsoidal shape of the optical star (the so-called ellipticity effect). The component mass ratio q = mx/mv is obtained from information about the distance to the binary system as well as from data about rotational broadening of absorption lines in the spectrum of the optical star. These data allow one to obtain from the value of fv(m) a reliable value of the black hole mass mx or its low limit, as well as the optical star mass mv. An independent estimate of the optical star mass mv obtained from information about its spectral class and luminosity gives us test results. Additional test comes from information about the absence or presence of X-ray eclipses in the system. Effects of the non-zero dimension of the optical star, its pear-like shape, and X-ray heating on the absorption line profiles and the radial velocity curve are investigated. It is very significant that none of ten known massive (mx > 3M\\odot) X-ray sources considered as black hole candidates is an X-ray pulsar or an X-ray burster of the first kind.

Formation Mechanisms for Helium White Dwarfs in Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandquist, E. L.; Taam, R. E.; Burkert, A.

1999-05-01

We discuss the constraints that can be placed on formation mechanisms for helium degenerate stars in binary systems, as well as the orbital parameters of the progenitor binaries, by using observed systems and numerical simulations of common envelope evolution. For pre-cataclysmic variable stars having a helium white dwarf, common envelope simulations covering the range of observed companion masses indicate that the initial mass of the red giant (parent of the white dwarf) can be constrained by the final period of the system. The formation mechanisms for double helium degenerate systems are also restricted. Using energy arguments, we find that there are almost no parameter combinations for which such a system can be formed using two successive common envelope phases. Observed short-period systems appear to favor an Algol-like phase of stable mass transfer followed by a common envelope phase. However, theory predicts that the brighter component is also the most massive, which is not observed in at least one system. This may require that nuclear burning must have occurred on the white dwarf that formed first, but after its formation. Systems which instead go through a common envelope episode, followed by a phase of nonconservative mass transfer from secondary to primary, would tend to form double degenerates with low mass ratios, which have not been observed to date. Finally, we discuss a new mechanism for producing subdwarf B stars in binaries. This work was supported by NSF grants AST-9415423 and AST-9727875.

High Fill-out, Extreme Mass Ratio Overcontact Binary Systems. X. The Newly Discovered Binary XY Leonis Minoris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, S.-B.; Liu, L.; Zhu, L.-Y.; He, J.-J.; Yang, Y.-G.; Bernasconi, L.

2011-05-01

The newly discovered short-period close binary star, XY LMi, has been monitored photometrically since 2006. Its light curves are typical EW-type light curves and show complete eclipses with durations of about 80 minutes. Photometric solutions were determined through an analysis of the complete B, V, R, and I light curves using the 2003 version of the Wilson-Devinney code. XY LMi is a high fill-out, extreme mass ratio overcontact binary system with a mass ratio of q = 0.148 and a fill-out factor of f = 74.1%, suggesting that it is in the late evolutionary stage of late-type tidal-locked binary stars. As observed in other overcontact binary stars, evidence for the presence of two dark spots on both components is given. Based on our 19 epochs of eclipse times, we found that the orbital period of the overcontact binary is decreasing continuously at a rate of dP/dt = -1.67 × 10-7 days yr-1, which may be caused by mass transfer from the primary to the secondary and/or angular momentum loss via magnetic stellar wind. The decrease of the orbital period may result in the increase of the fill-out, and finally, it will evolve into a single rapid-rotation star when the fluid surface reaches the outer critical Roche lobe.

A Search for Low Mass Stars and Substellar Companions and A Study of Circumbinary Gas and Dust Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, David R.

2011-01-01

We have searched for nearby low-mass stars and brown dwarfs and have studied the planet-forming environment of binary stars. We have carried out a search for young, low-mass stars in nearby stellar associations using X-ray and UV source catalogs. We discovered a new technique to identify 10-100 Myr-old low-mass stars within 100 pc of the Earth using GALEX-optical/near-IR data. We present candidate young stars found by applying this new method in the 10 Myr old TW Hydrae and Scorpius-Centaurus associations. In addition, we have searched for the coolest brown dwarf class: Y-dwarfs, expected to appear at temperatures <500 K. Using wide-field near infrared imaging with ground (CTIO, Palomar, KPNO) and space (Spitzer, AKARI) observatories, we have looked for companions to nearby, old (2 Gyr or older), high proper motion white dwarfs. We present results for Southern Hemisphere white dwarfs. Additionally, we have characterized how likely planet formation occurs in binary star systems. While 20% of planets have been discovered around one member of a binary system, these binaries have semi-major axes larger than 20 AU. We have performed an AO and spectroscopic search for binary stars among a sample of known debris disk stars, which allows us to indirectly study planet formation and evolution in binary systems. As a case study, we examined the gas and dust present in the circumbinary disk around V4046 Sagittarii, a 2.4-day spectroscopic binary. Our results demonstrate it is unlikely that planets can form in binaries with stellar semi-major axes of 10s of AU. This research has been funded by a NASA ADA grant to UCLA and RIT.

Is black-hole ringdown a memory of its progenitor?

PubMed

Kamaretsos, Ioannis; Hannam, Mark; Sathyaprakash, B S

2012-10-05

We perform an extensive numerical study of coalescing black-hole binaries to understand the gravitational-wave spectrum of quasinormal modes excited in the merged black hole. Remarkably, we find that the masses and spins of the progenitor are clearly encoded in the mode spectrum of the ringdown signal. Some of the mode amplitudes carry the signature of the binary's mass ratio, while others depend critically on the spins. Simulations of precessing binaries suggest that our results carry over to generic systems. Using Bayesian inference, we demonstrate that it is possible to accurately measure the mass ratio and a proper combination of spins even when the binary is itself invisible to a detector. Using a mapping of the binary masses and spins to the final black-hole spin allows us to further extract the spin components of the progenitor. Our results could have tremendous implications for gravitational astronomy by facilitating novel tests of general relativity using merging black holes.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yagi, Kent; Tanaka, Takahiro; Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502

We calculate how strongly one can put constraints on alternative theories of gravity such as Brans-Dicke and massive graviton theories with LISA. We consider inspiral gravitational waves from a compact binary composed of a neutron star and an intermediate mass black hole in Brans-Dicke (BD) theory and that composed of a super massive black hole in massive graviton theories. We use the restricted second post-Newtonian waveforms including the effects of spins. We also take both precession and eccentricity of the orbit into account. For simplicity, we set the fiducial value for the spin of one of the binary constituents tomore » zero so that we can apply the approximation called simple precession. We perform the Monte Carlo simulations of 10{sup 4} binaries, estimating the determination accuracy of binary parameters including the BD parameter {omega}{sub BD} and the Compton wavelength of graviton {lambda}{sub g} for each binary using the Fisher matrix method. We find that including both the spin-spin coupling {sigma} and the eccentricity e into the binary parameters reduces the determination accuracy by an order of magnitude for the Brans-Dicke case, while it has less influence on massive graviton theories. On the other hand, including precession enhances the constraint on {omega}{sub BD} only 20% but it increases the constraint on {lambda}{sub g} by several factors. Using a (1.4+1000)M{sub {center_dot}}neutron star/black hole binary of SNR={radical}(200), one can put a constraint {omega}{sub BD}>6944, while using a (10{sup 7}+10{sup 6})M{sub {center_dot}}black hole/black hole binary at 3 Gpc, one can put {lambda}{sub g}>3.10x10{sup 21} cm, on average. The latter is 4 orders of magnitude stronger than the one obtained from the solar system experiment. These results are consistent with previous results within uncontrolled errors and indicate that the effects of precession and eccentricity must be taken carefully in the parameter estimation analysis.« less

Orbital motion in pre-main sequence binaries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schaefer, G. H.; Prato, L.; Simon, M.

2014-06-01

We present results from our ongoing program to map the visual orbits of pre-main sequence (PMS) binaries in the Taurus star forming region using adaptive optics imaging at the Keck Observatory. We combine our results with measurements reported in the literature to analyze the orbital motion for each binary. We present preliminary orbits for DF Tau, T Tau S, ZZ Tau, and the Pleiades binary HBC 351. Seven additional binaries show curvature in their relative motion. Currently, we can place lower limits on the orbital periods for these systems; full solutions will be possible with more orbital coverage. Five othermore » binaries show motion that is indistinguishable from linear motion. We suspect that these systems are bound and might show curvature with additional measurements in the future. The observations reported herein lay critical groundwork toward the goal of measuring precise masses for low-mass PMS stars.« less

Mergers of Black-Hole Binaries with Aligned Spins: Waveform Characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelly, Bernard J.; Baker, John G.; vanMeter, James R.; Boggs, William D.; McWilliams, Sean T.; Centrella, Joan

2011-01-01

"We apply our gravitational-waveform analysis techniques, first presented in the context of nonspinning black holes of varying mass ratio [1], to the complementary case of equal-mass spinning black-hole binary systems. We find that, as with the nonspinning mergers, the dominant waveform modes phases evolve together in lock-step through inspiral and merger, supporting the previous model of the binary system as an adiabatically rigid rotator driving gravitational-wave emission - an implicit rotating source (IRS). We further apply the late-merger model for the rotational frequency introduced in [1], along with a new mode amplitude model appropriate for the dominant (2, plus or minus 2) modes. We demonstrate that this seven-parameter model performs well in matches with the original numerical waveform for system masses above - 150 solar mass, both when the parameters are freely fit, and when they are almost completely constrained by physical considerations."

An X-Ray Survey of the Open Cluster NGC 6475 (M7) with ROSAT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prosser, Charles F.; Stauffer, John R.; Caillault, J.-P.; Balachandran, Suchitra; Stern, Robert A.; Randich, Sofia

1995-01-01

A ROSAT x-ray survey, with complimentary optical photometry, of the open cluster NGC 6475 has enabled the detection of approx. 50 late-F to K0 and approx. 70 K/M dwarf new candidate members, providing the first reliable detection of low-mass stars in this low. galactic latitude, 220 Myr old cluster. The x-ray observations reported here have a typical limiting sensitivity of L(sub x) approx. equal to 10(exp 29) erg/s. The detection frequency of early type cluster members is consistent with the hypothesis that the x-ray emitting early type stars are binary systems with an unseen, low-mass secondary producing the x rays. The ratio between x-ray and bolometric luminosity among NGC 6475 members saturates at a spectral-type/color which is intermediate between that in much younger and in much older clusters, consistent with rotational spindown of solar-type stars upon their arrival on the ZAMS. The upper envelope of x-ray luminosity as a function of spectral type is comparable to that of the Pleiades, with the observed spread in x-ray luminosity among low-mass members being likely due to the presence of binaries and relatively rapid rotators. However, the list of x-ray selected candidate members is likely biased against low-mass, slowly rotating single stars. While some preliminary spectroscopic information is given in an appendix, further spectroscopic observations of the new candidate members will aid in interpreting the coronal activity among solar-type NGC 6475 members and their relation to similar stars in older and younger open clusters.

Accreting Double White Dwarf Binaries: Implications for LISA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kremer, Kyle; Breivik, Katelyn; Larson, Shane L.

We explore the long-term evolution of mass-transferring white dwarf (WD) binaries undergoing both direct-impact and disk accretion and explore implications of such systems to gravitational-wave (GW) astronomy. We cover a broad range of initial component masses and show that these systems, the majority of which lie within the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna ( LISA ) sensitivity range, exhibit prominent negative orbital frequency evolution (chirp) for a significant fraction of their lifetimes. Using a galactic population synthesis, we predict ∼2700 of these systems will be observable with a negative chirp of 0.1 yr{sup −2} by a space-based GW detector like LISAmore » . We also show that detections of mass-transferring double WD systems by LISA may provide astronomers with unique ways of probing the physics governing close compact object binaries.« less

Discovery of a Highly Unequal-mass Binary T Dwarf with Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics: A Coevality Test of Substellar Theoretical Models and Effective Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Michael C.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Leggett, S. K.

2010-10-01

Highly unequal-mass ratio binaries are rare among field brown dwarfs, with the mass ratio distribution of the known census described by q (4.9±0.7). However, such systems enable a unique test of the joint accuracy of evolutionary and atmospheric models, under the constraint of coevality for the individual components (the "isochrone test"). We carry out this test using two of the most extreme field substellar binaries currently known, the T1 + T6 epsilon Ind Bab binary and a newly discovered 0farcs14 T2.0 + T7.5 binary, 2MASS J12095613-1004008AB, identified with Keck laser guide star adaptive optics. The latter is the most extreme tight binary resolved to date (q ≈ 0.5). Based on the locations of the binary components on the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram, current models successfully indicate that these two systems are coeval, with internal age differences of log(age) = -0.8 ± 1.3(-1.0+1.2 -1.3) dex and 0.5+0.4 -0.3(0.3+0.3 -0.4) dex for 2MASS J1209-1004AB and epsilon Ind Bab, respectively, as inferred from the Lyon (Tucson) models. However, the total mass of epsilon Ind Bab derived from the H-R diagram (≈ 80 M Jup using the Lyon models) is strongly discrepant with the reported dynamical mass. This problem, which is independent of the assumed age of the epsilon Ind Bab system, can be explained by a ≈ 50-100 K systematic error in the model atmosphere fitting, indicating slightly warmer temperatures for both components; bringing the mass determinations from the H-R diagram and the visual orbit into consistency leads to an inferred age of ≈ 6 Gyr for epsilon Ind Bab, older than previously assumed. Overall, the two T dwarf binaries studied here, along with recent results from T dwarfs in age and mass benchmark systems, yield evidence for small (≈100 K) errors in the evolutionary models and/or model atmospheres, but not significantly larger. Future parallax, resolved spectroscopy, and dynamical mass measurements for 2MASS J1209-1004AB will enable a more stringent application of the isochrone test. Finally, the binary nature of this object reduces its utility as the primary T3 near-IR spectral typing standard; we suggest SDSS J1206+2813 as a replacement. Most of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Multiplicity of Massive Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zinnecker, Hans

We review the multiplicity of massive stars by compiling the abstracts of the most relevant papers in the field. We start by discussing the massive stars in the Orion Trapezium Cluster and in other Galactic young clusters and OB associations, and end with the R136 cluster in the LMC. The multiplicity of field O-stars and runaway OB stars is also reviewed. The results of both visual and spectroscopic surveys are presented, as well as data for eclipsing systems. Among the latter, we find the most massive known binary system WR20a, with two ~,80M_⊙ components in a 3 day orbit. Some 80% of the wide visual binaries in stellar associations are in fact hierarchical triple systems, where typically the more massive of the binary components is itself a spectroscopic or even eclipsing binary pair. The multiplicity (number of companions) of massive star primaries is significantly higher than for low-mass solar-type primaries or for young low-mass T Tauri stars. There is also a striking preponderance of very close nearly equal mass binary systems (the origin of which has recently been explained in an accretion scenario). Finally, we offer a new idea as to the origin of massive Trapezium systems, frequently found in the centers of dense young clusters.

Estimating gravitational radiation from super-emitting compact binary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanna, Chad; Johnson, Matthew C.; Lehner, Luis

2017-06-01

Binary black hole mergers are among the most violent events in the Universe, leading to extreme warping of spacetime and copious emission of gravitational radiation. Even though black holes are the most compact objects they are not necessarily the most efficient emitters of gravitational radiation in binary systems. The final black hole resulting from a binary black hole merger retains a significant fraction of the premerger orbital energy and angular momentum. A nonvacuum system can in principle shed more of this energy than a black hole merger of equivalent mass. We study these super-emitters through a toy model that accounts for the possibility that the merger creates a compact object that retains a long-lived time-varying quadrupole moment. This toy model may capture the merger of (low mass) neutron stars, but it may also be used to consider more exotic compact binaries. We hope that this toy model can serve as a guide to more rigorous numerical investigations into these systems.

Collapsing Binary Asteroids With YORP And BYORP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Patrick A.

2012-05-01

A separated binary system may be collapsed to contact via the removal of angular momentum from the system until a viable tidal end state no longer exists. The thermal YORP and BYORP effects are both capable of removing angular momentum from the system, by spin-down of the components and shrinking the mutual orbit, respectively. The YORP effect, with strength of order that measured for (1862) Apollo [1], can collapse a binary system with equal-mass components in as little as tens of thousands of years (depending on the initial angular momentum), while smaller secondaries require two or more orders of magnitude longer to collapse. BYORP, with a BYORP coefficent of 0.001 [2], is less efficient, especially for smaller secondaries. By these methods, only near-Earth binaries with large mass ratios can collapse within a dynamical lifetime, a population of which is observed by radar with a frequency comparable to separated binaries. [1] Kaasalainen et al., 2007, Nature 446, 420-422. [2] McMahon and Scheeres, 2010, Icarus 209, 494-509.

Compact Objects In Binary Systems: Formation and Evolution of X-ray Binaries and Tides in Double White Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valsecchi, Francesca

Binary star systems hosting black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs are unique laboratories for investigating both extreme physical conditions, and stellar and binary evolution. Black holes and neutron stars are observed in X-ray binaries, where mass accretion from a stellar companion renders them X-ray bright. Although instruments like Chandra have revolutionized the field of X-ray binaries, our theoretical understanding of their origin and formation lags behind. Progress can be made by unravelling the evolutionary history of observed systems. As part of my thesis work, I have developed an analysis method that uses detailed stellar models and all the observational constraints of a system to reconstruct its evolutionary path. This analysis models the orbital evolution from compact-object formation to the present time, the binary orbital dynamics due to explosive mass loss and a possible kick at core collapse, and the evolution from the progenitor's Zero Age Main Sequence to compact-object formation. This method led to a theoretical model for M33 X-7, one of the most massive X-ray binaries known and originally marked as an evolutionary challenge. Compact objects are also expected gravitational wave (GW) sources. In particular, double white dwarfs are both guaranteed GW sources and observed electromagnetically. Although known systems show evidence of tidal deformation and a successful GW astronomy requires realistic models of the sources, detached double white dwarfs are generally approximated to point masses. For the first time, I used realistic models to study tidally-driven periastron precession in eccentric binaries. I demonstrated that its imprint on the GW signal yields constrains on the components' masses and that the source would be misclassified if tides are neglected. Beyond this adiabatic precession, tidal dissipation creates a sink of orbital angular momentum. Its efficiency is strongest when tides are dynamic and excite the components' free oscillation modes. Accounting for this effect will determine whether our interpretation of current and future observations will constrain the sources' true physical properties. To investigate dynamic tides I have developed CAFein, a novel code that calculates forced non-adiabatic stellar oscillations using a highly stable and efficient numerical method.

Discovery and characterization of 3000+ main-sequence binaries from APOGEE spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Badry, Kareem; Ting, Yuan-Sen; Rix, Hans-Walter; Quataert, Eliot; Weisz, Daniel R.; Cargile, Phillip; Conroy, Charlie; Hogg, David W.; Bergemann, Maria; Liu, Chao

2018-05-01

We develop a data-driven spectral model for identifying and characterizing spatially unresolved multiple-star systems and apply it to APOGEE DR13 spectra of main-sequence stars. Binaries and triples are identified as targets whose spectra can be significantly better fit by a superposition of two or three model spectra, drawn from the same isochrone, than any single-star model. From an initial sample of ˜20 000 main-sequence targets, we identify ˜2500 binaries in which both the primary and secondary stars contribute detectably to the spectrum, simultaneously fitting for the velocities and stellar parameters of both components. We additionally identify and fit ˜200 triple systems, as well as ˜700 velocity-variable systems in which the secondary does not contribute detectably to the spectrum. Our model simplifies the process of simultaneously fitting single- or multi-epoch spectra with composite models and does not depend on a velocity offset between the two components of a binary, making it sensitive to traditionally undetectable systems with periods of hundreds or thousands of years. In agreement with conventional expectations, almost all the spectrally identified binaries with measured parallaxes fall above the main sequence in the colour-magnitude diagram. We find excellent agreement between spectrally and dynamically inferred mass ratios for the ˜600 binaries in which a dynamical mass ratio can be measured from multi-epoch radial velocities. We obtain full orbital solutions for 64 systems, including 14 close binaries within hierarchical triples. We make available catalogues of stellar parameters, abundances, mass ratios, and orbital parameters.

The formation of protostellar binaries in primordial minihalos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riaz, R.; Bovino, S.; Vanaverbeke, S.; Schleicher, D. R. G.

2018-06-01

The first stars are known to form in primordial gas, either in minihalos with about 106 M⊙ or so-called atomic cooling halos of about 108 M⊙. Simulations have shown that gravitational collapse and disk formation in primordial gas yield dense stellar clusters. In this paper, we focus particularly on the formation of protostellar binary systems, and aim to quantify their properties during the early stage of their evolution. For this purpose, we combine the smoothed particle hydrodynamics code GRADSPH with the astrochemistry package KROME. The GRADSPH-KROME framework is employed to investigate the collapse of primordial clouds in the high-density regime, exploring the fragmentation process and the formation of binary systems. We observe a strong dependence of fragmentation on the strength of the turbulent Mach number M and the rotational support parameter β. Rotating clouds show significant fragmentation, and have produced several Pop. III proto-binary systems. We report maximum and minimum mass accretion rates of 2.31 × 10-1 M⊙ yr-1 and 2.18 × 10-4 M⊙ yr-1. The mass spectrum of the individual Pop III proto-binary components ranges from 0.88 M⊙ to 31.96 M⊙ and has a sensitive dependence on the Mach number M as well as on the rotational parameter β. We also report a range from ˜0.01 to ˜1 for the mass ratio of our proto-binary systems.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reipurth, Bo; Mikkola, Seppo, E-mail: reipurth@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: Seppo.Mikkola@utu.fi

Binaries in which both components are brown dwarfs (BDs) are being discovered at an increasing rate, and their properties may hold clues to their origin. We have carried out 200,000 N-body simulations of three identical stellar embryos with masses drawn from a Chabrier IMF and embedded in a molecular core. The bodies are initially non-hierarchical and undergo chaotic motions within the cloud core, while accreting using Bondi–Hoyle accretion. The coupling of dynamics and accretion often leads to one or two dominant bodies controlling the center of the cloud core, while banishing the other(s) to the lower-density outskirts, leading to stuntedmore » growth. Eventually each system transforms either to a bound hierarchical configuration or breaks apart into separate single and binary components. The orbital motion is followed for 100 Myr. In order to illustrate 200,000 end-states of such dynamical evolution with accretion, we introduce the “triple diagnostic diagram,” which plots two dimensionless numbers against each other, representing the binary mass ratio and the mass ratio of the third body to the total system mass. Numerous freefloating BD binaries are formed in these simulations, and statistical properties are derived. The separation distribution function is in good correspondence with observations, showing a steep rise at close separations, peaking around 13 AU and declining more gently, reaching zero at separations greater than 200 AU. Unresolved BD triple systems may appear as wider BD binaries. Mass ratios are strongly peaked toward unity, as observed, but this is partially due to the initial assumptions. Eccentricities gradually increase toward higher values, due to the lack of viscous interactions in the simulations, which would both shrink the orbits and decrease their eccentricities. Most newborn triple systems are unstable and while there are 9209 ejected BD binaries at 1 Myr, corresponding to about 4% of the 200,000 simulations, this number has grown to 15,894 at 100 Myr (∼8%). The total binary fraction among freefloating BDs is 0.43, higher than indicated by current observations, which, however, are still incomplete. Also, the gradual breakup of higher-order multiples leads to many more singles, thus lowering the binary fraction. The main threat to newly born triple systems is internal instabilities, not external perturbations. At 1 Myr there are 1325 BD binaries still bound to a star, corresponding to 0.66% of the simulations, but only 253 (0.13%) are stable on timescales >100 Myr. These simulations indicate that dynamical interactions in newborn triple systems of stellar embryos embedded in and accreting from a cloud core naturally form a population of freefloating BD binaries, and this mechanism may constitute a significant pathway for the formation of BD binaries.« less

Astrophysical parameters and orbital solution of the peculiar X-ray transient IGR J00370+6122

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Galán, A.; Negueruela, I.; Castro, N.; Simón-Díaz, S.; Lorenzo, J.; Vilardell, F.

2014-06-01

Context. BD + 60° 73 is the optical counterpart of the X-ray source IGR J00370+6122, a probable accretion-powered X-ray pulsar. The X-ray light curve of this binary system shows clear periodicity at 15.7 d, which has been interpreted as repeated outbursts around the periastron of an eccentric orbit. Aims: We aim to characterise the binary system IGR J00370+6122 by deriving its orbital and physical parameters. Methods: We obtained high-resolution spectra of BD + 60° 73 at different epochs. We used the fastwind code to generate a stellar atmosphere model to fit the observed spectrum and obtain physical magnitudes. The synthetic spectrum was used as a template for cross-correlation with the observed spectra to measure radial velocities. The radial velocity curve provided an orbital solution for the system. We also analysed the RXTE/ASM and Swift/BAT light curves to confirm the stability of the periodicity. Results: BD + 60° 73 is a BN0.7 Ib low-luminosity supergiant located at a distance ~3.1 kpc, in the Cas OB4 association. We derive Teff = 24 000 K and log gc = 3.0, and chemical abundances consistent with a moderately high level of evolution. The spectroscopic and evolutionary masses are consistent at the 1-σ level with a mass M∗ ≈ 15 M⊙. The recurrence time of the X-ray flares is the orbital period of the system. The neutron star is in a high-eccentricity (e = 0.56 ± 0.07) orbit, and the X-ray emission is strongly peaked around orbital phase φ = 0.2, though the observations are consistent with some level of X-ray activity happening at all orbital phases. Conclusions: The X-ray behaviour of IGR J00370+6122 is reminiscent of "intermediate" supergiant X-ray transients, though its peak luminosity is rather low. The orbit is somewhat wider than those of classical persistent supergiant X-ray binaries, which when combined with the low luminosity of the mass donor, explains the low X-ray luminosity. IGR J00370+6122 will very likely evolve towards a persistent supergiant system, highlighting the evolutionary connection between different classes of wind-accreting X-ray sources.

Research in astrophysical processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruderman, Malvin A.

1994-01-01

Work completed under this grant is summarized in the following areas:(1) radio pulsar turn on and evaporation of companions in very low mass x-ray binaries and in binary radio pulsar systems; (2) effects of magnetospheric pair production on the radiation from gamma-ray pulsars; (3) radiation transfer in the atmosphere of an illuminated companion star; (4) evaporation of millisecond pulsar companions;(5) formation of planets around pulsars; (6) gamma-ray bursts; (7) quasi-periodic oscillations in low mass x-ray binaries; (8) origin of high mass x-ray binaries, runaway OB stars, and the lower mass cutoff for core collapse supernovae; (9) dynamics of planetary atmospheres; (10) two point closure modeling of stationary, forced turbulence; (11) models for the general circulation of Saturn; and (12) compressible convection in stellar interiors.

Physical Parameters of Components in Close Binary Systems. V

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zola, S.; Kreiner, J. M.; Zakrzewski, B.; Kjurkchieva, D. P.; Marchev, D. V.; Baran, A.; Rucinski, S. M.; Ogloza, W.; Siwak, M.; Koziel, D.; Drozdz, M.; Pokrzywka, B.

2005-12-01

The paper presents combined spectroscopic and photometric orbital solutions for ten close binary systems: CN And, V776 Cas, FU Dra, UV Lyn, BB Peg, V592 Per, OU Ser, EQ Tau, HN UMa and HT Vir. The photometric data consist of new multicolor light curves, while the spectroscopy has been recently obtained within the radial velocity program at the David Dunlap Observatory (DDO). Absolute parameters of the components for these binary systems are derived. Our results confirm that CN And is not a contact system. Its configuration is semi-detached with the secondary component filling its Roche lobe. The configuration of nine other systems is contact. Three systems (V776 Cas, V592 Per and OU Ser) have high (44-77%) and six (FU Dra, UV Lyn, BB Peg, EQ Tau, HN UMa and HT Vir) low or intermediate (8-32%) fill-out factors. The absolute physical parameters are derived.

Adiabatic Mass Loss Model in Binary Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, H. W.

2012-07-01

Rapid mass transfer process in the interacting binary systems is very complicated. It relates to two basic problems in the binary star evolution, i.e., the dynamically unstable Roche-lobe overflow and the common envelope evolution. Both of the problems are very important and difficult to be modeled. In this PhD thesis, we focus on the rapid mass loss process of the donor in interacting binary systems. The application to the criterion of dynamically unstable mass transfer and the common envelope evolution are also included. Our results based on the adiabatic mass loss model could be used to improve the binary evolution theory, the binary population synthetic method, and other related aspects. We build up the adiabatic mass loss model. In this model, two approximations are included. The first one is that the energy generation and heat flow through the stellar interior can be neglected, hence the restructuring is adiabatic. The second one is that he stellar interior remains in hydrostatic equilibrium. We model this response by constructing model sequences, beginning with a donor star filling its Roche lobe at an arbitrary point in its evolution, holding its specific entropy and composition profiles fixed. These approximations are validated by the comparison with the time-dependent binary mass transfer calculations and the polytropic model for low mass zero-age main-sequence stars. In the dynamical time scale mass transfer, the adiabatic response of the donor star drives it to expand beyond its Roche lobe, leading to runaway mass transfer and the formation of a common envelope with its companion star. For donor stars with surface convection zones of any significant depth, this runaway condition is encountered early in mass transfer, if at all; but for main sequence stars with radiative envelopes, it may be encountered after a prolonged phase of thermal time scale mass transfer, so-called delayed dynamical instability. We identify the critical binary mass ratio for the onset of dynamical time scale mass transfer; if the ratio of donor to accretor masses exceeds this critical value, the dynamical time scale mass transfer ensues. The grid of criterion for all stars can be used to be the basic input as the binary population synthetic method, which will be improved absolutely. In common envelope evolution, the dissipation of orbital energy of the binary provides the energy to eject the common envelope; the energy budget for this process essentially consists of the initial orbital energy of the binary and the initial binding energies of the binary components. We emphasize that, because stellar core and envelope contribute mutually to each other's gravitational potential energy, proper evaluation of the total energy of a star requires integration over the entire stellar interior, not the ejected envelope alone as commonly assumed. We show that the change in total energy of the donor star, as a function of its remaining mass along an adiabatic mass-loss sequence, can be calculated. This change in total energy of the donor star, combined with the requirement that both remnant donor and its companion star fit within their respective Roche lobes, then circumscribes energetically possible survivors of common envelope evolution. It is the first time that we can calculate the accurate total energy of the donor star in common envelope evolution, while the results with the old method are inconsistent with observations.

LY Aurigua: A mass-transferring O-type contact binary with a tertiary stellar companion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Ergang; Qian, Shengbang; Li, Linjia; He, Jiajia; Liu, Liang; Wang, Jingjing; Zhang, Jia

2014-01-01

LY Aur is a contact massive close binary with a period of a little more than four days. The first O-C analysis of this early-type binary presented in this paper suggests that the period of the system is increasing continuously at a rate of dP/dt=+7.2×10-7 days/year, while a cyclic oscillation with the period of 12.5 years is obvious. The long-term increasing can be explained by mass transfer from the less massive companion to the more one on the nuclear time-scale of less massive body, which suggests that the contact configuration will be broken and this binary will evolve into a semi-detached system. The periodic oscillation may be the consequence of the light-travel time effect of the third body, whose mass is no less than 3.4 M⊙. It is expected that the third body may play an important role for the origin and evolution of the system by removing angular momentum from the central system, making the eclipsing pairs to have a low angular momentum, while initially it may have had a longer orbital period, with larger angular momentum. The original system may have evolved into the present contact configuration via a case A mass transfer.

Tests of Stellar Models Using Four Extremely Massive Spectroscopic Binaries in the R136 Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massey, Philip

1999-07-01

We are proposing to observe four non-interacting double-lined spectroscopic binaries discovered in the R136 cluster by our Cycle 6 FOS spectroscopy {Massey & Hunter 1998, ApJ, 493, 180}. These binaries are all of very early type {O3-4 + O3-8} and should prove to be of very high mass. These data will allow us to extend the empirical mass-luminosity relation to higher masses, providing crucial checks on stellar interior and atmosphere models. Examination of the WFPC2 archives reveals that at least three of the four systems undergo eclipses. We plan to obtain simultaneous spectroscopy and photometry for all four systems during a single 2-orbit visit. Fourteen such visits, over an interval of a few weeks, should provide direct measurements for the masses of eight of the highest mass stars ever analyzed.

A Search for Black Holes and Neutron Stars in the Kepler Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orosz, Jerome; Short, Donald; Welsh, William; Windmiller, Gur; Dabney, David

2018-01-01

Black holes and neutron stars represent the final evolutionary stages of the most massive stars. In addition to their use as probes into the evolution of massive stars, black holes and neutron stars are ideal laboratories to test General Relativity in the strong field limit. The number of neutron stars and black holes in the Milky Way is not precisely known, but there are an estimated one billion neutron stars in the galaxy based on the observed numbers of radio pulsars. The number of black holes is about 100 million, based on the behavior of the Initial Mass Function at high stellar masses.All of the known steller-mass black holes (and a fair number of neutron stars) are in ``X-ray binaries'' that were discovered because of their luminous X-ray emission. The requirement to be in an X-ray-emitting binary places a strong observational bias on the discovery of stellar-mass black holes. Thus the 21 known black hole binaries represent only the very uppermost tip of the population iceberg.We have conducted an optical survey using Kepler data designed to uncover black holes and neutron stars in both ``quiescent'' X-ray binaries and ``pre-contact'' X-ray binaries. We discuss how the search was conducted, including how potentially interesting light curves were classified and the how variability types were identified. Although we did not find any convincing candidate neutron star or black hole systems, we did find a few noteworthy binary systems, including two binaries that contain low-mass stars with unusually low albedos.

Planet Formation in Binary Star Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Rebecca

About half of observed exoplanets are estimated to be in binary systems. Understanding planet formation and evolution in binaries is therefore essential for explaining observed exoplanet properties. Recently, we discovered that a highly misaligned circumstellar disk in a binary system can undergo global Kozai-Lidov (KL) oscillations of the disk inclination and eccentricity. These oscillations likely have a significant impact on the formation and orbital evolution of planets in binary star systems. Planet formation by core accretion cannot operate during KL oscillations of the disk. First, we propose to consider the process of disk mass transfer between the binary members. Secondly, we will investigate the possibility of planet formation by disk fragmentation. Disk self gravity can weaken or suppress the oscillations during the early disk evolution when the disk mass is relatively high for a narrow range of parameters. Thirdly, we will investigate the evolution of a planet whose orbit is initially aligned with respect to the disk, but misaligned with respect to the orbit of the binary. We will study how these processes relate to observations of star-spin and planet orbit misalignment and to observations of planets that appear to be undergoing KL oscillations. Finally, we will analyze the evolution of misaligned multi-planet systems. This theoretical work will involve a combination of analytic and numerical techniques. The aim of this research is to shed some light on the formation of planets in binary star systems and to contribute to NASA's goal of understanding of the origins of exoplanetary systems.

Searching For Low-mass Companions Of Cepheids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Remage Evans, Nancy; Bond, H.; Schaefer, G.; Karovska, M.; Mason, B.; DePasquale, J.; Pillitteri, I.; Guinan, E.; Engle, S.

2011-05-01

The role played by binary and multiple stars in star formation is receiving a great deal of attention, both theoretically and observationally. Two questions under discussion are how wide physical companions can be and how frequently massive stars have low mass companions. An important new observational tool is the development of high resolution imaging, both from space and from the ground (Adaptive Optics and interferometry). We are conducting a snapshot survey of the nearest Cepheids using the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). The aim is to discover possible resolved low mass companions. Results from this survey will be discussed, including images of Eta Aql. X-ray luminosity can confirm or refute that putative low mass companions are young enough to be physical companions. This project tests the reality of both wide and low mass companions of these intermediate-mass stars.

A genetically optimized kinetic model for ethanol electro-oxidation on Pt-based binary catalysts used in direct ethanol fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez-Monreal, Juan; García-Salaberri, Pablo A.; Vera, Marcos

2017-09-01

A one-dimensional model is proposed for the anode of a liquid-feed direct ethanol fuel cell. The complex kinetics of the ethanol electro-oxidation reaction is described using a multi-step reaction mechanism that considers free and adsorbed intermediate species on Pt-based binary catalysts. The adsorbed species are modeled using coverage factors to account for the blockage of the active reaction sites on the catalyst surface. The reaction rates are described by Butler-Volmer equations that are coupled to a one-dimensional mass transport model, which incorporates the effect of ethanol and acetaldehyde crossover. The proposed kinetic model circumvents the acetaldehyde bottleneck effect observed in previous studies by incorporating CH3CHOHads among the adsorbed intermediates. A multi-objetive genetic algorithm is used to determine the reaction constants using anode polarization and product selectivity data obtained from the literature. By adjusting the reaction constants using the methodology developed here, different catalyst layers could be modeled and their selectivities could be successfully reproduced.

An Accreting White Dwarf near the Chandrasekhar Limit in the Andromeda Galaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tang, Sumin; Bildsten, Lars; Wolf, William M.; Li, K. L.; Kong, Albert K. H.; Cao, Yi; Cenko, S. Bradley; De Cia, Annalisa; Kasliwal, Mansi M.; Kulkarni, Shrinivas R.;

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, L.; Qian, S.-B.; Liao, W.-P.

This paper analyzes the first obtained four-color light curves of V396 Mon using the 2003 version of the W-D code. It is confirmed that V396 Mon is a shallow W-type contact binary system with a mass ratio q = 2.554({+-}0.004) and a degree of contact factor f = 18.9%({+-}1.2%). A period investigation based on all available data shows that the period of the system includes a long-term decrease (dP/dt = -8.57 x 10{sup -8} days yr{sup -1}) and an oscillation (A{sub 3} = 0.0160 day, T{sub 3} = 42.4 yr). They are caused by angular momentum loss and light-time effect,more » respectively. The suspect third body is possibly a small M-type star (about 0.31 solar mass). Though some observations indicate that this system has strong magnetic activity, by our analysis we found that the Applegate mechanism cannot explain the periodic changes. This binary is an especially important system according to Qian's statistics of contact binaries as its mass ratio lies near the proposed pivot point about which the physical structure of contact binaries supposedly oscillates.« less

Full Two-Body Problem Mass Parameter Observability Explored Through Doubly Synchronous Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Alex Benjamin; Scheeres, Daniel

2018-04-01

The full two-body problem (F2BP) is often used to model binary asteroid systems, representing the bodies as two finite mass distributions whose dynamics are influenced by their mutual gravity potential. The emergent behavior of the F2BP is highly coupled translational and rotational mutual motion of the mass distributions. For these systems the doubly synchronous equilibrium occurs when both bodies are tidally-locked and in a circular co-orbit. Stable oscillations about this equilibrium can be shown, for the nonplanar system, to be combinations of seven fundamental frequencies of the system and the mutual orbit rate. The fundamental frequencies arise as the linear periods of center manifolds identified about the equilibrium which are heavily influenced by each body’s mass parameters. We leverage these eight dynamical constraints to investigate the observability of binary asteroid mass parameters via dynamical observations. This is accomplished by proving the nonsingularity of the relationship between the frequencies and mass parameters for doubly synchronous systems. Thus we can invert the relationship to show that given observations of the frequencies, we can solve for the mass parameters of a target system. In so doing we are able to predict the estimation covariance of the mass parameters based on observation quality and define necessary observation accuracies for desired mass parameter certainties. We apply these tools to 617 Patroclus, a doubly synchronous Trojan binary and flyby target of the LUCY mission, as well as the Pluto and Charon system in order to predict mutual behaviors of these doubly synchronous systems and to provide observational requirements for these systems’ mass parameters

Double-core evolution. 5: Three-dimensional effects in the merger of a red giant with a dwarf companion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Terman, James L.; Taam, Ronald E.; Hernquist, Lars

1994-01-01

The evolution of the common envelope phase of a binary system consisting of a 4.67 solar mass red giant and a 0.94 solar mass dwarf is studied using smoothed particle hydrodynamics. We demonstrate that the three-dimensional effects associated with the gravitational tidal torques lead to a rapid decay of the orbit on timescales approximately less than 1 yr. The relative orbit of the two cores in the common envelope is initally eccentric and tends to circularize as the orbital separation of the two cores decreases. The angular momentum lost from the orbital motion is distributed throughout the common envelope, and the double core does not evolve to a state of co-rotation for the evolutionary time followed. The energy dissipated from the relative orbit and deposited in the common envelope results in the ejection of approximately 13% of the mass of the envelope. The mass is ejected in all directions, but there is a preference for mass ejection in the orbital plane of the binary system. For example, approximately 80% of the ejected mass lies within 30 deg of the binary orbital plane. Because gravitational forces are long range, most of the energy and angular momentum is imparted to a small fraction of the common envelope resulting in an efficiency of the mass ejection process of approximately 15%. The core of the red giant executes significant displacement with respect to the center of mass of the system and contributes nearly equally to the total energy dissipation rate during the latter phases of the evolution. The degree of departure from synchronism of the initial binary system can be an important property of the system which can affect the outcome of the common envelope phase.

A 15.65-solar-mass black hole in an eclipsing binary in the nearby spiral galaxy M 33.

PubMed

Orosz, Jerome A; McClintock, Jeffrey E; Narayan, Ramesh; Bailyn, Charles D; Hartman, Joel D; Macri, Lucas; Liu, Jiefeng; Pietsch, Wolfgang; Remillard, Ronald A; Shporer, Avi; Mazeh, Tsevi

2007-10-18

Stellar-mass black holes are found in X-ray-emitting binary systems, where their mass can be determined from the dynamics of their companion stars. Models of stellar evolution have difficulty producing black holes in close binaries with masses more than ten times that of the Sun (>10; ref. 4), which is consistent with the fact that the most massive stellar black holes known so far all have masses within one standard deviation of 10. Here we report a mass of (15.65 +/- 1.45) for the black hole in the recently discovered system M 33 X-7, which is located in the nearby galaxy Messier 33 (M 33) and is the only known black hole that is in an eclipsing binary. To produce such a massive black hole, the progenitor star must have retained much of its outer envelope until after helium fusion in the core was completed. On the other hand, in order for the black hole to be in its present 3.45-day orbit about its (70.0 +/- 6.9) companion, there must have been a 'common envelope' phase of evolution in which a significant amount of mass was lost from the system. We find that the common envelope phase could not have occurred in M 33 X-7 unless the amount of mass lost from the progenitor during its evolution was an order of magnitude less than what is usually assumed in evolutionary models of massive stars.

Simulations of black-hole binaries with unequal masses or nonprecessing spins: Accuracy, physical properties, and comparison with post-Newtonian results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hannam, Mark; Husa, Sascha; Ohme, Frank; Müller, Doreen; Brügmann, Bernd

2010-12-01

We present gravitational waveforms for the last orbits and merger of black-hole-binary systems along two branches of the black-hole-binary parameter space: equal-mass binaries with equal nonprecessing spins, and nonspinning unequal-mass binaries. The waveforms are calculated from numerical solutions of Einstein’s equations for black-hole binaries that complete between six and ten orbits before merger. Along the equal-mass spinning branch, the spin parameter of each black hole is χi=Si/Mi2∈[-0.85,0.85], and along the unequal-mass branch the mass ratio is q=M2/M1∈[1,4]. We discuss the construction of low-eccentricity puncture initial data for these cases, the properties of the final merged black hole, and compare the last 8-10 gravitational-wave cycles up to Mω=0.1 with the phase and amplitude predicted by standard post-Newtonian (PN) approximants. As in previous studies, we find that the phase from the 3.5PN TaylorT4 approximant is most accurate for nonspinning binaries. For equal-mass spinning binaries the 3.5PN TaylorT1 approximant (including spin terms up to only 2.5PN order) gives the most robust performance, but it is possible to treat TaylorT4 in such a way that it gives the best accuracy for spins χi>-0.75. When high-order amplitude corrections are included, the PN amplitude of the (ℓ=2,m=±2) modes is larger than the numerical relativity amplitude by between 2-4%.

Exoplanet detection. A terrestrial planet in a ~1-AU orbit around one member of a ~15-AU binary.

PubMed

Gould, A; Udalski, A; Shin, I-G; Porritt, I; Skowron, J; Han, C; Yee, J C; Kozłowski, S; Choi, J-Y; Poleski, R; Wyrzykowski, Ł; Ulaczyk, K; Pietrukowicz, P; Mróz, P; Szymański, M K; Kubiak, M; Soszyński, I; Pietrzyński, G; Gaudi, B S; Christie, G W; Drummond, J; McCormick, J; Natusch, T; Ngan, H; Tan, T-G; Albrow, M; DePoy, D L; Hwang, K-H; Jung, Y K; Lee, C-U; Park, H; Pogge, R W; Abe, F; Bennett, D P; Bond, I A; Botzler, C S; Freeman, M; Fukui, A; Fukunaga, D; Itow, Y; Koshimoto, N; Larsen, P; Ling, C H; Masuda, K; Matsubara, Y; Muraki, Y; Namba, S; Ohnishi, K; Philpott, L; Rattenbury, N J; Saito, To; Sullivan, D J; Sumi, T; Suzuki, D; Tristram, P J; Tsurumi, N; Wada, K; Yamai, N; Yock, P C M; Yonehara, A; Shvartzvald, Y; Maoz, D; Kaspi, S; Friedmann, M

2014-07-04

Using gravitational microlensing, we detected a cold terrestrial planet orbiting one member of a binary star system. The planet has low mass (twice Earth's) and lies projected at ~0.8 astronomical units (AU) from its host star, about the distance between Earth and the Sun. However, the planet's temperature is much lower, <60 Kelvin, because the host star is only 0.10 to 0.15 solar masses and therefore more than 400 times less luminous than the Sun. The host itself orbits a slightly more massive companion with projected separation of 10 to 15 AU. This detection is consistent with such systems being very common. Straightforward modification of current microlensing search strategies could increase sensitivity to planets in binary systems. With more detections, such binary-star planetary systems could constrain models of planet formation and evolution. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Observational properties of massive black hole binary progenitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hainich, R.; Oskinova, L. M.; Shenar, T.; Marchant, P.; Eldridge, J. J.; Sander, A. A. C.; Hamann, W.-R.; Langer, N.; Todt, H.

2018-01-01

Context. The first directly detected gravitational waves (GW 150914) were emitted by two coalescing black holes (BHs) with masses of ≈ 36 M⊙ and ≈ 29 M⊙. Several scenarios have been proposed to put this detection into an astrophysical context. The evolution of an isolated massive binary system is among commonly considered models. Aims: Various groups have performed detailed binary-evolution calculations that lead to BH merger events. However, the question remains open as to whether binary systems with the predicted properties really exist. The aim of this paper is to help observers to close this gap by providing spectral characteristics of massive binary BH progenitors during a phase where at least one of the companions is still non-degenerate. Methods: Stellar evolution models predict fundamental stellar parameters. Using these as input for our stellar atmosphere code (Potsdam Wolf-Rayet), we compute a set of models for selected evolutionary stages of massive merging BH progenitors at different metallicities. Results: The synthetic spectra obtained from our atmosphere calculations reveal that progenitors of massive BH merger events start their lives as O2-3V stars that evolve to early-type blue supergiants before they undergo core-collapse during the Wolf-Rayet phase. When the primary has collapsed, the remaining system will appear as a wind-fed high-mass X-ray binary. Based on our atmosphere models, we provide feedback parameters, broad band magnitudes, and spectral templates that should help to identify such binaries in the future. Conclusions: While the predicted parameter space for massive BH binary progenitors is partly realized in nature, none of the known massive binaries match our synthetic spectra of massive BH binary progenitors exactly. Comparisons of empirically determined mass-loss rates with those assumed by evolution calculations reveal significant differences. The consideration of the empirical mass-loss rates in evolution calculations will possibly entail a shift of the maximum in the predicted binary-BH merger rate to higher metallicities, that is, more candidates should be expected in our cosmic neighborhood than previously assumed.

The True Ultracool Binary Fraction Using Spectral Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella; Burgasser, Adam J.; Schmidt, Sarah J.; Gagné, Jonathan; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Cruz, Kelle; Gelino, Chris

2018-01-01

Brown dwarfs bridge the gap between stars and giant planets. While the essential mechanisms governing their formation are not well constrained, binary statistics are a direct outcome of the formation process, and thus provide a means to test formation theories. Observational constraints on the brown dwarf binary fraction place it at 10 ‑ 20%, dominated by imaging studies (85% of systems) with the most common separation at 4 AU. This coincides with the resolution limit of state-of-the-art imaging techniques, suggesting that the binary fraction is underestimated. We have developed a separation-independent method to identify and characterize tightly-separated (< 5 AU) binary systems of brown dwarfs as spectral binaries by identifying traces of methane in the spectra of late-M and early-L dwarfs. Imaging follow-up of 17 spectral binaries yielded 3 (18%) resolved systems, corroborating the observed binary fraction, but 5 (29%) known binaries were missed, reinforcing the hypothesis that the short-separation systems are undercounted. In order to find the true binary fraction of brown dwarfs, we have compiled a volume-limited, spectroscopic sample of M7-L5 dwarfs and searched for T dwarf companions. In the 25 pc volume, 4 candidates were found, three of which are already confirmed, leading to a spectral binary fraction of 0.95 ± 0.50%, albeit for a specific combination of spectral types. To extract the true binary fraction and determine the biases of the spectral binary method, we have produced a binary population simulation based on different assumptions of the mass function, age distribution, evolutionary models and mass ratio distribution. Applying the correction fraction resulting from this method to the observed spectral binary fraction yields a true binary fraction of 27 ± 4%, which is roughly within 1σ of the binary fraction obtained from high resolution imaging studies, radial velocity and astrometric monitoring. This method can be extended to identify giant planet companions to young brown dwarfs.

Period Variations of the Eclipsing Binary Systems T LMi and VX Lac

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yılmaz, M.; İzci, D. D.; Gümüş, D.; Özavci, İ.; Selam, S. O.

2015-07-01

We present a period analysis of the two Algol-type eclipsing binary systems T LMi and VX Lac using all available times of minimum in the literature, as well as new minima obtained at the Ankara University Kreiken Observatory. The period analysis of T LMi suggests mass transfer between the components and also a third body that is dynamically bound to the binary system. The analysis of VX Lac also suggests mass transfer between the components, and the presence of a third and a fourth body under the assumption of a Light-Time Effect. In addition, the periodic variation of VX Lac was examined under the hypothesis of magnetic activity, and the corresponding parameters were derived. We report here the orbital parameters for both systems, along with the ones related to mass transfer, and those for the third and fourth bodies.

Kottamia 74-inch telescope discovery of the new eclipsing binary 2MASS J20004638 + 0547475.: First CCD photometry and light curve analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darwish, M. S.; Shokry, A.; Saad, S. M.; El-Sadek, M. A.; Essam, A.; Ismail, M.

2017-05-01

A CCD photometric study is presented for the eclipsing binary system 2MASS J20004638 + 0547475. Observations of the system were obtained in the V, R and I colours with the 2Kx2K CCD attached to 1.88 m Kottamia Optical Telescope. New times of light minimum and new ephemeris were obtained. The V, R and I light curves were analyzed using the PHOEBE 0.31 program to determine geometrical and physical parameters of the system. The results show that 2MASS J20004638 + 0547475, is A-Type WUMa and is an overcontact binary with high fill-out factor = 69%. The current evolutionary status of the system indicates that the primary component lies very close to the main sequence while the secondary is evolved. The asymmetric maxima were studied and a modeling of the hot spot parameters is given.

Formation and Evolution of X-ray Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fragkos, Anastasios

X-ray binaries - mass-transferring binary stellar systems with compact object accretors - are unique astrophysical laboratories. They carry information about many complex physical processes such as star formation, compact object formation, and evolution of interacting binaries. My thesis work involves the study of the formation and evolution of Galactic and extra-galacticX-ray binaries using both detailed and realistic simulation tools, and population synthesis techniques. I applied an innovative analysis method that allows the reconstruction of the full evolutionary history of known black hole X-ray binaries back to the time of compact object formation. This analysis takes into account all the available observationally determined properties of a system, and models in detail four of its evolutionary evolutionary phases: mass transfer through the ongoing X-ray phase, tidal evolution before the onset of Roche-lobe overflow, motion through the Galactic potential after the formation of the black hole, and binary orbital dynamics at the time of core collapse. Motivated by deep extra-galactic Chandra survey observations, I worked on population synthesis models of low-mass X-ray binaries in the two elliptical galaxies NGC3379 and NGC4278. These simulations were targeted at understanding the origin of the shape and normalization of the observed X-ray luminosity functions. In a follow up study, I proposed a physically motivated prescription for the modeling of transient neutron star low-mass X-ray binary properties, such as duty cycle, outburst duration and recurrence time. This prescription enabled the direct comparison of transient low-mass X-ray binary population synthesis models to the Chandra X-ray survey of the two ellipticals NGC3379 and NGC4278. Finally, I worked on population synthesismodels of black holeX-ray binaries in the MilkyWay. This work was motivated by recent developments in observational techniques for the measurement of black hole spin magnitudes in black hole X-ray binaries. The accuracy of these techniques depend on misalignment of the black hole spin with respect to the orbital angular momentum. In black hole X-ray binaries, this misalignment can occur during the supernova explosion that forms the compact object. In this study, I presented population synthesis models of Galactic black hole X-ray binaries, and examined the distribution of misalignment angles, and its dependence on the model parameters.

The observed distribution of spectroscopic binaries from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenkins, J. S.; Díaz, M.; Jones, H. R. A.; Butler, R. P.; Tinney, C. G.; O'Toole, S. J.; Carter, B. D.; Wittenmyer, R. A.; Pinfield, D. J.

2015-10-01

We report the detection of sixteen binary systems from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search. Solutions to the radial velocity data indicate that the stars have companions orbiting with a wide range of masses, eccentricities and periods. Three of the systems potentially contain brown-dwarf companions while another two have eccentricities that place them in the extreme upper tail of the eccentricity distribution for binaries with periods less than 1000 d. For periods up to 12 years, the distribution of our stellar companion masses is fairly flat, mirroring that seen in other radial velocity surveys, and contrasts sharply with the current distribution of candidate planetary masses, which rises strongly below 10 MJ. When looking at a larger sample of binaries that have FGK star primaries as a function of the primary star metallicity, we find that the distribution maintains a binary fraction of ˜43 ± 4 per cent between -1.0 and +0.6 dex in metallicity. This is in stark contrast to the giant exoplanet distribution. This result is in good agreement with binary formation models that invoke fragmentation of a collapsing giant molecular cloud, suggesting that this is the dominant formation mechanism for close binaries and not fragmentation of the primary star's remnant protoplanetary disc.

Orbital alignment of circumbinary planets that form in misaligned circumbinary discs: the case of Kepler-413b

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierens, A.; Nelson, R. P.

2018-06-01

Although most of the circumbinary planets detected by the Kepler spacecraft are on orbits that are closely aligned with the binary orbital plane, the systems Kepler-413 and Kepler-453 exhibit small misalignments of ˜2.5°. One possibility is that these planets formed in a circumbinary disc whose midplane was inclined relative to the binary orbital plane. Such a configuration is expected to lead to a warped and twisted disc, and our aim is to examine the inclination evolution of planets embedded in these discs. We employed 3D hydrodynamical simulations that examine the disc response to the presence of a modestly inclined binary with parameters that match the Kepler-413 system, as a function of disc parameters and binary inclinations. The discs all develop slowly varying warps, and generally display very small amounts of twist. Very slow solid body precession occurs because a large outer disc radius is adopted. Simulations of planets embedded in these discs resulted in the planet aligning with the binary orbit plane for disc masses close to the minimum mass solar nebular, such that nodal precession of the planet was controlled by the binary. For higher disc masses, the planet maintains near coplanarity with the local disc midplane. Our results suggest that circumbinary planets born in tilted circumbinary discs should align with the binary orbit plane as the disc ages and loses mass, even if the circumbinary disc remains misaligned from the binary orbit. This result has important implications for understanding the origins of the known circumbinary planets.

CNO Processing in Massive Algol Binaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wade, Richard A.

1998-01-01

This program, used ultraviolet observations by the IUE Observatory along with other tools to search for abundance anomalies indicative of CNO processing in the secondary (mass-donating) stars of six interacting binary systems. Related IUE-based activities were also undertaken under this grant. Two Supplements to the grant were awarded. Supplement No. 1 was in connection with the NASA Grant Supplements for Education program, for a workshop for elementary school science teachers. The two sessions of the workshop were held October 24 and November 14, 1992. Eighteen school teachers from central Pennsylvania, grades 1-7, participated in the workshop, for which they received one unit of in-service training credit from their Intermediate Unit. Supplement No. 2 was awarded for additional IUE observations of the Algol stars V342 Aql and TU Mon. Observations of all six candidate stars were made with IUE, and attention was narrowed to TU Mon in particular, for which further IUE observations were made using Director's discretionary time. Observations of TU Mon were also carried out with the Voyager UV spectrometers, and optical spectroscopy was obtained on several occasions at Penn State's Black Moshannon Observatory. Photometric data on TU Mon were acquired by Dr. Paul Etzel at Mt. Laguna Observatory (MLO). McGouldrick was employed part-time during the Fall academic semester to assist in accessing the IUE Archive, and to correlate data on some cataclysmic variables and related objects that were observed with both IUE and the Voyager Far Ultraviolet Spectrometers. Approximately 21 relevant binary systems were observed with the Voyager UVS over the past decade, and a paper is being prepared for eventual publication that will serve as an index to the UVS data archive on these stars, providing observation dates, mean count rates in far and extreme UV bands, and a discussion of the relevant literature concerning the far UV behavior (including correlative IUE information from the archive and the literature). Much of the activity under the grant was in connection with V342 Aquilae, a 3.39 day Algol system thought to be in a state of rapid mass transfer. The goal was to combine optical and ultraviolet data to arrive at a robust, informative interpretation of this unique binary system. Complete orbital phase coverage of V342 Aql was obtained spectroscopically and photometrically.

CNO Processing in Massive Algol Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wade, Richard A.

1998-08-01

This program, used ultraviolet observations by the IUE Observatory along with other tools to search for abundance anomalies indicative of CNO processing in the secondary (mass-donating) stars of six interacting binary systems. Related IUE-based activities were also undertaken under this grant. Two Supplements to the grant were awarded. Supplement No. 1 was in connection with the NASA Grant Supplements for Education program, for a workshop for elementary school science teachers. The two sessions of the workshop were held October 24 and November 14, 1992. Eighteen school teachers from central Pennsylvania, grades 1-7, participated in the workshop, for which they received one unit of in-service training credit from their Intermediate Unit. Supplement No. 2 was awarded for additional IUE observations of the Algol stars V342 Aql and TU Mon. Observations of all six candidate stars were made with IUE, and attention was narrowed to TU Mon in particular, for which further IUE observations were made using Director's discretionary time. Observations of TU Mon were also carried out with the Voyager UV spectrometers, and optical spectroscopy was obtained on several occasions at Penn State's Black Moshannon Observatory. Photometric data on TU Mon were acquired by Dr. Paul Etzel at Mt. Laguna Observatory (MLO). McGouldrick was employed part-time during the Fall academic semester to assist in accessing the IUE Archive, and to correlate data on some cataclysmic variables and related objects that were observed with both IUE and the Voyager Far Ultraviolet Spectrometers. Approximately 21 relevant binary systems were observed with the Voyager UVS over the past decade, and a paper is being prepared for eventual publication that will serve as an index to the UVS data archive on these stars, providing observation dates, mean count rates in far and extreme UV bands, and a discussion of the relevant literature concerning the far UV behavior (including correlative IUE information from the archive and the literature). Much of the activity under the grant was in connection with V342 Aquilae, a 3.39 day Algol system thought to be in a state of rapid mass transfer. The goal was to combine optical and ultraviolet data to arrive at a robust, informative interpretation of this unique binary system. Complete orbital phase coverage of V342 Aql was obtained spectroscopically and photometrically.

Directly comparing GW150914 with numerical solutions of Einstein's equations for binary black hole coalescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Adya, V. B.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Agatsuma, K.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Aiello, L.; Ain, A.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Altin, P. A.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C. C.; Areeda, J. S.; Arnaud, N.; Arun, K. G.; Ascenzi, S.; Ashton, G.; Ast, M.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Babak, S.; Bacon, P.; Bader, M. K. M.; Baker, P. T.; Baldaccini, F.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barclay, S. E.; Barish, B. C.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barta, D.; Bartlett, J.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J. C.; Baune, C.; Bavigadda, V.; Bazzan, M.; Bejger, M.; Bell, A. S.; Berger, B. K.; Bergmann, G.; Berry, C. P. L.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Bhagwat, S.; Bhandare, R.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Birney, R.; Biscans, S.; Bisht, A.; Bitossi, M.; Biwer, C.; Bizouard, M. A.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blair, C. D.; Blair, D. G.; Blair, R. M.; Bloemen, S.; Bock, O.; Boer, M.; Bogaert, G.; Bogan, C.; Bohe, A.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonnand, R.; Boom, B. A.; Bork, R.; Boschi, V.; Bose, S.; Bouffanais, Y.; Bozzi, A.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Briant, T.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Brockill, P.; Broida, J. E.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brown, N. M.; Brunett, S.; Buchanan, C. C.; Buikema, A.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cabero, M.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Cahillane, C.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Callister, T.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Cannon, K. C.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Capocasa, E.; Carbognani, F.; Caride, S.; Casanueva Diaz, J.; Casentini, C.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C. B.; Cerboni Baiardi, L.; Cerretani, G.; Cesarini, E.; Chamberlin, S. J.; Chan, M.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Cheeseboro, B. D.; Chen, H. Y.; Chen, Y.; Cheng, C.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Cho, M.; Chow, J. H.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colla, A.; Collette, C. G.; Cominsky, L.; Constancio, M.; Conte, A.; Conti, L.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Cortese, S.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coughlin, S. B.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S. T.; Couvares, P.; Cowan, E. E.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M. J.; Coyne, D. C.; Coyne, R.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Cripe, J.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dal Canton, T.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Darman, N. S.; Dasgupta, A.; Da Silva Costa, C. F.; Dattilo, V.; Dave, I.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; De, S.; DeBra, D.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; De Laurentis, M.; Deléglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dergachev, V.; De Rosa, R.; DeRosa, R. T.; DeSalvo, R.; Devine, R. C.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M. C.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Giovanni, M.; Di Girolamo, T.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Pace, S.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Dolique, V.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Douglas, R.; Downes, T. P.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Ducrot, M.; Dwyer, S. E.; Edo, T. B.; Edwards, M. C.; Effler, A.; Eggenstein, H.-B.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Engels, W.; Essick, R. C.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T. M.; Everett, R.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fair, H.; Fan, X.; Fang, Q.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W. M.; Favata, M.; Fays, M.; Fehrmann, H.; Fejer, M. M.; Fenyvesi, E.; Ferrante, I.; Ferreira, E. C.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Fiori, I.; Fiorucci, D.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Fletcher, M.; Fournier, J.-D.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Frey, V.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gabbard, H. A. G.; Gair, J. R.; Gammaitoni, L.; Gaonkar, S. G.; Garufi, F.; Gaur, G.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Geng, P.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; George, J.; Gergely, L.; Germain, V.; Ghosh, Abhirup; Ghosh, Archisman; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, K.; Glaefke, A.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gonzalez Castro, J. M.; Gopakumar, A.; Gordon, N. A.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S. E.; Gosselin, M.; Gouaty, R.; Grado, A.; Graef, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greco, G.; Green, A. C.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guo, X.; Gupta, A.; Gupta, M. K.; Gushwa, K. E.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hacker, J. J.; Hall, B. R.; Hall, E. D.; Hammond, G.; Haney, M.; Hanke, M. M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Hardwick, T.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Hart, M. J.; Hartman, M. T.; Haster, C.-J.; Haughian, K.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M. C.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Hennig, J.; Henry, J.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hofman, D.; Holt, K.; Holz, D. E.; Hopkins, P.; Hough, J.; Houston, E. A.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y. M.; Huang, S.; Huerta, E. A.; Huet, D.; Hughey, B.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Indik, N.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isa, H. N.; Isac, J.-M.; Isi, M.; Isogai, T.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacqmin, T.; Jang, H.; Jani, K.; Jaranowski, P.; Jawahar, S.; Jian, L.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; Haris, K.; Kalaghatgi, C. V.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kapadia, S. J.; Karki, S.; Karvinen, K. S.; Kasprzack, M.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, S.; Kaur, T.; Kawabe, K.; Kéfélian, F.; Kehl, M. S.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Kennedy, R.; Key, J. S.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khan, I.; Khan, Z.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kijbunchoo, N.; Kim, Chi-Woong; Kim, Chunglee; Kim, J.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, W.; Kim, Y.-M.; Kimbrell, S. J.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kissel, J. S.; Klein, B.; Kleybolte, L.; Klimenko, S.; Koehlenbeck, S. M.; Koley, S.; Kondrashov, V.; Kontos, A.; Korobko, M.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D. B.; Kringel, V.; Królak, A.; Krueger, C.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Lackey, B. D.; Landry, M.; Lange, J.; Lantz, B.; Lasky, P. D.; Laxen, M.; Lazzarini, A.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, K.; Lenon, A.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Lewis, J. B.; Li, T. G. F.; Libson, A.; Littenberg, T. B.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lombardi, A. L.; Lord, J. E.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J. D.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Lynch, R.; Ma, Y.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magaña-Sandoval, F.; Zertuche, L. Magaña; Magee, R. M.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mansell, G. L.; Manske, M.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A. S.; Maros, E.; Martelli, F.; Martellini, L.; Martin, I. W.; Martynov, D. V.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Masso-Reid, M.; Mastrogiovanni, S.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazumder, N.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McCormick, S.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McManus, D. J.; McRae, T.; McWilliams, S. T.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Meidam, J.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Merilh, E. L.; Merzougui, M.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Messick, C.; Metzdorff, R.; Meyers, P. M.; Mezzani, F.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Middleton, H.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Miller, A. L.; Miller, A.; Miller, B. B.; Miller, J.; Millhouse, M.; Minenkov, Y.; Ming, J.; Mirshekari, S.; Mishra, C.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moggi, A.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Montani, M.; Moore, B. C.; Moore, C. J.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, G.; Muir, A. W.; Mukherjee, Arunava; Mukherjee, D.; Mukherjee, S.; Mukund, N.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D. J.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nardecchia, I.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R. K.; Nedkova, K.; Nelemans, G.; Nelson, T. J. N.; Neri, M.; Neunzert, A.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T. T.; Nielsen, A. B.; Nissanke, S.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E. N.; Nuttall, L. K.; Oberling, J.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Oliver, M.; Oppermann, P.; Oram, Richard J.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Ottaway, D. J.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Pai, A.; Pai, S. A.; Palamos, J. R.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pal-Singh, A.; Pan, H.; Pankow, C.; Pant, B. C.; Paoletti, F.; Paoli, A.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H. R.; Parker, W.; Pascucci, D.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patricelli, B.; Patrick, Z.; Pearlstone, B. L.; Pedraza, M.; Pedurand, R.; Pekowsky, L.; Pele, A.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Perri, L. M.; Phelps, M.; Piccinni, O. J.; Pichot, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pillant, G.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poe, M.; Poggiani, R.; Popolizio, P.; Post, A.; Powell, J.; Prasad, J.; Predoi, V.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Pürrer, M.; Qi, H.; Qin, J.; Qiu, S.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E. A.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajan, C.; Rakhmanov, M.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Razzano, M.; Re, V.; Read, J.; Reed, C. M.; Regimbau, T.; Rei, L.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Rew, H.; Reyes, S. D.; Ricci, F.; Riles, K.; Rizzo, M.; Robertson, N. A.; Robie, R.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Roma, V. J.; Romano, J. D.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Sachdev, S.; Sadecki, T.; Sadeghian, L.; Sakellariadou, M.; Salconi, L.; Saleem, M.; Salemi, F.; Samajdar, A.; Sammut, L.; Sanchez, E. J.; Sandberg, V.; Sandeen, B.; Sanders, J. R.; Sassolas, B.; Saulson, P. R.; Sauter, O. E. S.; Savage, R. L.; Sawadsky, A.; Schale, P.; Schilling, R.; Schmidt, J.; Schmidt, P.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schönbeck, A.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schutz, B. F.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Setyawati, Y.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shaffer, T.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Sheperd, A.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sieniawska, M.; Sigg, D.; Silva, A. D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L. P.; Singh, A.; Singh, R.; Singhal, A.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, N. D.; Smith, R. J. E.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Sorrentino, F.; Souradeep, T.; Srivastava, A. K.; Staley, A.; Steinke, M.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steinmeyer, D.; Stephens, B. C.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Stratta, G.; Strauss, N. A.; Strigin, S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sun, L.; Sunil, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B. L.; Szczepańczyk, M. J.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tápai, M.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taracchini, A.; Taylor, R.; Theeg, T.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, E. G.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, S.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Toland, K.; Tomlinson, C.; Tonelli, M.; Tornasi, Z.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Töyrä, D.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Trifirò, D.; Tringali, M. C.; Trozzo, L.; Tse, M.; Turconi, M.; Tuyenbayev, D.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Usman, S. A.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Valdes, G.; van Bakel, N.; van Beuzekom, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; Vander-Hyde, D. C.; van der Schaaf, L.; van Heijningen, J. V.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vardaro, M.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Vinciguerra, S.; Vine, D. J.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Voss, D. V.; Vousden, W. D.; Vyatchanin, S. P.; Wade, A. R.; Wade, L. E.; Wade, M.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Walsh, S.; Wang, G.; Wang, H.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Wang, Y.; Ward, R. L.; Warner, J.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Wen, L.; Weßels, P.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whiting, B. F.; Williams, R. D.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M. H.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Woehler, J.; Worden, J.; Wright, J. L.; Wu, D. S.; Wu, G.; Yablon, J.; Yam, W.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yu, H.; Yvert, M.; ZadroŻny, A.; Zangrando, L.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zevin, M.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, M.; Zhang, Y.; Zhao, C.; Zhou, M.; Zhou, Z.; Zhu, X. J.; Zucker, M. E.; Zuraw, S. E.; Zweizig, J.; Boyle, M.; Campanelli, M.; Chu, T.; Clark, M.; Fauchon-Jones, E.; Fong, H.; Healy, J.; Hemberger, D.; Hinder, I.; Husa, S.; Kalaghati, C.; Khan, S.; Kidder, L. E.; Kinsey, M.; Laguna, P.; London, L. T.; Lousto, C. O.; Lovelace, G.; Ossokine, S.; Pannarale, F.; Pfeiffer, H. P.; Scheel, M.; Shoemaker, D. M.; Szilagyi, B.; Teukolsky, S.; Vinuales, A. Vano; Zlochower, Y.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

2016-09-01

We compare GW150914 directly to simulations of coalescing binary black holes in full general relativity, including several performed specifically to reproduce this event. Our calculations go beyond existing semianalytic models, because for all simulations—including sources with two independent, precessing spins—we perform comparisons which account for all the spin-weighted quadrupolar modes, and separately which account for all the quadrupolar and octopolar modes. Consistent with the posterior distributions reported by Abbott et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 241102 (2016)] (at the 90% credible level), we find the data are compatible with a wide range of nonprecessing and precessing simulations. Follow-up simulations performed using previously estimated binary parameters most resemble the data, even when all quadrupolar and octopolar modes are included. Comparisons including only the quadrupolar modes constrain the total redshifted mass Mz∈[64 M⊙-82 M⊙] , mass ratio 1 /q =m2/m1∈[0.6 ,1 ], and effective aligned spin χeff∈[-0.3 ,0.2 ], where χeff=(S1/m1+S2/m2).L ^/M . Including both quadrupolar and octopolar modes, we find the mass ratio is even more tightly constrained. Even accounting for precession, simulations with extreme mass ratios and effective spins are highly inconsistent with the data, at any mass. Several nonprecessing and precessing simulations with similar mass ratio and χeff are consistent with the data. Though correlated, the components' spins (both in magnitude and directions) are not significantly constrained by the data: the data is consistent with simulations with component spin magnitudes a1 ,2 up to at least 0.8, with random orientations. Further detailed follow-up calculations are needed to determine if the data contain a weak imprint from transverse (precessing) spins. For nonprecessing binaries, interpolating between simulations, we reconstruct a posterior distribution consistent with previous results. The final black hole's redshifted mass is consistent with Mf ,z in the range 64.0 M⊙-73.5 M⊙ and the final black hole's dimensionless spin parameter is consistent with af=0.62 - 0.73 . As our approach invokes no intermediate approximations to general relativity and can strongly reject binaries whose radiation is inconsistent with the data, our analysis provides a valuable complement to Abbott et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 241102 (2016)].

Evidence for a planetary mass third body orbiting the binary star KIC 5095269

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Getley, A. K.; Carter, B.; King, R.; O'Toole, S.

2017-07-01

In this paper, we report the evidence for a planetary mass body orbiting the close binary star KIC 5095269. This detection arose from a search for eclipse timing variations amongst the more than 2000 eclipsing binaries observed by Kepler. Light curve and periodic eclipse time variations have been analysed using systemic and a custom Binary Eclipse Timings code based on the Transit Analysis Package which indicates a 7.70 ± 0.08MJup object orbiting every 237.7 ± 0.1 d around a 1.2 M⊙ primary and a 0.51 M⊙ secondary in an 18.6 d orbit. A dynamical integration over 107 yr suggests a stable orbital configuration. Radial velocity observations are recommended to confirm the properties of the binary star components and the planetary mass of the companion.

Nova Scorpii and Coalescing Low-Mass Black Hole Binaries as LIGO Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sipior, Michael S.; Sigurdsson, Steinn

2002-06-01

Double neutron star (NS-NS) binaries, analogous to the well-known Hulse-Taylor pulsar PSR 1913+16 (documented by Hulse & Taylor in 1974), are guaranteed-to-exist sources of high-frequency gravitational radiation detectable by LIGO. There is considerable uncertainty in the estimated rate of coalescence of such systems (see the work of Phinney in 1991, Narayan and coworkers in 1991, and Kalogera and coworkers in 2001), with conservative estimates of ~1 per 106 yr per galaxy, and optimistic theoretical estimates 1 or more mag larger. Formation rates of low-mass black hole (BH)-neutron star binaries may be higher than those of NS-NS binaries and may dominate the detectable LIGO signal rate. Rate estimates for such binaries are plagued by severe model uncertainties. Recent estimates by Portegies Zwart & Yungelson in 1998 and De Donder & Vanbeveren in 1998 suggest that BH-BH binaries do not coalesce at significant rates despite being formed at high rates. We estimate the enhanced coalescence rate for BH-BH binaries due to weak asymmetric kicks during the formation of low-mass black holes like Nova Sco (see the work of Brandt, Podsiadlowski, & Sigurdsson in 1995) and find they may contribute significantly to the LIGO signal rate, possibly dominating the phase I detectable signals if the range of black hole masses for which there is significant kick is broad enough. For a standard Salpeter initial mass function, assuming mild natal kicks, we project that the R6 merger rate (the rate of mergers per 106 yr in a Milky Way-like galaxy) of BH-BH systems is ~0.5, smaller than that of NS-NS systems. However, the higher chirp mass of these systems produces a signal nearly 4 times greater, on average, with a commensurate increase in search volume, hence, our claim that BH-BH mergers (and, to a lesser extent, BH-NS coalescence) should comprise a significant fraction of the signal seen by LIGO. The BH-BH coalescence channel considered here also predicts that a substantial fraction of BH-BH systems should have at least one component with near-maximal spin (a/M~1). This is from the spin-up provided by the fallback material after a supernova. If no mass transfer occurs between the two supernovae, both components could be spinning rapidly. The waveforms produced by the coalescence of such a system should produce a clear spin signature, so this hypothesis could be directly tested by LIGO.

V and K-band Mass-Luminosity Relations for M Dwarf Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benedict, George Frederick; Henry, Todd J.; McArthur, Barbara E.; Franz, Otto; Wasserman, Larry H.; Dieterich, Sergio

2015-08-01

Applying Hubble Space Telescope Fine Guidance Sensor astrometric techniques developed to establish relative orbits for binary stars (Franz et al. 1998, AJ, 116, 1432), determine masses of binary components (Benedict et al. 2001, AJ, 121, 1607), and measure companion masses of exoplanet host stars (McArthur et al. 2010, ApJ, 715, 1203), we derive masses with an average 2% error for 28 components of 14 M dwarf binary star systems. With these and other published masses we update the lower Main Sequence V-band Mass-Luminosity Relation first shown in Henry et al. 1999, ApJ, 512, 864. We demonstrate that a Mass-Luminosity Relation in the K-band has far less scatter. These relations can be used to estimate the masses of the ubiquitous red dwarfs (75% of all stars) to an accuracy of better than 5%.

IN-SYNC VI. Identification and Radial Velocity Extraction for 100+ Double-Lined Spectroscopic Binaries in the APOGEE/IN-SYNC Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez, M. A.; Covey, Kevin R.; De Lee, Nathan; Chojnowski, S. Drew; Nidever, David; Ballantyne, Richard; Cottaar, Michiel; Da Rio, Nicola; Foster, Jonathan B.; Majewski, Steven R.; Meyer, Michael R.; Reyna, A. M.; Roberts, G. W.; Skinner, Jacob; Stassun, Keivan; Tan, Jonathan C.; Troup, Nicholas; Zasowski, Gail

2017-08-01

We present radial velocity measurements for 70 high confidence, and 34 potential binary systems in fields containing the Perseus Molecular Cloud, Pleiades, NGC 2264, and the Orion A star-forming region. Eighteen of these systems have been previously identified as binaries in the literature. Candidate double-lined spectroscopic binaries (SB2s) are identified by analyzing the cross-correlation functions (CCFs) computed during the reduction of each APOGEE spectrum. We identify sources whose CCFs are well fit as the sum of two Lorentzians as likely binaries, and provide an initial characterization of the system based on the radial velocities indicated by that dual fit. For systems observed over several epochs, we present mass ratios and systemic velocities; for two systems with observations on eight or more epochs, and which meet our criteria for robust orbital coverage, we derive initial orbital parameters. The distribution of mass ratios for multi-epoch sources in our sample peaks at q = 1, but with a significant tail toward lower q values. Tables reporting radial velocities, systemic velocities, and mass ratios are provided online. We discuss future improvements to the radial velocity extraction method we employ, as well as limitations imposed by the number of epochs currently available in the APOGEE database. The Appendix contains brief notes from the literature on each system in the sample, and more extensive notes for select sources of interest.

RX GEMINORUM: PHOTOMETRIC SOLUTIONS, (NEARLY UNIFORM) GAINER ROTATION, DONOR RADIAL VELOCITY SOLUTION, NON-LTE ACCRETION DISK MODELS OF Hα EMISSION PROFILES, AND SECULAR LIGHT CURVE CHANGES IN THE 20TH CENTURY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Olson, Edward C.; Etzel, Paul B., E-mail: olsoneco@aol.com, E-mail: pbetzel@mail.sdsu.edu

We obtained full-orbit Iybvu intermediate-band photometry and CCD spectroscopy of the long-period Algol eclipsing binary RX Geminorum. Photometric solutions using the Wilson–Devinney code give a gainer rotation (hotter, mass-accreting component) about 15 times the synchronous rate. We describe a simple technique to detect departures from uniform rotation of the hotter component. These binaries radiate double-peaked Hα emission from a low-mass accretion disk around the gainer. We used an approximate non-LTE disk code to predict models in fair agreement with observations, except in the far wings of the emission profile, where the star–inner disk boundary layer emits extra radiation. Variations inmore » Hα emission derive from modulations in the transfer rate. A study of times of minima during the 20th century suggests that a perturbing third body is present near RX Gem.« less

VizieR Online Data Catalog: SLoWPoKES-II catalog (Dhital+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhital, S.; West, A. A.; Stassun, K. G.; Schluns, K. J.; Massey, A. P.

2015-11-01

We have identified the Sloan Low-mass Wide Pairs of Kinematically Equivalent Systems (SLoWPoKES)-II catalog of 105537 wide, low-mass binaries without using proper motions. We extend the SLoWPoKES catalog (Paper I; Dhital et al. 2010, cat. J/AJ/139/2566) by identifying binary systems with angular separations of 1-20'' based entirely on SDSS photometry and astrometry. As in Paper I, we used the Catalog Archive Server query tool (CasJobs6; http://skyserver.sdss3.org/CasJobs/) to select the sample of low-mass stars from the SDSS-DR8 star table as having r-i>=0.3 and i-z>=0.2, consistent with spectral types of K5 or later. Following Paper I (Dhital et al. 2010, cat. J/AJ/139/2566) we classified candidate pairs with a probability of chance alignment Pf{<=}0.05 as real binaries. We note that this limit does not have any physical motivation but was chosen to minimize the number of spurious pairs. This cut results in 105537 M dwarf (dM)+MS (see Table3), 78 white dwarf (WD)+dM (see Table5), and 184 sdM+sdM (see Table6) binary systems with separations of 1-20''. Of the dM+MS binaries, 44 are very low-mass (VLM) binary candidates (see Table4), with colors redder than the median M7 dwarf for both components. This represents a significant increase over the SLoWPoKES catalog of 1342 common proper motion (CPM) binaries that we presented in Paper I (Dhital et al. 2010, cat. J/AJ/139/2566). The SLoWPoKES and SLoWPoKES-II catalogs are available on the Filtergraph portal (http://slowpokes.vanderbilt.edu/). (4 data files).

How do binary separations depend on cloud initial conditions?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sterzik, M. F.; Durisen, R. H.; Zinnecker, H.

2003-11-01

We explore the consequences of a star formation scenario in which the isothermal collapse of a rotating, star-forming core is followed by prompt fragmentation into a cluster containing a small number (N <~ 10) of protostars and/or substellar objects. The subsequent evolution of the cluster is assumed to be dominated by dynamical interactions among cluster members, and this establishes the final properties of the binary and multiple systems. The characteristic scale of the fragmenting core is determined by the cloud initial conditions (such as temperature, angular momentum and mass), and we are able to relate the separation distributions of the final binary population to the properties of the star-forming core. Because the fragmentation scale immediately after the isothermal collapse is typically a factor of 3-10 too large, we conjecture that fragmentation into small clusters followed by dynamical evolution is required to account for the observed binary separation distributions. Differences in the environmental properties of the cores are expected to imprint differences on the characteristic dimensions of the binary systems they form. Recent observations of hierarchical systems, differences in binary characteristics among star forming regions and systematic variations in binary properties with primary mass can be interpreted in the context of this scenario.

Swings between rotation and accretion power in a binary millisecond pulsar.

PubMed

Papitto, A; Ferrigno, C; Bozzo, E; Rea, N; Pavan, L; Burderi, L; Burgay, M; Campana, S; Di Salvo, T; Falanga, M; Filipović, M D; Freire, P C C; Hessels, J W T; Possenti, A; Ransom, S M; Riggio, A; Romano, P; Sarkissian, J M; Stairs, I H; Stella, L; Torres, D F; Wieringa, M H; Wong, G F

2013-09-26

It is thought that neutron stars in low-mass binary systems can accrete matter and angular momentum from the companion star and be spun-up to millisecond rotational periods. During the accretion stage, the system is called a low-mass X-ray binary, and bright X-ray emission is observed. When the rate of mass transfer decreases in the later evolutionary stages, these binaries host a radio millisecond pulsar whose emission is powered by the neutron star's rotating magnetic field. This evolutionary model is supported by the detection of millisecond X-ray pulsations from several accreting neutron stars and also by the evidence for a past accretion disc in a rotation-powered millisecond pulsar. It has been proposed that a rotation-powered pulsar may temporarily switch on during periods of low mass inflow in some such systems. Only indirect evidence for this transition has hitherto been observed. Here we report observations of accretion-powered, millisecond X-ray pulsations from a neutron star previously seen as a rotation-powered radio pulsar. Within a few days after a month-long X-ray outburst, radio pulses were again detected. This not only shows the evolutionary link between accretion and rotation-powered millisecond pulsars, but also that some systems can swing between the two states on very short timescales.

Contamination of RR Lyrae stars from Binary Evolution Pulsators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karczmarek, Paulina; Pietrzyński, Grzegorz; Belczyński, Krzysztof; Stępień, Kazimierz; Wiktorowicz, Grzegorz; Iłkiewicz, Krystian

2016-06-01

Binary Evolution Pulsator (BEP) is an extremely low-mass member of a binary system, which pulsates as a result of a former mass transfer to its companion. BEP mimics RR Lyrae-type pulsations but has different internal structure and evolution history. We present possible evolution channels to produce BEPs, and evaluate the contamination value, i.e. how many objects classified as RR Lyrae stars can be undetected BEPs. In this analysis we use population synthesis code StarTrack.

Binary Black Hole Mergers in the First Advanced LIGO Observing Run

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, F.; Camp, J. B.;

A MULTIPLICITY CENSUS OF INTERMEDIATE-MASS STARS IN SCORPIUS-CENTAURUS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Janson, Markus; Lafreniere, David; Jayawardhana, Ray

2013-08-20

Stellar multiplicity properties have been studied for the lowest and the highest stellar masses, but intermediate-mass stars from F-type to late A-type have received relatively little attention. Here, we report on a Gemini/NICI snapshot imaging survey of 138 such stars in the young Scorpius-Centaurus (Sco-Cen) region, for the purpose of studying multiplicity with sensitivity down to planetary masses at wide separations. In addition to two brown dwarfs and a companion straddling the hydrogen-burning limit which we reported previously, here we present 26 new stellar companions and determine a multiplicity fraction within 0.''1-5.''0 of 21% {+-} 4%. Depending on the adoptedmore » semimajor axis distribution, our results imply a total multiplicity in the range of {approx}60%-80%, which further supports the known trend of a smooth continuous increase in the multiplicity fraction as a function of primary stellar mass. A surprising feature in the sample is a distinct lack of nearly equal-mass binaries, for which we discuss possible reasons. The survey yielded no additional companions below or near the deuterium-burning limit, implying that their frequency at >200 AU separations is not quite as high as might be inferred from previous detections of such objects within the Sco-Cen region.« less

LIGO GW150914 and GW151226 gravitational wave detection and generalized gravitation theory (MOG)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moffat, J. W.

2016-12-01

The nature of gravitational waves in a generalized gravitation theory is investigated. The linearized field equations and the metric tensor quadrupole moment power and the decrease in radius of an inspiralling binary system of two compact objects are derived. The generalized Kerr metric describing a spinning black hole is determined by its mass M and the spin parameter a = cS / GM2. The LIGO-Virgo collaboration data is fitted with smaller binary black hole masses in agreement with the current electromagnetic, observed X-ray binary upper bound for a black hole mass, M ≲ 10M⊙.

Observational tests of convective core overshooting in stars of intermediate to high mass in the Galaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stothers, Richard B.

1991-01-01

This study presents the results of 14 tests for the presence of convective overshooting in large convecting stellar cores for stars with masses of 4-17 solar masses which are members of detached close binary systems and of open clusters in the Galaxy. A large body of theoretical and observational data is scrutinized and subjected to averaging in order to minimize accidental and systematic errors. A conservative upper limit of d/HP less than 0.4 is found from at least four tests, as well as a tighter upper limit of d/HP less than 0.2 from one good test that is subject to only mild restrictions and is based on the maximum observed effective temperature of evolved blue supergiants. It is concluded that any current uncertainty about the distance scale for these stars is unimportant in conducting the present tests for convective core overshooting. The correct effective temperature scale for the B0.5-B2 stars is almost certainly close to one of the proposed hot scales.

EVOLUTION OF CATACLYSMIC VARIABLES AND RELATED BINARIES CONTAINING A WHITE DWARF

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kalomeni, B.; Rappaport, S.; Molnar, M.

We present a binary evolution study of cataclysmic variables (CVs) and related systems with white dwarf (WD) accretors, including for example, AM CVn systems, classical novae, supersoft X-ray sources (SXSs), and systems with giant donor stars. Our approach intentionally avoids the complications associated with population synthesis algorithms, thereby allowing us to present the first truly comprehensive exploration of all of the subsequent binary evolution pathways that zero-age CVs might follow (assuming fully non-conservative, Roche-lobe overflow onto an accreting WD) using the sophisticated binary stellar evolution code MESA. The grid consists of 56,000 initial models, including 14 WD accretor masses, 43more » donor-star masses (0.1–4.7 M {sub ⊙}), and 100 orbital periods. We explore evolution tracks in the orbital period and donor-mass ( P {sub orb}– M {sub don}) plane in terms of evolution dwell times, masses of the WD accretor, accretion rate, and chemical composition of the center and surface of the donor star. We report on the differences among the standard CV tracks, those with giant donor stars, and ultrashort period systems. We show where in parameter space one can expect to find SXSs, present a diagnostic to distinguish among different evolutionary paths to forming AM CVn binaries, quantify how the minimum orbital period in CVs depends on the chemical composition of the donor star, and update the P {sub orb}( M {sub wd}) relation for binaries containing WDs whose progenitors lost their envelopes via stable Roche-lobe overflow. Finally, we indicate where in the P {sub orb}– M {sub don} the accretion disks will tend to be stable against the thermal-viscous instability, and where gravitational radiation signatures may be found with LISA.« less

Multiplicity among Young Brown Dwarfs and Very Low Mass Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmic, Mirza; Jayawardhana, Ray; Brandeker, Alexis; Scholz, Alexander; van Kerkwijk, Marten H.; Delgado-Donate, Eduardo; Froebrich, Dirk

2007-12-01

We report on a near-infrared adaptive optics imaging survey of 31 young brown dwarfs and very low mass (VLM) stars, 28 of which are in the Chamaeleon I star-forming region, using the ESO Very Large Telescope. We resolve the suspected 0.16'' (~26 AU) binary Cha Hα 2 and present two new binaries, Hn 13 and CHXR 15, with separations of 0.13'' (~20 AU) and 0.30'' (~50 AU), respectively; the latter is one of the widest VLM systems known. We find a binary frequency of 11+9-6%, thus confirming the trend for a lower binary frequency with decreasing mass. By combining our work with previous surveys, we arrive at the largest sample of young VLM objects (72) with high angular resolution imaging to date. Its multiplicity fraction is in statistical agreement with that for VLM objects in the field. Furthermore, we note that many field stellar binaries with lower binding energies and/or wider cross sections have survived dynamical evolution and that statistical models suggest tidal disruption by passing stars is unlikely to affect the binary properties of our systems. Thus, we argue that there is no significant evolution of multiplicity with age among brown dwarfs and VLM stars in OB and T associations between a few megayears to several gigayears. Instead, the observations so far suggest that VLM objects are either less likely to be born in fragile multiple systems than solar-mass stars or such systems are disrupted very early. We dedicate this paper to the memory of our coauthor, Eduardo Delgado-Donate, who died in a hiking accident in Tenerife earlier this year.

Evolution of Cataclysmic Variables and Related Binaries Containing a White Dwarf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalomeni, B.; Nelson, L.; Rappaport, S.; Molnar, M.; Quintin, J.; Yakut, K.

2016-12-01

We present a binary evolution study of cataclysmic variables (CVs) and related systems with white dwarf (WD) accretors, including for example, AM CVn systems, classical novae, supersoft X-ray sources (SXSs), and systems with giant donor stars. Our approach intentionally avoids the complications associated with population synthesis algorithms, thereby allowing us to present the first truly comprehensive exploration of all of the subsequent binary evolution pathways that zero-age CVs might follow (assuming fully non-conservative, Roche-lobe overflow onto an accreting WD) using the sophisticated binary stellar evolution code MESA. The grid consists of 56,000 initial models, including 14 WD accretor masses, 43 donor-star masses (0.1-4.7 M ⊙), and 100 orbital periods. We explore evolution tracks in the orbital period and donor-mass (P orb-M don) plane in terms of evolution dwell times, masses of the WD accretor, accretion rate, and chemical composition of the center and surface of the donor star. We report on the differences among the standard CV tracks, those with giant donor stars, and ultrashort period systems. We show where in parameter space one can expect to find SXSs, present a diagnostic to distinguish among different evolutionary paths to forming AM CVn binaries, quantify how the minimum orbital period in CVs depends on the chemical composition of the donor star, and update the P orb(M wd) relation for binaries containing WDs whose progenitors lost their envelopes via stable Roche-lobe overflow. Finally, we indicate where in the P orb-M don the accretion disks will tend to be stable against the thermal-viscous instability, and where gravitational radiation signatures may be found with LISA.

Does the IMF vary with galaxy mass? The X-ray binary population of a key galaxy, NGC7457

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peacock, Mark

2014-09-01

We propose a 100ksec observation of NGC7457. The primary goal of this observation is to test for variations in the initial mass function (IMF). Many recent studies have proposed that the IMF varies systematically as a function of early-type galaxy mass. This has potentially dramatic consequences and must to be confirmed. The number of LMXBs in a galaxy (per stellar luminosity) can be used to provide an independent test of this hypothesis (see Peacock et al. 2014). Unfortunately, only galaxies with intermediate to high masses currently have the data needed to perform this test. The proposed observation of the elliptical galaxy NGC7457 will detect an order of magnitude more LMXBs in a low mass galaxy - hence providing the crucial constraint needed to significantly test for a variable IMF.

Two-step digit-set-restricted modified signed-digit addition-subtraction algorithm and its optoelectronic implementation.

PubMed

Qian, F; Li, G; Ruan, H; Jing, H; Liu, L

1999-09-10

A novel, to our knowledge, two-step digit-set-restricted modified signed-digit (MSD) addition-subtraction algorithm is proposed. With the introduction of the reference digits, the operand words are mapped into an intermediate carry word with all digits restricted to the set {1, 0} and an intermediate sum word with all digits restricted to the set {0, 1}, which can be summed to form the final result without carry generation. The operation can be performed in parallel by use of binary logic. An optical system that utilizes an electron-trapping device is suggested for accomplishing the required binary logic operations. By programming of the illumination of data arrays, any complex logic operations of multiple variables can be realized without additional temporal latency of the intermediate results. This technique has a high space-bandwidth product and signal-to-noise ratio. The main structure can be stacked to construct a compact optoelectronic MSD adder-subtracter.

Binary black hole late inspiral: Simulations for gravitational wave observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baker, John G.; Centrella, Joan; Kelly, Bernard J.

2007-06-15

Coalescing binary black hole mergers are expected to be the strongest gravitational wave sources for ground-based interferometers, such as the LIGO, VIRGO, and GEO600, as well as the space-based interferometer LISA. Until recently it has been impossible to reliably derive the predictions of general relativity for the final merger stage, which takes place in the strong-field regime. Recent progress in numerical relativity simulations is, however, revolutionizing our understanding of these systems. We examine here the specific case of merging equal-mass Schwarzschild black holes in detail, presenting new simulations in which the black holes start in the late-inspiral stage on orbitsmore » with very low eccentricity and evolve for {approx}1200M through {approx}7 orbits before merging. We study the accuracy and consistency of our simulations and the resulting gravitational waveforms, which encompass {approx}14 cycle before merger, and highlight the importance of using frequency (rather than time) to set the physical reference when comparing models. Matching our results to post-Newtonian (PN) calculations for the earlier parts of the inspiral provides a combined waveform with less than one cycle of accumulated phase error through the entire coalescence. Using this waveform, we calculate signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for iLIGO, adLIGO, and LISA, highlighting the contributions from the late-inspiral and merger-ringdown parts of the waveform, which can now be simulated numerically. Contour plots of SNR as a function of z and M show that adLIGO can achieve SNR > or approx. 10 for some intermediate mass binary black holes (IMBBHs) out to z{approx}1, and that LISA can see massive binary black holes (MBBHs) in the range 3x10{sup 4} < or approx. M/M{sub {center_dot}} < or approx. 10{sup 7} at SNR>100 out to the earliest epochs of structure formation at z>15.« less

Accuracy of binary black hole waveform models for aligned-spin binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Prayush; Chu, Tony; Fong, Heather; Pfeiffer, Harald P.; Boyle, Michael; Hemberger, Daniel A.; Kidder, Lawrence E.; Scheel, Mark A.; Szilagyi, Bela

2016-05-01

Coalescing binary black holes are among the primary science targets for second generation ground-based gravitational wave detectors. Reliable gravitational waveform models are central to detection of such systems and subsequent parameter estimation. This paper performs a comprehensive analysis of the accuracy of recent waveform models for binary black holes with aligned spins, utilizing a new set of 84 high-accuracy numerical relativity simulations. Our analysis covers comparable mass binaries (mass-ratio 1 ≤q ≤3 ), and samples independently both black hole spins up to a dimensionless spin magnitude of 0.9 for equal-mass binaries and 0.85 for unequal mass binaries. Furthermore, we focus on the high-mass regime (total mass ≳50 M⊙ ). The two most recent waveform models considered (PhenomD and SEOBNRv2) both perform very well for signal detection, losing less than 0.5% of the recoverable signal-to-noise ratio ρ , except that SEOBNRv2's efficiency drops slightly for both black hole spins aligned at large magnitude. For parameter estimation, modeling inaccuracies of the SEOBNRv2 model are found to be smaller than systematic uncertainties for moderately strong GW events up to roughly ρ ≲15 . PhenomD's modeling errors are found to be smaller than SEOBNRv2's, and are generally irrelevant for ρ ≲20 . Both models' accuracy deteriorates with increased mass ratio, and when at least one black hole spin is large and aligned. The SEOBNRv2 model shows a pronounced disagreement with the numerical relativity simulation in the merger phase, for unequal masses and simultaneously both black hole spins very large and aligned. Two older waveform models (PhenomC and SEOBNRv1) are found to be distinctly less accurate than the more recent PhenomD and SEOBNRv2 models. Finally, we quantify the bias expected from all four waveform models during parameter estimation for several recovered binary parameters: chirp mass, mass ratio, and effective spin.

The First Detection of [O IV] from an Ultraluminous X-ray Source with Spitzer: Evidence of High Unbeamed Luminosity in Holmberg II ULX

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berghea, C. T.; Dudik, R. P.; Weaver, K. A.; Kallman, T. R.

2008-01-01

We present the first Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) observations of the [O IV] 25.89 micron emission line detected from the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) in Holmberg II. This line is a well established signature of high excitation, usually associated with AGN. Its detection suggests that the ULX has a strong impact on the surrounding gas. A Spitzer high resolution spectral map shows that the [O IV] is coincident with the X-ray position of the Holmberg II ULX. We find that the luminosity and the morphology of the line emission is consistent with photoionization by the soft X-ray and far ultraviolet (FUV) radiation from the accretion disk of the binary system and inconsistent with narrow beaming. We show that the emission nebula is radiation bounded both in the line of sight direction and to the west, and probably matter bounded to the east. Evidence for a massive black hole (BH) in this ULX is mounting. Detailed photoionization models favor an intermediate mass black hole of at least 85 Solar Mass as the ionization source for the [OIV] emission. We find that the spectral type of the companion star strongly affects the expected strength of the [O IV] emission. This finding could explain the origin of [O IV] in some starburst galaxies containing black hole binaries.

Dynamics of Mass Transfer in Wide Symbiotic Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Val-Borro, Miguel; Karovska, M.; Sasselov, D.

2010-01-01

We investigate the formation of accretion disks around the secondary in detached systems consisting of an Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) star and a compact accreting companion as a function of mass loss rate and orbital parameters. In particular, we study winds from late-type stars that are gravitationally focused by a companion in a wide binary system using hydrodynamical simulations. For a typical slow and massive wind from an evolved star there is a stream flow between the stars with accretion rates of a few percent of the mass loss from the primary. Mass transfer through a focused wind is an important mechanism for a broad range of interacting binary systems and can explain the formation of Barium stars and other chemically peculiar stars.

PopCORN: Hunting down the differences between binary population synthesis codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toonen, S.; Claeys, J. S. W.; Mennekens, N.; Ruiter, A. J.

2014-02-01

Context. Binary population synthesis (BPS) modelling is a very effective tool to study the evolution and properties of various types of close binary systems. The uncertainty in the parameters of the model and their effect on a population can be tested in a statistical way, which then leads to a deeper understanding of the underlying (sometimes poorly understood) physical processes involved. Several BPS codes exist that have been developed with different philosophies and aims. Although BPS has been very successful for studies of many populations of binary stars, in the particular case of the study of the progenitors of supernovae Type Ia, the predicted rates and ZAMS progenitors vary substantially between different BPS codes. Aims: To understand the predictive power of BPS codes, we study the similarities and differences in the predictions of four different BPS codes for low- and intermediate-mass binaries. We investigate the differences in the characteristics of the predicted populations, and whether they are caused by different assumptions made in the BPS codes or by numerical effects, e.g. a lack of accuracy in BPS codes. Methods: We compare a large number of evolutionary sequences for binary stars, starting with the same initial conditions following the evolution until the first (and when applicable, the second) white dwarf (WD) is formed. To simplify the complex problem of comparing BPS codes that are based on many (often different) assumptions, we equalise the assumptions as much as possible to examine the inherent differences of the four BPS codes. Results: We find that the simulated populations are similar between the codes. Regarding the population of binaries with one WD, there is very good agreement between the physical characteristics, the evolutionary channels that lead to the birth of these systems, and their birthrates. Regarding the double WD population, there is a good agreement on which evolutionary channels exist to create double WDs and a rough agreement on the characteristics of the double WD population. Regarding which progenitor systems lead to a single and double WD system and which systems do not, the four codes agree well. Most importantly, we find that for these two populations, the differences in the predictions from the four codes are not due to numerical differences, but because of different inherent assumptions. We identify critical assumptions for BPS studies that need to be studied in more detail. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Gravitational radiation from binary systems in alternative metric theories of gravity - Dipole radiation and the binary pulsar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Will, C. M.

1977-01-01

The generation of gravitational radiation in several currently viable metric theories of gravitation (Brans-Dicke, Rosen, Ni, and Lightman-Lee) is analyzed, and it is shown that these theories predict the emission of dipole gravitational radiation from systems containing gravitationally bound objects. In the binary system PSR 1913 + 16, this radiation results in a secular change in the orbital period of the system with a nominal magnitude of 3 parts in 100,000 per year. The size of the effect is proportional to the reduced mass of the system, to the square of the difference in (self-gravitational energy)/(mass) between the two components of the system, and to a parameter, xi, whose value varies from theory to theory. In general relativity xi equals 0, in Rosen's (1973) theory xi equals -20/3, and in Ni's (1973) theory xi equals -400/3. The current upper limit on such a secular period change is one part in 1 million per year. It is shown that further observations of the binary system that tighten this limit and that establish the masses of the components and the identity of the companion may provide a crucial test of otherwise viable alternatives to general relativity.

W134: A new pre-main-sequence double-lined spectroscopic binary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Padgett, Deborah L.; Stapelfeldt, Karl R.

1994-01-01

We report the discovery that the pre-main-sequence star Walker 134 in the young cluster NGC 2264 is a double-lined spectroscopic binary. Both components are G stars with strong Li I 6708 A absorption lines. Twenty radial velocity measurements have been used to determined the orbital elements of this system. The orbit has a period of 6.3532 +/- 0.0012 days and is circular within the limits of our velocity resolution; e less than 0.01. The total system mass is stellar mass sin(exp 3) i = 3.16 solar mass with a mass ratio of 1.04. Estimates for the orbit inclination angle and stellar radii place the system near the threshold for eclipse observability; howerver, no decrease in brightness was seen during two attempts at photometric monitoring. The circular orbit of W 134 fills an important gap in the period distribution of pre-main-sequence binaries and thereby constrains the effectiveness of tidal orbital circularization during the pre-main sequence.

HIGH RESOLUTION H{alpha} IMAGES OF THE BINARY LOW-MASS PROPLYD LV 1 WITH THE MAGELLAN AO SYSTEM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Y.-L.; Close, L. M.; Males, J. R.

2013-09-01

We utilize the new Magellan adaptive optics system (MagAO) to image the binary proplyd LV 1 in the Orion Trapezium at H{alpha}. This is among the first AO results in visible wavelengths. The H{alpha} image clearly shows the ionization fronts, the interproplyd shell, and the cometary tails. Our astrometric measurements find no significant relative motion between components over {approx}18 yr, implying that LV 1 is a low-mass system. We also analyze Large Binocular Telescope AO observations, and find a point source which may be the embedded protostar's photosphere in the continuum. Converting the H magnitudes to mass, we show thatmore » the LV 1 binary may consist of one very-low-mass star with a likely brown dwarf secondary, or even plausibly a double brown dwarf. Finally, the magnetopause of the minor proplyd is estimated to have a radius of 110 AU, consistent with the location of the bow shock seen in H{alpha}.« less

DETECTION OF WHITE DWARF COMPANIONS TO BLUE STRAGGLERS IN THE OPEN CLUSTER NGC 188: DIRECT EVIDENCE FOR RECENT MASS TRANSFER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gosnell, Natalie M.; Mathieu, Robert D.; Geller, Aaron M.

2014-03-01

Several possible formation pathways for blue straggler stars have been developed recently, but no one pathway has yet been observationally confirmed for a specific blue straggler. Here we report the first findings from a Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys/Solar Blind Channel far-UV photometric program to search for white dwarf companions to blue straggler stars. We find three hot and young white dwarf companions to blue straggler stars in the 7 Gyr open cluster NGC 188, indicating that mass transfer in these systems ended less than 300 Myr ago. These companions are direct and secure observational evidence that these blue straggler starsmore » were formed through mass transfer in binary stars. Their existence in a well-studied cluster environment allows for observational constraints of both the current binary system and the progenitor binary system, mapping the entire mass transfer history.« less

The intermediate endpoint effect in logistic and probit regression

PubMed Central

MacKinnon, DP; Lockwood, CM; Brown, CH; Wang, W; Hoffman, JM

2010-01-01

Background An intermediate endpoint is hypothesized to be in the middle of the causal sequence relating an independent variable to a dependent variable. The intermediate variable is also called a surrogate or mediating variable and the corresponding effect is called the mediated, surrogate endpoint, or intermediate endpoint effect. Clinical studies are often designed to change an intermediate or surrogate endpoint and through this intermediate change influence the ultimate endpoint. In many intermediate endpoint clinical studies the dependent variable is binary, and logistic or probit regression is used. Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe a limitation of a widely used approach to assessing intermediate endpoint effects and to propose an alternative method, based on products of coefficients, that yields more accurate results. Methods The intermediate endpoint model for a binary outcome is described for a true binary outcome and for a dichotomization of a latent continuous outcome. Plots of true values and a simulation study are used to evaluate the different methods. Results Distorted estimates of the intermediate endpoint effect and incorrect conclusions can result from the application of widely used methods to assess the intermediate endpoint effect. The same problem occurs for the proportion of an effect explained by an intermediate endpoint, which has been suggested as a useful measure for identifying intermediate endpoints. A solution to this problem is given based on the relationship between latent variable modeling and logistic or probit regression. Limitations More complicated intermediate variable models are not addressed in the study, although the methods described in the article can be extended to these more complicated models. Conclusions Researchers are encouraged to use an intermediate endpoint method based on the product of regression coefficients. A common method based on difference in coefficient methods can lead to distorted conclusions regarding the intermediate effect. PMID:17942466

Individual Dynamical Masses of Ultracool Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupuy, Trent J.; Liu, Michael C.

2017-08-01

We present the full results of our decade-long astrometric monitoring programs targeting 31 ultracool binaries with component spectral types M7-T5. Joint analysis of resolved imaging from Keck Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope and unresolved astrometry from CFHT/WIRCam yields parallactic distances for all systems, robust orbit determinations for 23 systems, and photocenter orbits for 19 systems. As a result, we measure 38 precise individual masses spanning 30-115 {M}{Jup}. We determine a model-independent substellar boundary that is ≈70 {M}{Jup} in mass (≈L4 in spectral type), and we validate Baraffe et al. evolutionary model predictions for the lithium-depletion boundary (60 {M}{Jup} at field ages). Assuming each binary is coeval, we test models of the substellar mass-luminosity relation and find that in the L/T transition, only the Saumon & Marley “hybrid” models accounting for cloud clearing match our data. We derive a precise, mass-calibrated spectral type-effective temperature relation covering 1100-2800 K. Our masses enable a novel direct determination of the age distribution of field brown dwarfs spanning L4-T5 and 30-70 {M}{Jup}. We determine a median age of 1.3 Gyr, and our population synthesis modeling indicates our sample is consistent with a constant star formation history modulated by dynamical heating in the Galactic disk. We discover two triple-brown-dwarf systems, the first with directly measured masses and eccentricities. We examine the eccentricity distribution, carefully considering biases and completeness, and find that low-eccentricity orbits are significantly more common among ultracool binaries than solar-type binaries, possibly indicating the early influence of long-lived dissipative gas disks. Overall, this work represents a major advance in the empirical view of very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs.

Simulations of black-hole binaries with unequal masses or nonprecessing spins: Accuracy, physical properties, and comparison with post-Newtonian results

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hannam, Mark; School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 3AA; Husa, Sascha

We present gravitational waveforms for the last orbits and merger of black-hole-binary systems along two branches of the black-hole-binary parameter space: equal-mass binaries with equal nonprecessing spins, and nonspinning unequal-mass binaries. The waveforms are calculated from numerical solutions of Einstein's equations for black-hole binaries that complete between six and ten orbits before merger. Along the equal-mass spinning branch, the spin parameter of each black hole is {chi}{sub i}=S{sub i}/M{sub i}{sup 2}(set-membership sign)[-0.85,0.85], and along the unequal-mass branch the mass ratio is q=M{sub 2}/M{sub 1}(set-membership sign)[1,4]. We discuss the construction of low-eccentricity puncture initial data for these cases, the properties ofmore » the final merged black hole, and compare the last 8-10 gravitational-wave cycles up to M{omega}=0.1 with the phase and amplitude predicted by standard post-Newtonian (PN) approximants. As in previous studies, we find that the phase from the 3.5PN TaylorT4 approximant is most accurate for nonspinning binaries. For equal-mass spinning binaries the 3.5PN TaylorT1 approximant (including spin terms up to only 2.5PN order) gives the most robust performance, but it is possible to treat TaylorT4 in such a way that it gives the best accuracy for spins {chi}{sub i}>-0.75. When high-order amplitude corrections are included, the PN amplitude of the (l=2, m={+-}2) modes is larger than the numerical relativity amplitude by between 2-4%.« less

A State Change In The Missing Link Binary Pulsar System Psr J1023+0038

DOE PAGES

Stappers, B. W.; Archibald, A. M.; Hessels, J. W. T.; ...

2014-07-01

We present radio, X-ray, and γ-ray observations which reveal that the binary millisecond pulsar / low-mass X-ray binary transition system PSR J1023+0038 has undergone a transformation in state. Whereas until recently the system harbored a bright millisecond radio pulsar, the radio pulsations at frequencies between 300 to 5000MHz have now become undetectable. Concurrent with this radio disappearance, the γ-ray flux of the system has quintupled. We conclude that, though the radio pulsar is currently not detectable, the pulsar mechanism is still active and the pulsar wind, as well as a newly formed accretion disk, are together providing the necessary conditionsmore » to create the γ-ray increase. The system is the first example of a transient, compact, low-mass γ-ray binary and will continue to provide an exceptional test bed for better understanding the formation of millisecond pulsars as well as accretion onto neutron stars in general.« less

The Factory and the Beehive. III. PTFEB132.707+19.810, A Low-mass Eclipsing Binary in Praesepe Observed by PTF and K2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraus, Adam L.; Douglas, Stephanie T.; Mann, Andrew W.; Agüeros, Marcel A.; Law, Nicholas M.; Covey, Kevin R.; Feiden, Gregory A.; Rizzuto, Aaron C.; Howard, Andrew W.; Isaacson, Howard; Gaidos, Eric; Torres, Guillermo; Bakos, Gaspar

2017-08-01

Theoretical models of stars constitute the fundamental bedrock upon which much of astrophysics is built, but large swaths of model parameter space remain uncalibrated by observations. The best calibrators are eclipsing binaries in clusters, allowing measurement of masses, radii, luminosities, and temperatures for stars of known metallicity and age. We present the discovery and detailed characterization of PTFEB132.707+19.810, a P = 6.0 day eclipsing binary in the Praesepe cluster (τ ˜ 600-800 Myr [Fe/H] = 0.14 ± 0.04). The system contains two late-type stars (SpT P = M3.5 ± 0.2; SpT S = M4.3 ± 0.7) with precise masses ({M}p=0.3953+/- 0.0020 M ⊙ {M}s=0.2098 +/- 0.0014 M ⊙) and radii ({R}p=0.363+/- 0.008 R ⊙ {R}s=0.272+/- 0.012 R ⊙). Neither star meets the predictions of stellar evolutionary models. The primary has the expected radius but is cooler and less luminous, while the secondary has the expected luminosity but is cooler and substantially larger (by 20%). The system is not tidally locked or circularized. Exploiting a fortuitous 4:5 commensurability between P orb and {P}{rot,{prim}}, we demonstrate that fitting errors from the unknown spot configuration only change the inferred radii by ≲1%-2%. We also analyze subsets of data to test the robustness of radius measurements; the radius sum is more robust to systematic errors and preferable for model comparisons. We also test plausible changes in limb darkening and find corresponding uncertainties of ˜1%. Finally, we validate our pipeline using extant data for GU Boo, finding that our independent results match previous radii to within the mutual uncertainties (2%-3%). We therefore suggest that the substantial discrepancies are astrophysical; since they are larger than those for old field stars, they may be tied to the intermediate age of PTFEB132.707+19.810.

Neutron-star–black-hole binaries produced by binary-driven hypernovae

DOE PAGES

Fryer, Chris L.; Oliveira, F. G.; Rueda, Jorge A.; ...

2015-12-04

Here, binary-driven hypernovae (BdHNe) within the induced gravitational collapse paradigm have been introduced to explain energetic (E iso ≳10 52 erg), long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) associated with type Ic supernovae (SNe). The progenitor is a tight binary composed of a carbon-oxygen (CO) core and a neutron-star (NS) companion, a subclass of the newly proposed “ultrastripped” binaries. The CO-NS short-period orbit causes the NS to accrete appreciable matter from the SN ejecta when the CO core collapses, ultimately causing it to collapse to a black hole (BH) and producing a GRB. These tight binaries evolve through the SN explosion very differentlymore » than compact binaries studied in population synthesis calculations. First, the hypercritical accretion onto the NS companion alters both the mass and the momentum of the binary. Second, because the explosion time scale is on par with the orbital period, the mass ejection cannot be assumed to be instantaneous. This dramatically affects the post-SN fate of the binary. Finally, the bow shock created as the accreting NS plows through the SN ejecta transfers angular momentum, braking the orbit. These systems remain bound even if a large fraction of the binary mass is lost in the explosion (well above the canonical 50% limit), and even large kicks are unlikely to unbind the system. Indeed, BdHNe produce a new family of NS-BH binaries unaccounted for in current population synthesis analyses and, although they may be rare, the fact that nearly 100% remain bound implies that they may play an important role in the compact merger rate, important for gravitational waves that, in turn, can produce a new class of ultrashort GRBs.« less

Neutron-Star-Black-Hole Binaries Produced by Binary-Driven Hypernovae.

PubMed

Fryer, Chris L; Oliveira, F G; Rueda, J A; Ruffini, R

2015-12-04

Binary-driven hypernovae (BdHNe) within the induced gravitational collapse paradigm have been introduced to explain energetic (E_{iso}≳10^{52}  erg), long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) associated with type Ic supernovae (SNe). The progenitor is a tight binary composed of a carbon-oxygen (CO) core and a neutron-star (NS) companion, a subclass of the newly proposed "ultrastripped" binaries. The CO-NS short-period orbit causes the NS to accrete appreciable matter from the SN ejecta when the CO core collapses, ultimately causing it to collapse to a black hole (BH) and producing a GRB. These tight binaries evolve through the SN explosion very differently than compact binaries studied in population synthesis calculations. First, the hypercritical accretion onto the NS companion alters both the mass and the momentum of the binary. Second, because the explosion time scale is on par with the orbital period, the mass ejection cannot be assumed to be instantaneous. This dramatically affects the post-SN fate of the binary. Finally, the bow shock created as the accreting NS plows through the SN ejecta transfers angular momentum, braking the orbit. These systems remain bound even if a large fraction of the binary mass is lost in the explosion (well above the canonical 50% limit), and even large kicks are unlikely to unbind the system. Indeed, BdHNe produce a new family of NS-BH binaries unaccounted for in current population synthesis analyses and, although they may be rare, the fact that nearly 100% remain bound implies that they may play an important role in the compact merger rate, important for gravitational waves that, in turn, can produce a new class of ultrashort GRBs.

Neutron-Star-Black-Hole Binaries Produced by Binary-Driven Hypernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fryer, Chris L.; Oliveira, F. G.; Rueda, J. A.; Ruffini, R.

2015-12-01

Binary-driven hypernovae (BdHNe) within the induced gravitational collapse paradigm have been introduced to explain energetic (Eiso≳1052 erg ), long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) associated with type Ic supernovae (SNe). The progenitor is a tight binary composed of a carbon-oxygen (CO) core and a neutron-star (NS) companion, a subclass of the newly proposed "ultrastripped" binaries. The CO-NS short-period orbit causes the NS to accrete appreciable matter from the SN ejecta when the CO core collapses, ultimately causing it to collapse to a black hole (BH) and producing a GRB. These tight binaries evolve through the SN explosion very differently than compact binaries studied in population synthesis calculations. First, the hypercritical accretion onto the NS companion alters both the mass and the momentum of the binary. Second, because the explosion time scale is on par with the orbital period, the mass ejection cannot be assumed to be instantaneous. This dramatically affects the post-SN fate of the binary. Finally, the bow shock created as the accreting NS plows through the SN ejecta transfers angular momentum, braking the orbit. These systems remain bound even if a large fraction of the binary mass is lost in the explosion (well above the canonical 50% limit), and even large kicks are unlikely to unbind the system. Indeed, BdHNe produce a new family of NS-BH binaries unaccounted for in current population synthesis analyses and, although they may be rare, the fact that nearly 100% remain bound implies that they may play an important role in the compact merger rate, important for gravitational waves that, in turn, can produce a new class of ultrashort GRBs.

Constraining the Statistics of Population III Binaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stacy, Athena; Bromm, Volker

2012-01-01

We perform a cosmological simulation in order to model the growth and evolution of Population III (Pop III) stellar systems in a range of host minihalo environments. A Pop III multiple system forms in each of the ten minihaloes, and the overall mass function is top-heavy compared to the currently observed initial mass function in the Milky Way. Using a sink particle to represent each growing protostar, we examine the binary characteristics of the multiple systems, resolving orbits on scales as small as 20 AU. We find a binary fraction of approx. 36, with semi-major axes as large as 3000 AU. The distribution of orbital periods is slightly peaked at approx. < 900 yr, while the distribution of mass ratios is relatively flat. Of all sink particles formed within the ten minihaloes, approx. 50 are lost to mergers with larger sinks, and 50 of the remaining sinks are ejected from their star-forming disks. The large binary fraction may have important implications for Pop III evolution and nucleosynthesis, as well as the final fate of the first stars.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clausen, Drew; Wade, Richard A., E-mail: dclausen@astro.psu.edu, E-mail: wade@astro.psu.edu

Many hot subdwarf B stars (sdBs) are in close binaries, and the favored formation channels for subdwarfs rely on mass transfer in a binary system to strip a core He-burning star of its envelope. However, these channels cannot account for sdBs that have been observed in long-period binaries nor the narrow mass distribution of isolated (or 'singleton') sdBs. We propose a new formation channel involving the merger of a helium white dwarf and a low-mass, hydrogen-burning star, which addresses these issues. Hierarchical triples whose inner binaries merge and form sdBs by this process could explain the observed long-period subdwarf+main-sequence binaries.more » This process would also naturally explain the observed slow rotational speeds of singleton sdBs. We also briefly discuss the implications of this formation channel for extreme horizontal branch morphology in globular clusters and the UV upturn in elliptical galaxies.« less

On the formation of SMC X-1: The effect of mass and orbital angular momentum loss

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Tao; Li, X.-D., E-mail: litao@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: lixd@nju.edu.cn; The Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210093

SMC X-1 is a high-mass X-ray binary with an orbital period of 3.9 days. The mass of the neutron star is as low as ∼1M {sub ☉}, suggesting that it was likely formed through an electron-capture supernova rather than an iron-core collapse supernova. From the present system configurations, we argue that the orbital period at the supernova was ≲ 10 days. Since the mass transfer process between the neutron star's progenitor and the companion star before the supernova should have increased the orbital period to tens of days, a mechanism with efficient orbit angular momentum loss and relatively small massmore » loss is required to account for its current orbital period. We have calculated the evolution of the progenitor binary systems from zero-age main sequence to the pre-supernova stage with different initial parameters and various mass and angular momentum loss mechanisms. Our results show that the outflow from the outer Lagrangian point or a circumbinary disk formed during the mass transfer phase may be qualified for this purpose. We point out that these mechanisms may be popular in binary evolution and significantly affect the formation of compact star binaries.« less

Binary Cepheids: Separations and Mass Ratios in 5 M ⊙ Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Nancy Evans; Bond, Howard E.; Schaefer, Gail H.; Mason, Brian D.; Karovska, Margarita; Tingle, Evan

2013-10-01

Deriving the distribution of binary parameters for a particular class of stars over the full range of orbital separations usually requires the combination of results from many different observing techniques (radial velocities, interferometry, astrometry, photometry, direct imaging), each with selection biases. However, Cepheids—cool, evolved stars of ~5 M ⊙—are a special case because ultraviolet (UV) spectra will immediately reveal any companion star hotter than early type A, regardless of the orbital separation. We have used International Ultraviolet Explorer UV spectra of a complete sample of all 76 Cepheids brighter than V = 8 to create a list of all 18 Cepheids with companions more massive than 2.0 M ⊙. Orbital periods of many of these binaries are available from radial-velocity studies, or can be estimated for longer-period systems from detected velocity variability. In an imaging survey with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3, we resolved three of the companions (those of η Aql, S Nor, and V659 Cen), allowing us to make estimates of the periods out to the long-period end of the distribution. Combining these separations with orbital data in the literature, we derive an unbiased distribution of binary separations, orbital periods, and mass ratios. The distribution of orbital periods shows that the 5 M ⊙ binaries have systematically shorter periods than do 1 M ⊙ stars. Our data also suggest that the distribution of mass ratios depends on both binary separation and system multiplicity. The distribution of mass ratios as a function of orbital separation, however, does not depend on whether a system is a binary or a triple. Based in part on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained by the Space Telescope Science Institute. STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555.

Binary Plutinos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noll, Keith S.

2015-08-01

The Pluto-Charon binary was the first trans-neptunian binary to be identified in 1978. Pluto-Charon is a true binary with both components orbiting a barycenter located between them. The Pluto system is also the first, and to date only, known binary with a satellite system consisting of four small satellites in near-resonant orbits around the common center of mass. Seven other Plutinos, objects in 3:2 mean motion resonance with Neptune, have orbital companions including 2004 KB19 reported here for the first time. Compared to the Cold Classical population, the Plutinos differ in the frequency of binaries, the relative sizes of the components, and their inclination distribution. These differences point to distinct dynamical histories and binary formation processes encountered by Plutinos.

IGR J14257-6117, a magnetic accreting white dwarf with a very strong strong X-ray orbital modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernardini, F.; de Martino, D.; Mukai, K.; Falanga, M.

2018-04-01

IGR J14257-6117 is an unclassified source in the hard X-ray catalogues. Optical follow-ups suggest it could be a Cataclysmic Variable of the magnetic type. We present the first high S/N X-ray observation performed by XMM-Newton at 0.3-10 keV, complemented with 10-80 keV coverage by Swift/BAT, aimed at revealing the source nature. We detected for the first time a fast periodic variability at 509.5 s and a longer periodic variability at 4.05 h, ascribed to the white dwarf (WD) spin and binary orbital periods, respectively. These unambiguously identify IGR J14257-6117 as a magnetic CV of the Intermediate Polar (IP) type. The energy resolved light curves at both periods reveal amplitudes decreasing with increasing energy, with the orbital modulation reaching ˜100% in the softest band. The energy spectrum shows optically thin thermal emission with an excess at the iron complex, absorbed by two dense media (NH ˜ 1022 - 23 cm-2), partially covering the X-ray source. These are likely localised in the magnetically confined accretion flow above the WD surface and at the disc rim, producing the energy dependent spin and orbital variabilities, respectively. IGR J14257-6117, joins the group of strongest orbitally modulated IPs now counting four systems. Drawing similarities with low-mass X-ray binaries displaying orbital dips, these IPs should be seen at large orbital inclinations allowing azimuthally extended absorbing material fixed in the binary frame to intercept the line of sight. For IGR J14257-6117, we estimate (50o ≲ i ≲ 70o). Whether also the mass accretion rate plays a role in the large orbital modulations in IPs cannot be established with the present data.

Long term evolution of surface features on the unusual close binary V361 Lyr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lister, T. A.

2009-02-01

V361 Lyr has been recognized as an unusual, possibly unique, pre-contact binary which is though to be evolving from a detached binary system into a W UMa contact binary system due to Angular Momentum Loss (AML) and mass transfer. The mass transfer and resulting hot spot on the secondary star allow the physics of accretion to be studied without the normal difficulties of disks and winds that are present in T Tauri stars. I present light curves obtained over a 10 year period as part of long term monitoring program obtained with a variety of telescopes, collect all available times of minima from the literature along with those determined from the light curves and determine the rate of period change.

Smearing of mass accretion rate variation by viscous processes in accretion disks in compact binary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, A.; Chakrabarti, Sandip K.

2016-09-01

Variation of mass supply rate from the companion can be smeared out by viscous processes inside an accretion disk. Hence, by the time the flow reaches the inner edge, the variation in X-rays need not reflect the true variation of the mass supply rate at the outer edge. However, if the viscosity fluctuates around a mean value, one would expect the viscous time scale t_{{visc}} also to spread around a mean value. In high mass X-ray binaries, which are thought to be primarily wind-fed, the size of the viscous Keplerian disk is smaller and thus such a spread could be lower as compared to the low mass X-ray binaries which are primarily fed by Roche lobe overflow. If there is an increasing or decreasing trend in viscosity, the interval between enhanced emission would be modified systematically. In the absence of a detailed knowledge about the variation of mass supply rates at the outer edge, we study ideal circumstances where modulation must take place exactly in orbital time scales, such as when there is an ellipticity in the orbit. We study a few compact binaries using long term All Sky monitor (ASM) data (1.5-12 keV) of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) and all sky survey data (15-50 keV) of Swift satellites by different methods to look for such smearing effects and to infer what these results can tell us about the viscous processes inside the respective disks. We employ three different methods to seek imprints of periodicity on the X-ray variation and found that in all the cases, the location of the peak in the power density spectra is consistent with the orbital frequencies. Interestingly, in high mass X-ray binaries the peaks are sharp with high rms values, consistent with a small Keplerian disk in a wind fed system. However, in low mass X-ray binaries with larger Keplerian disk component, the peaks are spreaded out with much lower rms values. X-ray reflections, or superhump phenomena which may also cause such X-ray modulations would not be affected by the size of the Keplerian disk component. Our result thus confirms different sizes of Keplerian disks in these two important classes of binaries. If the orbital periods of any binary system is not known, they may be obtained with reasonable accuracy for HMXBs and with lesser accuracy for LMXBs by our method.

Searching for the full symphony of black hole binary mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harry, Ian; Bustillo, Juan Calderón; Nitz, Alex

2018-01-01

Current searches for the gravitational-wave signature of compact binary mergers rely on matched-filtering data from interferometric observatories with sets of modeled gravitational waveforms. These searches currently use model waveforms that do not include the higher-order mode content of the gravitational-wave signal. Higher-order modes are important for many compact binary mergers and their omission reduces the sensitivity to such sources. In this work we explore the sensitivity loss incurred from omitting higher-order modes. We present a new method for searching for compact binary mergers using waveforms that include higher-order mode effects, and evaluate the sensitivity increase that using our new method would allow. We find that, when evaluating sensitivity at a constant rate-of-false alarm, and when including the fact that signal-consistency tests can reject some signals that include higher-order mode content, we observe a sensitivity increase of up to a factor of 2 in volume for high mass ratio, high total-mass systems. For systems with equal mass, or with total mass ˜50 M⊙, we see more modest sensitivity increases, <10 %, which indicates that the existing search is already performing well. Our new search method is also directly applicable in searches for generic compact binaries.

Can We Distinguish Low-mass Black Holes in Neutron Star Binaries?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Huan; East, William E.; Lehner, Luis

2018-04-01

The detection of gravitational waves (GWs) from coalescing binary neutron stars (NS) represents another milestone in gravitational-wave astronomy. However, since LIGO is currently not as sensitive to the merger/ringdown part of the waveform, the possibility that such signals are produced by a black hole (BH)–NS binary can not be easily ruled out without appealing to assumptions about the underlying compact object populations. We review a few astrophysical channels that might produce BHs below 3 M ⊙ (roughly the upper bound on the maximum mass of an NS), as well as existing constraints for these channels. We show that, due to the uncertainty in the NS equation of state, it is difficult to distinguish GWs from a binary NS system from those of a BH–NS system with the same component masses, assuming Advanced LIGO sensitivity. This degeneracy can be broken by accumulating statistics from many events to better constrain the equation of state, or by third-generation detectors with higher sensitivity to the late-spiral to post-merger signal. We also discuss the possible differences in electromagnetic (EM) counterparts between binary NS and low-mass BH–NS mergers, arguing that it will be challenging to definitively distinguish the two without better understanding of the underlying astrophysical processes.

Simulation of thermally induced processes of diffusion and phase formation in layered binary metallic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusakov, V. S.; Sukhorukov, I. A.; Zhankadamova, A. M.; Kadyrzhanov, K. K.

2010-05-01

Results of the simulation of thermally induced processes of diffusion and phase formation in model and experimentally investigated layered binary metallic systems are presented. The physical model is based on the Darken phenomenological theory and on the mechanism of interdiffusion of components along the continuous diffusion channels of phases in the two-phase regions of the system. The simulation of processes in the model systems showed that the thermally stabilized concentration profiles in two-layer binary metallic systems are virtually independent of the partial diffusion coefficients; for the systems with the average concentration of components that is the same over the sample depth, the time of the thermal stabilization of the structural and phase state inhomogeneous over the depth grows according to a power law with increasing thickness of the system in such a manner that the thicknesses of the surface layers grow, while the thickness of the intermediate layer approaches a constant value. The results of the simulation of the processes of diffusion and phase formation in experimentally investigated layered binary systems Fe-Ti and Cu-Be upon sequential isothermal and isochronous annealings agree well with the experimental data.

On the development and applications of automated searches for eclipsing binary stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devor, Jonathan

Eclipsing binary star systems provide the most accurate method of measuring both the masses and radii of stars. Moreover, they enable testing tidal synchronization and circularization theories, as well as constraining models of stellar structure and dynamics. With the recent availability of large-scale multi-epoch photometric datasets, we are able to study eclipsing binary stars en masse. In this thesis, we analyzed 185,445 light curves from ten TrES fields, and 218,699 light curves from the OGLE II bulge fields. In order to manage such large quantities of data, we developed a pipeline with which we systematically identified eclipsing binaries, solved for their geometric orientations, and then found their components' absolute properties. Following this analysis, we assembled catalogs of eclipsing binaries with their models, computed statistical distributions of their properties, and located rare cases for further follow-up. Of particular importance are low-mass eclipsing binaries, which are rare, yet critical for resolving the ongoing mass-radius discrepancy between theoretical models and observations. To this end, we have discovered over a dozen new low-mass eclipsing binary candidates, and spectroscopically confirmed the masses of five of them. One of these confirmed candidates, T-Lyr1-17236, is especially interesting because of its uniquely long orbital period. We examined T-Lyr1-17236 in detail and found that it is consistent with the magnetic disruption hypothesis for explaining the observed mass-radius discrepancy. Both the source code of our pipeline and the complete list of our candidates are freely available.

Can binary stars test solar models?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Popper, D. M.; Ulrich, R. K.

1986-01-01

The position in the H-R diagram of the approximately solar-mass component of the Hyades eclipsing binary, HD 27130, is compared with the predictions of stellar structure theory. The stellar models are calibrated by matching a model with the solar heavy element composition and age to the solar radius and luminosity. The comparison to the Hyades binary then is a test of the prediction that the initial solar luminosity was only about 0.7 times the present solar luminosity. The agreement is satisfactory, lending a measure of confidence to the solar model employed, provided that the initial helium abundance of the Hyades stars is not greater than that of the sun and is not less by more than about 0.03 in Y. Unless the model is grossly incorrect, the inference of Stromgren, Olsen, and Gustafsson (1982) from the 'Hyades anomaly' in intermediate-band photometry that Y(Hyades) is less than Y(solar) by 0.1 or 0.15 is rejected by the observed properties of HD 27130.

Observations of hot stars and eclipsing binaries with FRESIP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gies, Douglas R.

1994-01-01

The FRESIP project offers an unprecedented opportunity to study pulsations in hot stars (which vary on time scales of a day) over a several year period. The photometric data will determine what frequencies are present, how or if the amplitudes change with time, and whether there is a connection between pulsation and mass loss episodes. It would initiate a new field of asteroseismology studies of hot star interiors. A search should be made for selected hot stars for inclusion in the list of project targets. Many of the primary solar mass targets will be eclipsing binaries, and I present estimates of their frequency and typical light curves. The photometric data combined with follow up spectroscopy and interferometric observations will provide fundamental data on these stars. The data will provide definitive information on the mass ratio distribution of solar-mass binaries (including the incidence of brown dwarf companions) and on the incidence of planets in binary systems.

Stellar and Circumstellar Properties of Low-Mass, Young, Subarcsecond Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruhns, Sara; Prato, L. A.

2014-01-01

We present a study of the stellar and circumstellar characteristics of close (< 1''), young (< 2 to 3 Myr), low-mass (<1 solar mass) binary stars in the Taurus star forming region. Low-resolution (R ~ 2000) spectra were taken in the K-band using adaptive optics to separate the observations for each component and identify the individual spectral types, extinction, and K-band excess. Combining these data with stellar luminosities allows us to estimate the stellar masses and ages. We also measured equivalent widths of the hydrogen Brackett gamma line in order to estimate the strength of gas accretion. We obtained spectra for six binary systems with separations from 1'' down to 0.3''. In the CZ Tau binary we found that the fainter secondary star spectrum appears to be of earlier spectral type than the primary; we speculate on the origin of this inversion.

Reverse Radiative Shock Experiments Relevant to Accreting Stream-Disk Impact in Interacting Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krauland, Christine; Drake, R. P.; Kuranz, C. K.; Huntington, C. M.; Grosskopf, M. J.; Marion, D. C.; Young, R.; Plewa, T.

2011-05-01

In many Cataclysmic Binary systems, mass onto an accretion disk produces a `hot spot’ where the infalling supersonic flow obliquely strikes the rotating accretion disk. This collision region has many ambiguities as a radiation hydrodynamic system, but shock development in the infalling flow can be modeled. Depending upon conditions, it has been argued (Armitage & Livio, ApJ 493, 898) that the shocked region may be optically thin, thick, or intermediate, which has the potential to significantly alter the hot spot's structure and emissions. We report the first experimental attempt to produce colliding flows that create a radiative reverse shock at the Omega-60 laser facility. Obtaining a radiative reverse shock in the laboratory requires producing a sufficiently fast flow (> 100 km/s) within a material whose opacity is large enough to produce energetically significant emission from experimentally achievable layers. We will discuss the experimental design, the available data, and our astrophysical context. Funded by the NNSA-DS and SC-OFES Joint Prog. in High-Energy-Density Lab. Plasmas, by the Nat. Laser User Facility Prog. in NNSA-DS and by the Predictive Sci. Acad. Alliances Prog. in NNSA-ASC, under grant numbers are DE-FG52-09NA29548, DE-FG52-09NA29034, and DE-FC52-08NA28616.

Simulating the X-ray luminosity of Be X-ray binaries: the case for black holes versus neutron stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, R. O.; Ho, W. C. G.; Coe, M. J.; Okazaki, A. T.

2018-04-01

There are over 100 Be stars that are known to have neutron star companions but only one such system with a black hole. Previous theoretical work suggests this is not due to their formation but due to differences in X-ray luminosity. It has also been proposed that the truncation of the Be star's circumstellar disc is dependent on the mass of the compact object. Hence, Be star discs in black hole binaries are smaller. Since accretion onto the compact object from the Be star's disc is what powers the X-ray luminosity, a smaller disc in black hole systems leads to a lower luminosity. In this paper, simulations are performed with a range of eccentricities and compact object mass. The disc's size and density are shown to be dependent on both quantities. Mass capture and, in turn, X-ray luminosity are heavily dependent on the size and density of the disc. Be/black hole binaries are expected to be up to ˜10 times fainter than Be/neutron star binaries when both systems have the same eccentricity and can be 100 times fainter when comparing systems with different eccentricity.

The Carnegie Supernova Project I. Analysis of stripped-envelope supernova light curves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taddia, F.; Stritzinger, M. D.; Bersten, M.; Baron, E.; Burns, C.; Contreras, C.; Holmbo, S.; Hsiao, E. Y.; Morrell, N.; Phillips, M. M.; Sollerman, J.; Suntzeff, N. B.

2018-02-01

Stripped-envelope (SE) supernovae (SNe) include H-poor (Type IIb), H-free (Type Ib), and He-free (Type Ic) events thought to be associated with the deaths of massive stars. The exact nature of their progenitors is a matter of debate with several lines of evidence pointing towards intermediate mass (Minit< 20 M⊙) stars in binary systems, while in other cases they may be linked to single massive Wolf-Rayet stars. Here we present the analysis of the light curves of 34 SE SNe published by the Carnegie Supernova Project (CSP-I) that are unparalleled in terms of photometric accuracy and wavelength range. Light-curve parameters are estimated through the fits of an analytical function and trends are searched for among the resulting fit parameters. Detailed inspection of the dataset suggests a tentative correlation between the peak absolute B-band magnitude and Δm15(B), while the post maximum light curves reveals a correlation between the late-time linear slope and Δm15. Making use of the full set of optical and near-IR photometry, combined with robust host-galaxy extinction corrections, comprehensive bolometric light curves are constructed and compared to both analytic and hydrodynamical models. This analysis finds consistent results among the two different modeling techniques and from the hydrodynamical models we obtained ejecta masses of 1.1-6.2M⊙, 56Ni masses of 0.03-0.35M⊙, and explosion energies (excluding two SNe Ic-BL) of 0.25-3.0 × 1051 erg. Our analysis indicates that adopting κ = 0.07 cm2 g-1 as the mean opacity serves to be a suitable assumption when comparing Arnett-model results to those obtained from hydrodynamical calculations. We also find that adopting He I and O I line velocities to infer the expansion velocity in He-rich and He-poor SNe, respectively, provides ejecta masses relatively similar to those obtained by using the Fe II line velocities, although the use of Fe II as a diagnostic does imply higher explosion energies. The inferred range of ejecta masses are compatible with intermediate mass (MZAMS ≤ 20M⊙) progenitor stars in binary systems for the majority of SE SNe. Furthermore, our hydrodynamical modeling of the bolometric light curves suggests a significant fraction of the sample may have experienced significant mixing of 56Ni, particularly in the case of SNe Ic. Based on observations collected at Las Campanas Observatory.Bolometric light curve tables are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/609/A136

Detection of a white dwarf companion to the Hyades stars HD 27483

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boehm-Vitense, Erika

1993-01-01

We observed with IUE a white dwarf (WD) companion to the Hyades F6 V binary stars HD 27483. This system is known to be a close binary of two nearly equal stars with an orbital period of 3.05 days. Our IUE observations revealed the presence of a third star, a white dwarf with an effective temperature of 23,000 +/- 1000 K and a mass of approximately 0.6 solar mass. Its presence in the Hyades cluster with a known age permits me to derive the mass of its progenitor, which must have been about 2.3 solar masses. The presence of the white dwarf in a binary system opens the possibility that some of the envelope material, which was expelled by the WD progenitor, may have been collected by the F6 stars. We may thus be able to study abundance anomalies of the WD progenitor with known mass on the surface of the F6 companions.

The Nature and Evolutionary History of GRO J1744-28

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rappaport, S.

1997-01-01

GRO J1744-28 is the first known X-ray source to display bursts, periodic pulsations, and quasi-periodic oscillations. This source may thus provide crucial clues that will lead to an understanding of the differences in the nature of the X-ray variability from various accreting neutron stars. The orbital period is 11.8 days, and the measured mass function of 1.31 x 10(exp -4) solar mass is one of the smallest among all known binaries. If we assume that the donor star is a low-mass giant transferring matter through the inner Lagrange point, then we can show that its mass is lower than approximately 0.7 solar mass and probably closer to 0.25 solar mass. Higher mass, but unevolved, donor stars are shown to be implausible. We also demonstrate that the current He core mass of the donor star lies in the range of 0.20-0.25 solar mass. Thus, this system is most likely in the final stages of losing its hydrogen-rich envelope, with only a small amount of mass remaining in the envelope. If this picture is correct, then GRO J1744-28 may well represent the closest observational link that we have between the low-mass X-ray binaries and recycled binary pulsars in wide orbits. We have carried out a series of binary evolution calculations and explored, both systematically and via a novel Monte Carlo approach, the range of initial system parameters and input physics that can lead to the binary parameters of the present-day GRO J1744-28 system. The input parameters include both the initial total mass and the core mass of the donor star, the neutron-star mass, the strength of the magnetic braking, the mass-capture fraction, and the specifics of the core mass/radius relation for giants. Through these evolution calculations, we compute probability distributions for the current binary system parameters (i.e., the total mass, core mass, radius, luminosity, and K-band magnitude of the donor star, the neutron star mass, the orbital inclination angle, and the semimajor axis of the binary). Our calculations yield the following values for the GRO J1744-28 system parameters (with 95% confidence limits in parentheses): donor star mass: 0.24 solar mass (0.2-0.7 solar mass); He core mass of the donor star: 0.22 solar mass (0.20-0.25 solar mass); neutron-star mass: 1.7 solar mass (1.39-1.96 solar mass); orbital inclination angle: 18deg (7deg-22deg); semi- major axis: 64 lt-s (60-67 lt-s); radius of the donor star: 6.2 solar radius(6-9 solar radius); luminosity of donor star: 23 solar luminosity (15-49 solar luminosity), and long-term mass transfer rate at the current epoch: 5 x 10(exp -10)solar mass/yr (2 x 10(exp -10) to 5 x 10(exp -9)solar mass/yr). We deduce that the magnetic field of the underlying neutron star lies in the range of approximately 1.8 x 10(exp 11)G to approximately 7 x 10(exp 11)G, with a most probable value of 2.7 x 10(exp 11)G. This is evidently sufficiently strong to funnel the accretion flow onto the magnetic polar caps and suppress the thermonuclear flashes that would otherwise give rise to the type 1 X-ray bursts observed in most X-ray bursters. We present a simple paradigm for magnetic accreting neutron stars where X-ray pulsars, GRO J1744-28, the Rapid Burster, and the type 1 X-ray bursters may form a continuum of possible behaviors among accreting neutron stars, with the strength of the neutron-star magnetic field serving as a crucial parameter that determines the mode of X-ray variability from a given object.

Three-dimensional hydrodynamical models of wind and outburst-related accretion in symbiotic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Val-Borro, M.; Karovska, M.; Sasselov, D. D.; Stone, J. M.

2017-07-01

Gravitationally focused wind accretion in binary systems consisting of an evolved star with a gaseous envelope and a compact accreting companion is a possible mechanism to explain mass transfer in symbiotic binaries. We study the mass accretion around the secondary caused by the strong wind from the primary late-type component using global three-dimensional hydrodynamic numerical simulations during quiescence and outburst stages. In particular, the dependence of the mass accretion rate on the mass-loss rate, wind parameters and phases of wind outburst development is considered. For a typical wind from an asymptotic giant branch star with a mass-loss rate of 10-6 M⊙ yr-1 and wind speeds of 20-50 km s-1, the mass transfer through a focused wind results in efficient infall on to the secondary. Accretion rates on to the secondary of 5-20 per cent of the mass-loss from the primary are obtained during quiescence and outburst periods where the wind velocity and mass-loss rates are varied, about 20-50 per cent larger than in the standard Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton approximation. This mechanism could be an important method for explaining observed accretion luminosities and periodic modulations in the accretion rates for a broad range of interacting binary systems.

Hydrodynamical simulations of the tidal stripping of binary stars by massive black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mainetti, Deborah; Lupi, Alessandro; Campana, Sergio; Colpi, Monica

2016-04-01

In a galactic nucleus, a star on a low angular momentum orbit around the central massive black hole can be fully or partially disrupted by the black hole tidal field, lighting up the compact object via gas accretion. This phenomenon can repeat if the star, not fully disrupted, is on a closed orbit. Because of the multiplicity of stars in binary systems, also binary stars may experience in pairs such a fate, immediately after being tidally separated. The consumption of both the binary components by the black hole is expected to power a double-peaked flare. In this paper, we perform for the first time, with GADGET2, a suite of smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of binary stars around a galactic central black hole in the Newtonian regime. We show that accretion luminosity light curves from double tidal disruptions reveal a more prominent knee, rather than a double peak, when decreasing the impact parameter of the encounter and when elevating the difference between the mass of the star which leaves the system after binary separation and the mass of the companion. The detection of a knee can anticipate the onset of periodic accretion luminosity flares if one of the stars, only partially disrupted, remains bound to the black hole after binary separation. Thus knees could be precursors of periodic flares, which can then be predicted, followed up and better modelled. Analytical estimates in the black hole mass range 105-108 M⊙ show that the knee signature is enhanced in the case of black holes of mass 106-107 M⊙.

Black Hole Mergers and Recoils in Low-Mass Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blecha, Laura; Kelley, Luke; Koss, Michael; Satyapal, Shobita

2018-01-01

Mergers between massive black holes (BHs) in the intermediate-mass range are one of the most promising sources of gravitational waves (GWs) detectable with LISA. These highly energetic GW events could be observed out to very high redshift, in the epoch where massive BH seeds are thought to form. Despite recent progress, however, much is still not known about the low-mass BH population even in the local Universe. The rates of BH binary formation, inspiral, and merger are also highly uncertain across the BH mass scale. To address these pressing issues in advance of LISA, cosmological hydrodynamics simulations and semi-analytic modeling are being used to model the formation and evolution of BH binaries, and the GW signals they produce. Efforts are also underway to understand the electromagnetic (EM) signatures of the BH binary population. These have proven largely elusive thus far, but an increasing population of BH pairs has been found, and advances in the coming years will provide important comparisons for models of GW sources. Moreover, asymmetry in the GW emission from BH mergers imparts a recoil kick to the merged BH, which in extreme cases can eject the BH from its host galaxy. This creates additional uncertainty in the BH merger rate, but the remnant recoiling BH could be observed as an offset quasar. Identifications of such objects would provide another EM signature of BH mergers that would help pave the way for LISA. We will review model predictions of the BH inspiral and merger rate across the mass scale. We will also describe how the EM signatures of active, merging BHs can be used to constrain theoretical merger rates. Finally, we will discuss the predicted observability of recoiling BHs and ongoing efforts to identify and confirm candidate recoils.

Numerical Simulations of Dynamical Mass Transfer in Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motl, P. M.; Frank, J.; Tohline, J. E.

1999-05-01

We will present results from our ongoing research project to simulate dynamically unstable mass transfer in near contact binaries with mass ratios different from one. We employ a fully three-dimensional self-consistent field technique to generate synchronously rotating polytropic binaries. With our self-consistent field code we can create equilibrium binaries where one component is, by radius, within about 99 of filling its Roche lobe for example. These initial configurations are evolved using a three-dimensional, Eulerian hydrodynamics code. We make no assumptions about the symmetry of the subsequent flow and the entire binary system is evolved self-consistently under the influence of its own gravitational potential. For a given mass ratio and polytropic index for the binary components, mass transfer via Roche lobe overflow can be predicted to be stable or unstable through simple theoretical arguments. The validity of the approximations made in the stability calculations are tested against our numerical simulations. We acknowledge support from the U.S. National Science Foundation through grants AST-9720771, AST-9528424, and DGE-9355007. This research has been supported, in part, by grants of high-performance computing time on NPACI facilities at the San Diego Supercomputer Center, the Texas Advanced Computing Center and through the PET program of the NAVOCEANO DoD Major Shared Resource Center in Stennis, MS.

Evidence for a massive stellar black hole in x ray Nova Muscae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Wan; Gehrels, Neil; Cheng, F. H.

1992-01-01

We present evidence that the X-ray Nova Muscae system contains a massive, greater than 10 M solarmass, black hole. A recently measured photometric binary mass function gives the black hole mass for this system as a function of orbital inclination angle. From the spectral redshift and width of the positron annihilation gamma-ray line observed by GRANAT/SIGMA, we find the accretion disk inclination angle to be 22 deg plus or minus 18 deg. Assuming the accretion disk lies in the orbital plane of the system, the black hole mass is found to have a lower limit of 14 M solar mass although statistics are poor. This is supported by spectral modeling of combined optical/UV/x-ray/gamma-ray data and by a new Nova Muscae distance limit we derive of greater than 3 kpc. The large mass for this black hole and the high binary mass ratio it implies (greater than 20) raise a serious challenge to theoretical models of the formation and evolution of massive binaries. The gamma-ray line technique introduced here can give tight constraints on orbital parameters when high-sensitivity line measurements are made by such missions as GRO.

V and K-band Mass-Luminosity Relations for M dwarf Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benedict, G. Fritz; Henry, Todd J.; McArthur, Barbara; Franz, Otto G.; Wasserman, Lawrence H.; Dieterich, Sergio

2015-01-01

Applying Hubble Space Telescope Fine Guidance Sensor astrometric techniques developed to establish relative orbits for binary stars (Franz et al. 1998, AJ, 116, 1432), determine masses of binary components (Benedict et al. 2001, AJ, 121, 1607), and measure companion masses of exoplanet host stars (McArthur et al. 2010, ApJ, 715, 1203), we derive masses with an average 2.1% error for 24 components of 12 M dwarf binary star systems. Masses range 0.08 to 0.40 solar masses. With these we update the lower Main Sequence V-band Mass-Luminosity Relation first shown in Henry et al. (1999, ApJ, 512, 864). We demonstrate that a Mass-Luminosity Relation in the K-band has far less scatter than in the V-band. For the eight binary components for which we have component magnitude differences in the K-band the RMS residual drops from 0.5 magnitude in the V-band to 0.05 magnitude in the K-band. These relations can be used to estimate the masses of the ubiquitous red dwarfs that account for 75% of all stars, to an accuracy of 5%, which is much better than ever before.

1SWASP J200503.05-343726.5: A high mass ratio eclipsing binary near the period limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bin, Zhang; Shengbang, Qian; Zejda, Miloslav; Liying, Zhu; Nianping, Liu

2017-07-01

First CCD photometric light curves of the eclipsing binary system 1SWASP J200503.05-343726.5 are presented. Our complete light curves in V, R and I bands using the Bessell filter show an out-of-eclipsing distortion, which means that the components of the system may be active. The preliminary photometric solutions with a cool star-spot are derived by using the 2013 version of the Wilson-Devinney (W-D) code. The photometric solutions suggest that 1SWASP J200503.05-343726.5 is a shallow-contact eclipsing binary(f = 9.0 %) with a mass ratio of q = 1.0705 , which is very high for late-type binary systems near the period limit. The primary component is about 230 K hotter than the secondary component. Based on our new CCD eclipse times, the orbital period change was analyzed. According to O - C diagram, the orbital period of the 1SWASP J200503.05-343726.5 shows an increase at a rate of P˙ = + 5.43 ×10-8 days year-1. The period increase may be caused by mass transfer from the less massive component to the more massive one. This shallow-contact system may be formed from a detached short-period binary via orbital shrinkage because of dynamical interactions with a third component or by magnetic braking.

HEARTBEAT STARS: SPECTROSCOPIC ORBITAL SOLUTIONS FOR SIX ECCENTRIC BINARY SYSTEMS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smullen, Rachel A.; Kobulnicky, Henry A., E-mail: rsmullen@email.arizona.edu

2015-08-01

We present multi-epoch spectroscopy of “heartbeat stars,” eccentric binaries with dynamic tidal distortions and tidally induced pulsations originally discovered with the Kepler satellite. Optical spectra of six known heartbeat stars using the Wyoming Infrared Observatory 2.3 m telescope allow measurement of stellar effective temperatures and radial velocities from which we determine orbital parameters including the periods, eccentricities, approximate mass ratios, and component masses. These spectroscopic solutions confirm that the stars are members of eccentric binary systems with eccentricities e > 0.34 and periods P = 7–20 days, strengthening conclusions from prior works that utilized purely photometric methods. Heartbeat stars inmore » this sample have A- or F-type primary components. Constraints on orbital inclinations indicate that four of the six systems have minimum mass ratios q = 0.3–0.5, implying that most secondaries are probable M dwarfs or earlier. One system is an eclipsing, double-lined spectroscopic binary with roughly equal-mass mid-A components (q = 0.95), while another shows double-lined behavior only near periastron, indicating that the F0V primary has a G1V secondary (q = 0.65). This work constitutes the first measurements of the masses of secondaries in a statistical sample of heartbeat stars. The good agreement between our spectroscopic orbital elements and those derived using a photometric model support the idea that photometric data are sufficient to derive reliable orbital parameters for heartbeat stars.« less

A three-dimensional orbit for the binary star Alpha Andromedae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branham, Richard L., Jr.

2017-01-01

Stars that are both spectroscopic and optical binaries present a means to determine simultaneously the masses of the components and the distance of the system independent of trigonometric parallax. Alpha Andromedae (Alpheratz) represents such a system and, moreover, the primary is the brightest of the mercury-manganese stars. An orbit, based on 42 interferometric observations and 378 radial velocities, is calculated to solve for 10 parameters: the six coefficients of the apparent ellipse, the constant of areal velocity, the systemic velocity, and the semi-amplitudes. From these, one calculates the orbit of the binary, its period and time of periastron passage, the masses of the components, and the distance of the system. The dynamical parallax does not differ greatly from the trigonometric parallax found from Hipparcos.

Binary stars in the Galactic thick disc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izzard, Robert G.; Preece, Holly; Jofre, Paula; Halabi, Ghina M.; Masseron, Thomas; Tout, Christopher A.

2018-01-01

The combination of asteroseismologically measured masses with abundances from detailed analyses of stellar atmospheres challenges our fundamental knowledge of stars and our ability to model them. Ancient red-giant stars in the Galactic thick disc are proving to be most troublesome in this regard. They are older than 5 Gyr, a lifetime corresponding to an initial stellar mass of about 1.2 M⊙. So why do the masses of a sizeable fraction of thick-disc stars exceed 1.3 M⊙, with some as massive as 2.3 M⊙? We answer this question by considering duplicity in the thick-disc stellar population using a binary population-nucleosynthesis model. We examine how mass transfer and merging affect the stellar mass distribution and surface abundances of carbon and nitrogen. We show that a few per cent of thick-disc stars can interact in binary star systems and become more massive than 1.3 M⊙. Of these stars, most are single because they are merged binaries. Some stars more massive than 1.3 M⊙ form in binaries by wind mass transfer. We compare our results to a sample of the APOKASC data set and find reasonable agreement except in the number of these thick-disc stars more massive than 1.3 M⊙. This problem is resolved by the use of a logarithmically flat orbital-period distribution and a large binary fraction.

A density cusp of quiescent X-ray binaries in the central parsec of the Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hailey, Charles J.; Mori, Kaya; Bauer, Franz E.; Berkowitz, Michael E.; Hong, Jaesub; Hord, Benjamin J.

2018-04-01

The existence of a ‘density cusp’—a localized increase in number—of stellar-mass black holes near a supermassive black hole is a fundamental prediction of galactic stellar dynamics. The best place to detect such a cusp is in the Galactic Centre, where the nearest supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*, resides. As many as 20,000 black holes are predicted to settle into the central parsec of the Galaxy as a result of dynamical friction; however, so far no density cusp of black holes has been detected. Low-mass X-ray binary systems that contain a stellar-mass black hole are natural tracers of isolated black holes. Here we report observations of a dozen quiescent X-ray binaries in a density cusp within one parsec of Sagittarius A*. The lower-energy emission spectra that we observed in these binaries is distinct from the higher-energy spectra associated with the population of accreting white dwarfs that dominates the central eight parsecs of the Galaxy. The properties of these X-ray binaries, in particular their spatial distribution and luminosity function, suggest the existence of hundreds of binary systems in the central parsec of the Galaxy and many more isolated black holes. We cannot rule out a contribution to the observed emission from a population (of up to about one-half the number of X-ray binaries) of rotationally powered, millisecond pulsars. The spatial distribution of the binary systems is a relic of their formation history, either in the stellar disk around Sagittarius A* (ref. 7) or through in-fall from globular clusters, and constrains the number density of sources in the modelling of gravitational waves from massive stellar remnants, such as neutron stars and black holes.

A density cusp of quiescent X-ray binaries in the central parsec of the Galaxy.

PubMed

Hailey, Charles J; Mori, Kaya; Bauer, Franz E; Berkowitz, Michael E; Hong, Jaesub; Hord, Benjamin J

2018-04-04

The existence of a 'density cusp'-a localized increase in number-of stellar-mass black holes near a supermassive black hole is a fundamental prediction of galactic stellar dynamics. The best place to detect such a cusp is in the Galactic Centre, where the nearest supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*, resides. As many as 20,000 black holes are predicted to settle into the central parsec of the Galaxy as a result of dynamical friction; however, so far no density cusp of black holes has been detected. Low-mass X-ray binary systems that contain a stellar-mass black hole are natural tracers of isolated black holes. Here we report observations of a dozen quiescent X-ray binaries in a density cusp within one parsec of Sagittarius A*. The lower-energy emission spectra that we observed in these binaries is distinct from the higher-energy spectra associated with the population of accreting white dwarfs that dominates the central eight parsecs of the Galaxy. The properties of these X-ray binaries, in particular their spatial distribution and luminosity function, suggest the existence of hundreds of binary systems in the central parsec of the Galaxy and many more isolated black holes. We cannot rule out a contribution to the observed emission from a population (of up to about one-half the number of X-ray binaries) of rotationally powered, millisecond pulsars. The spatial distribution of the binary systems is a relic of their formation history, either in the stellar disk around Sagittarius A* (ref. 7) or through in-fall from globular clusters, and constrains the number density of sources in the modelling of gravitational waves from massive stellar remnants, such as neutron stars and black holes.

Inferences about binary stellar populations using gravitational wave observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wysocki, Daniel; Gerosa, Davide; O'Shaughnessy, Richard; Belczynski, Krzysztof; Gladysz, Wojciech; Berti, Emanuele; Kesden, Michael; Holz, Daniel

2018-01-01

With the dawn of gravitational wave astronomy, enabled by the LIGO and Virgo interferometers, we now have a new window into the Universe. In the short time these detectors have been in use, multiple confirmed detections of gravitational waves from compact binary coalescences have been made. Stellar binary systems are one of the likely progenitors of the observed compact binary sources. If this is indeed the case, then we can use measured properties of these binary systems to learn about their progenitors. We will discuss the Bayesian framework in which we make these inferences, and results which include mass and spin distributions.

KIC 6048106: an Algol-type eclipsing system with long-term magnetic activity and hybrid pulsations - I. Binary modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samadi Ghadim, A.; Lampens, P.; Jassur, M.

2018-03-01

The A-F-type stars and pulsators (δ Scuti-γ Dor) are in a critical regime where they experience a transition from radiative to convective transport of energy in their envelopes. Such stars can pulsate in both gravity and acoustic modes. Hence, the knowledge of their fundamental parameters along with their observed pulsation characteristics can help in improving the stellar models. When residing in a binary system, these pulsators provide more accurate and less model-dependent stellar parameters than in the case of their single counterparts. We present a light-curve model for the eclipsing system KIC 6048106 based on the Kepler photometry and the code PHOEBE. We aim to obtain accurate physical parameters and tough constraints for the stellar modelling of this intermediate-mass hybrid pulsator. We performed a separate modelling of three light-curve segments which show a distinct behaviour due to a difference in activity. We also analysed the Kepler Eclipse Time Variations (ETVs). KIC 6048106 is an Algol-type binary with F5-K5 components, a near-circular orbit and a 1.56-d period undergoing variations of the order of Δ P/P˜eq 3.60× 10^{-7} in 287 ± 7 d. The primary component is a main-sequence star with M1 = 1.55 ± 0.11 M⊙, R1 = 1.57 ± 0.12 R⊙. The secondary is a much cooler subgiant with M2 = 0.33 ± 0.07 M⊙, R2 = 1.77 ± 0.16 R⊙. Many small near-polar spots are active on its surface. The second quadrature phase shows a brightness modulation on a time-scale 290 ± 7 d, in good agreement with the ETV modulation. This study reveals a stable binary configuration along with clear evidence of a long-term activity of the secondary star.

A Search for Novae in the M31 Globular Cluster System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomaney, Austin; Crotts, Arlin; Shafter, Allen

1992-12-01

Roughly 10% of all low mass X-ray binaries (LMXB's, neutron star - low mass sequence close binaries) are found in Galactic globular clusters (GC's) implying an enhancement per unit mass of roughly three orders of magnitude of these objects inside GC's compared with the field. Fabian, Pringle and Rees (1975) suggested that these lcose binary systems may be formed via tidal capture in the dense cluster cores. Similar arguments are likely to apply to nova systems which are cataclysmic variables (CV's) consisting of a close binary white dwarf - low mass main sequence star. Supporting arguments include the discovery over the past century of two novae in Galactic GC's, and the existence of low luminosity X-ray sources in GC's (Hertz and Grindlay 1983). In addition, surveys for novae in M31 indicate that the specfic density of novae in its bulge is an order of magnitude higher than its disk and it has been argued by Ciardullo et al. (1987) that novae in the bulge of M31 have been spawned inside GC's and subsequently ejected into the field. We present the results of a search (during 1988 and 1989) of over 200 M31 GC's using a fibre multi-object spectrograph to detect Hα emission, a signature of a potential nova eruptions. No eruptions were detected over an effective survey time of one year for the entire known M31 GC system. Although the lower mass of white dwarfs compared with neutron stars implies their effective capture cross section is smaller, we argue that since novae occur much more frequently on high mass white dwarfs this survey provides a sensitive test to the number of high mass CV's in GC's and their enhancement is unlikely to be as high as LMXB's.

Distinguishing between Formation Channels for Binary Black Holes with LISA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breivik, Katelyn; Rodriguez, Carl L.; Larson, Shane L.; Kalogera, Vassiliki; Rasio, Frederic A.

2016-10-01

The recent detections of GW150914 and GW151226 imply an abundance of stellar-mass binary black hole (BBH) mergers in the local universe. While ground-based gravitational wave detectors are limited to observing the final moments before a binary merges, space-based detectors, such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), can observe binaries at lower orbital frequencies where such systems may still encode information about their formation histories. In particular, the orbital eccentricity and mass of BBHs in the LISA frequency band can be used together to discriminate between binaries formed in isolation in galactic fields and those formed in dense stellar environments such as globular clusters. In this letter, we explore the orbital eccentricity and mass of BBH populations as they evolve through the LISA frequency band. Overall we find that there are two distinct populations discernible by LISA. We show that up to ∼ 90 % of binaries formed either dynamically or in isolation have eccentricities that are measurable with LISA. Finally, we note how measured eccentricities of low-mass BBHs evolved in isolation could provide detailed constraints on the physics of black hole natal kicks and common-envelope evolution.

Properties of six short-period massive binaries: A study of the effects of binarity on surface chemical abundances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, F.; Mahy, L.; Hervé, A.

2017-11-01

Context. A significant percentage of massive stars are found in multiple systems. The effect of binarity on stellar evolution is poorly constrained. In particular, the role of tides and mass transfer on surface chemical abundances is not constrained observationally. Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of binarity on the stellar properties and surface abundances of massive binaries. Methods: We performed a spectroscopic analysis of six Galactic massive binaries. We obtained the spectra of individual components via a spectral disentangling method and subsequently analyzed these spectra by means of atmosphere models. The stellar parameters and CNO surface abundances were determined. Results: Most of these six systems are comprised of main-sequence stars. Three systems are detached, two are in contact, and no information is available for the sixth system. For 11 out of the 12 stars studied, the surface abundances are only mildly affected by stellar evolution and mixing. The surface abundances are not different from those of single stars within the uncertainties. The secondary of XZ Cep is strongly chemically enriched. Considering previous determinations of surface abundances in massive binary systems suggests that the effect of tides on chemical mixing is limited, whereas the mass transfer and removal of outer layers of the mass donor leads to the appearance of chemically processed material at the surface, although this is not systematic. The evolutionary masses of the components of our six systems are on average 16.5% higher than the dynamical masses. Some systems seem to have reached synchronization, while others may still be in a transitory phase. Based on observations made with the SOPHIE spectrograph on the 1.93 m telescope at Observatoire de Haute-Provence (OHP, CNRS/AMU), France.

Evolution and nucleosynthesis of extremely metal-poor and metal-free low- and intermediate-mass stars. II. s-process nucleosynthesis during the core He flash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, S. W.; Lugaro, M.; Karakas, A. I.

2010-11-01

Context. Models of primordial and hyper-metal-poor stars that have masses similar to the Sun are known to experience an ingestion of protons into the hot core during the core helium flash phase at the end of their red giant branch evolution. This produces a concurrent secondary flash powered by hydrogen burning that gives rise to further nucleosynthesis in the core. Aims: We aim to model the nucleosynthesis occurring during the proton ingestion event to ascertain if any significant neutron-capture nucleosynthesis occurs. Methods: We perform post-process nucleosynthesis calculations on a one-dimensional stellar evolution calculation of a star with mass 1 M_⊙ and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -6.5 that suffers a proton ingestion episode. Our network includes 320 nuclear species and 2366 reactions and treats mixing and burning simultaneously. Results: We find that the mixing and burning of protons into the hot convective core leads to the production of 13C, which then burns via the 13C(α, n)16O reaction, releasing a large number of free neutrons. During the first two years of neutron production the neutron poison 14N abundance is low, allowing the prodigious production of heavy elements such as strontium, barium, and lead via slow neutron captures (the s process). These nucleosynthetic products are later carried to the stellar surface and ejected via stellar winds. We compare our results with observations of the hyper-metal-poor halo star HE 1327-2326, which shows a strong Sr overabundance. Conclusions: Our model provides the possibility of self-consistently explaining the Sr overabundance in HE 1327-2326 together with its C, N, and O overabundances (all within a factor of ˜ ~4) if the material were heavily diluted, for example, via mass transfer in a wide binary system. The model produces at least 18 times too much Ba than observed, but this may be within the large modelling uncertainties. In this scenario, binary systems of low mass must have formed in the early Universe. If this is true, it puts constraints on the primordial initial mass function.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhuang Quntao; Gao Xun; Yu Qingjuan, E-mail: yuqj@pku.edu.cn

In this paper, we study possible signatures of binary planets or exomoons on the Rossiter-McLaughlin (R-M) effect. Our analyses show that the R-M effect for a binary planet or an exomoon during its complete transit phase can be divided into two parts. The first is the conventional one similar to the R-M effect from the transit of a single planet, of which the mass and the projected area are the combinations of the binary components; the second is caused by the orbital rotation of the binary components, which may add a sine- or linear-mode deviation to the stellar radial velocitymore » curve. We find that the latter effect can be up to several ten m s{sup -1}. Our numerical simulations as well as analyses illustrate that the distribution and dispersion of the latter effects obtained from multiple transit events can be used to constrain the dynamical configuration of the binary planet, such as how the inner orbit of the binary planet is inclined to its orbit rotating around the central star. We find that the signatures caused by the orbital rotation of the binary components are more likely to be revealed if the two components of a binary planet have different masses and mass densities, especially if the heavy one has a high mass density and the light one has a low density. Similar signatures on the R-M effect may also be revealed in a hierarchical triple star system containing a dark compact binary and a tertiary star.« less

Discovery of a Detached, Eclipsing 40 Minute Period Double White Dwarf Binary and a Friend: Implications for He+CO White Dwarf Mergers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, Warren R.; Kilic, Mukremin; Kosakowski, Alekzander

We report the discovery of two detached double white dwarf (WD) binaries, SDSS J082239.546+304857.19 and SDSS J104336.275+055149.90, with orbital periods of 40 and 46 minutes, respectively. The 40 minute system is eclipsing; it is composed of a 0.30 M {sub ⊙} and a 0.52 M {sub ⊙} WD. The 46 minute system is a likely LISA verification binary. The short 20 ± 2 Myr and ∼34 Myr gravitational-wave merger times of the two binaries imply that many more such systems have formed and merged over the age of the Milky Way. We update the estimated Milky Way He+CO WD binarymore » merger rate and affirm our previously published result: He+CO WD binaries merge at a rate at least 40 times greater than the formation rate of stable mass-transfer AM CVn binaries, and so the majority must have unstable mass-transfer. The implication is that spin–orbit coupling in He+CO WD mergers is weak, or perhaps nova-like outbursts drive He+CO WDs into merger, as proposed by Shen.« less

Evolution of close binary systems: Observational aspects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plavec, M. J.

1981-01-01

Detached close binary systems define the main sequence band satisfactorily, but very little is known about the masses of giants and supergiants. High dispersion international ultraviolet explorer satellite observations promise an improvement, since blue companions are now frequently found to late type supergiants. Mu Sagittaril and in particular Xi Aurigae are discussed in more detail. The barium star abundance anomaly appears to be due to mass transfer in interacting systems. The symbiotic stars are another type of binary systems containing late type giants; several possible models for the hotter star and for the type of interaction are discussed. The W Serpentis stars appear to be Algols in the rapid phase of mass transfer, but a possible link relating them to the symbiotics is also indicated. Evidence of hot circumstellar plasmas has now been found in several ordinary Algols; there may exist a smooth transition between very quiescent Algols and the W Serpentis stars. Beta Lyrae is discussed in the light of new spectrophotometric results.

The fate of close encounters between binary stars and binary supermassive black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yi-Han; Leigh, Nathan; Yuan, Ye-Fei; Perna, Rosalba

2018-04-01

The evolution of main-sequence binaries that reside in the Galactic Centre can be heavily influenced by the central supermassive black hole (SMBH). Due to these perturbative effects, the stellar binaries in dense environments are likely to experience mergers, collisions, or ejections through secular and/or non-secular interactions. More direct interactions with the central SMBH are thought to produce hypervelocity stars (HVSs) and tidal disruption events (TDEs). In this paper, we use N-body simulations to study the dynamics of stellar binaries orbiting a central SMBH primary with an outer SMBH secondary orbiting this inner triple. The effects of the secondary SMBH on the event rates of HVSs, TDEs, and stellar mergers are investigated, as a function of the SMBH-SMBH binary mass ratio. Our numerical experiments reveal that, relative to the isolated SMBH case, the TDE and HVS rates are enhanced for, respectively, the smallest and largest mass ratio SMBH-SMBH binaries. This suggests that the observed event rates of TDEs and HVSs have the potential to serve as a diagnostic of the mass ratio of a central SMBH-SMBH binary. The presence of a secondary SMBH also allows for the creation of hypervelocity binaries. Observations of these systems could thus constrain the presence of a secondary SMBH in the Galactic Centre.

Dynamical Evolution and Momentum Transfer for Binary Asteroid Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellerose, Julie

Over the past decade, robotic missions have been sent to small bodies, providing a basic understanding of their environment. Some of these small systems are found to be in pairs, orbiting each other, which are thought to represent about 16% of the near-Earth asteroid population. It is fair to assume that a mission will target a binary asteroid system in the near future as they can enable scientific insight into both the geology and dynamics of asteroids. In previous work, the dynamical evolution of binary systems was investigated for an ellipsoidsphere model. From the dynamics of two celestial bodies, equilibrium configurations and their stability were analyzed. For a given value of angular momentum, it was shown that there are in general two relative equilibrium configurations which are opposite in stability. When perturbations are introduced, we found that the equilibrium states are the minimum energy points of nearby periodic families. General dynamics from unstable to stable configurations were investigated for binaries in close proximity. Accounting for the dynamics of binaries, the dynamics of particles in this gravitational field were also studied. The location of the analogue Lagrangian points and energy associated with them were characterized. The L1 region is a key element for transfers between the bodies. It was shown that L1 can be situated between or inside the bodies depending on the free parameters of the system modifying the transfer possibilities since L1 has a hyperbolic manifold associated with it. In the current work, we look at the L1 region for binary system where the bodies are in relative equilibrium, close to each other. We find that L1 transits from outside to inside the ellipsoid when the mass ratio is larger than 0.6. For binary systems in close proximity with L1 being inside the ellipsoidal body, simulations show that particles on the surface tend to move away from the ellipsoid, toward the spherical primary. We can relate this to the Roche limit of binaries which affect the distribution of mass between the bodies. Other parameters such as the spin rate of a larger spherical primary may also influence particle distribution. Hence, we can map and characterize the mass distribution and momentum exchange that may occur within a closely formed binary systems.

Ultra-precise Masses and Magnitudes for the Gliese 268 M-dwarf Binary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barry, R. K.; Demory, B. O.; Ségransan, D.; Forveille, T.; Danchi, W. C.; di Folco, E.; Queloz, D.; Torres, G.; Traub, W. A.; Delfosse, X.; Mayor, M.; Perrier, C.; Udry, S.

2009-02-01

Recent advances in astrometry using interferometry and precision radial velocity techniques combined allow for a significant improvement in the precision of masses of M-dwarf stars in visual systems. We report recent astrometric observations of Gliese 268, an M-dwarf binary with a 10.4 day orbital period, with the IOTA interferometer and radial velocity observations with the ELODIE instrument. Combining these measurements leads to preliminary masses of the constituent stars with uncertainties of 0.4%. The masses of the components are 0.22596+/-0.00084 Msolar for the primary and 0.19230+/-0.00071 Msolar for the secondary. The system parallax is determined by these observations to be 0.1560+/-.0030 arcsec (2.0% uncertainty) and is within Hipparcos error bars (0.1572+/-.0033). We tested these physical parameters, along with the near-infrared luminosities of the stars, against stellar evolution models for low-mass stars. Discrepancies between the measured and theoretical values point toward a low-level departure from the predictions. These results are among the most precise masses measured for visual binaries.

Microlensing Signature of Binary Black Holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnittman, Jeremy; Sahu, Kailash; Littenberg, Tyson

2012-01-01

We calculate the light curves of galactic bulge stars magnified via microlensing by stellar-mass binary black holes along the line-of-sight. We show the sensitivity to measuring various lens parameters for a range of survey cadences and photometric precision. Using public data from the OGLE collaboration, we identify two candidates for massive binary systems, and discuss implications for theories of star formation and binary evolution.

Multi-periodic pulsations of a stripped red-giant star in an eclipsing binary system.

PubMed

Maxted, Pierre F L; Serenelli, Aldo M; Miglio, Andrea; Marsh, Thomas R; Heber, Ulrich; Dhillon, Vikram S; Littlefair, Stuart; Copperwheat, Chris; Smalley, Barry; Breedt, Elmé; Schaffenroth, Veronika

2013-06-27

Low-mass white-dwarf stars are the remnants of disrupted red-giant stars in binary millisecond pulsars and other exotic binary star systems. Some low-mass white dwarfs cool rapidly, whereas others stay bright for millions of years because of stable fusion in thick surface hydrogen layers. This dichotomy is not well understood, so the potential use of low-mass white dwarfs as independent clocks with which to test the spin-down ages of pulsars or as probes of the extreme environments in which low-mass white dwarfs form cannot fully be exploited. Here we report precise mass and radius measurements for the precursor to a low-mass white dwarf. We find that only models in which this disrupted red-giant star has a thick hydrogen envelope can match the strong constraints provided by our data. Very cool low-mass white dwarfs must therefore have lost their thick hydrogen envelopes by irradiation from pulsar companions or by episodes of unstable hydrogen fusion (shell flashes). We also find that this low-mass white-dwarf precursor is a type of pulsating star not hitherto seen. The observed pulsation frequencies are sensitive to internal processes that determine whether this star will undergo shell flashes.

A Search for Nitrogen-enhanced Metal-poor Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Jennifer A.; Herwig, Falk; Beers, Timothy C.; Christlieb, Norbert

2007-04-01

Theoretical models of very metal-poor intermediate-mass asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars predict a large overabundance of primary nitrogen. The very metal-poor, carbon-enhanced, s-process-rich stars, which are thought to be the polluted companions of now extinct AGB stars, provide direct tests of the predictions of these models. Recent studies of the carbon and nitrogen abundances in metal-poor stars have focused on the most carbon-rich stars, leading to a potential selection bias against stars that have been polluted by AGB stars that produced large amounts of nitrogen and hence have small [C/N] ratios. We call these stars nitrogen-enhanced metal-poor (NEMP) stars and define them as having [N/Fe]>+0.5 and [C/N]<-0.5. In this paper we report on the [C/N] abundances of a sample of 21 carbon-enhanced stars, all but three of which have [C/Fe]<+2.0. If NEMP stars were made as easily as carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars, then we expected to find between two and seven NEMP stars. Instead, we found no NEMP stars in our sample. Therefore, this observational bias is not an important contributor to the apparent dearth of N-rich stars. Our [C/N] values are in the same range as values reported previously in the literature (-0.5 to +2.0), and all stars are in disagreement with the predicted [C/N] ratios for both low- and high-mass AGB stars. We suggest that the decrease in [C/N] from the low-mass AGB models is due to enhanced extramixing, while the lack of NEMP stars may be caused by unfavorable mass ratios in binaries or the difficulty of mass transfer in binary systems with large mass ratios. Based on observations obtained at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory and Kitt Peak National Observatory, a division of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

Ages of young star clusters, massive blue stragglers, and the upper mass limit of stars: Analyzing age-dependent stellar mass functions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schneider, F. R. N.; Izzard, R. G.; Langer, N.

2014-01-10

Massive stars rapidly change their masses through strong stellar winds and mass transfer in binary systems. The latter aspect is important for populations of massive stars as more than 70% of all O stars are expected to interact with a binary companion during their lifetime. We show that such mass changes leave characteristic signatures in stellar mass functions of young star clusters that can be used to infer their ages and to identify products of binary evolution. We model the observed present-day mass functions of the young Galactic Arches and Quintuplet star clusters using our rapid binary evolution code. Wemore » find that the shaping of the mass function by stellar wind mass loss allows us to determine the cluster ages as 3.5 ± 0.7 Myr and 4.8 ± 1.1 Myr, respectively. Exploiting the effects of binary mass exchange on the cluster mass function, we find that the most massive stars in both clusters are rejuvenated products of binary mass transfer, i.e., the massive counterpart of classical blue straggler stars. This resolves the problem of an apparent age spread among the most luminous stars exceeding the expected duration of star formation in these clusters. We perform Monte Carlo simulations to probe stochastic sampling, which support the idea of the most massive stars being rejuvenated binary products. We find that the most massive star is expected to be a binary product after 1.0 ± 0.7 Myr in Arches and after 1.7 ± 1.0 Myr in Quintuplet. Today, the most massive 9 ± 3 stars in Arches and 8 ± 3 in Quintuplet are expected to be such objects. Our findings have strong implications for the stellar upper mass limit and solve the discrepancy between the claimed 150 M {sub ☉} limit and observations of four stars with initial masses of 165-320 M {sub ☉} in R136 and of supernova 2007bi, which is thought to be a pair-instability supernova from an initial 250 M {sub ☉} star. Using the stellar population of R136, we revise the upper mass limit to values in the range 200-500 M {sub ☉}.« less

Ages of Young Star Clusters, Massive Blue Stragglers, and the Upper Mass Limit of Stars: Analyzing Age-dependent Stellar Mass Functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, F. R. N.; Izzard, R. G.; de Mink, S. E.; Langer, N.; Stolte, A.; de Koter, A.; Gvaramadze, V. V.; Hußmann, B.; Liermann, A.; Sana, H.

2014-01-01

Massive stars rapidly change their masses through strong stellar winds and mass transfer in binary systems. The latter aspect is important for populations of massive stars as more than 70% of all O stars are expected to interact with a binary companion during their lifetime. We show that such mass changes leave characteristic signatures in stellar mass functions of young star clusters that can be used to infer their ages and to identify products of binary evolution. We model the observed present-day mass functions of the young Galactic Arches and Quintuplet star clusters using our rapid binary evolution code. We find that the shaping of the mass function by stellar wind mass loss allows us to determine the cluster ages as 3.5 ± 0.7 Myr and 4.8 ± 1.1 Myr, respectively. Exploiting the effects of binary mass exchange on the cluster mass function, we find that the most massive stars in both clusters are rejuvenated products of binary mass transfer, i.e., the massive counterpart of classical blue straggler stars. This resolves the problem of an apparent age spread among the most luminous stars exceeding the expected duration of star formation in these clusters. We perform Monte Carlo simulations to probe stochastic sampling, which support the idea of the most massive stars being rejuvenated binary products. We find that the most massive star is expected to be a binary product after 1.0 ± 0.7 Myr in Arches and after 1.7 ± 1.0 Myr in Quintuplet. Today, the most massive 9 ± 3 stars in Arches and 8 ± 3 in Quintuplet are expected to be such objects. Our findings have strong implications for the stellar upper mass limit and solve the discrepancy between the claimed 150 M ⊙ limit and observations of four stars with initial masses of 165-320 M ⊙ in R136 and of supernova 2007bi, which is thought to be a pair-instability supernova from an initial 250 M ⊙ star. Using the stellar population of R136, we revise the upper mass limit to values in the range 200-500 M ⊙.

Contact Binaries on Their Way Towards Merging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gazeas, K.

2015-07-01

Contact binaries are the most frequently observed type of eclipsing star system. They are small, cool, low-mass binaries belonging to a relatively old stellar population. They follow certain empirical relationships that closely connect a number of physical parameters with each other, largely because of constraints coming from the Roche geometry. As a result, contact binaries provide an excellent test of stellar evolution, specifically for stellar merger scenarios. Observing campaigns by many authors have led to the cataloging of thousands of contact binaries and enabled statistical studies of many of their properties. A large number of contact binaries have been found to exhibit extraordinary behavior, requiring follow-up observations to study their peculiarities in detail. For example, a doubly-eclipsing quadruple system consisting of a contact binary and a detached binary is a highly constrained system offering an excellent laboratory to test evolutionary theories for binaries. A new observing project was initiated at the University of Athens in 2012 in order to investigate the possible lower limit for the orbital period of binary systems before coalescence, prior to merging.

A Statistical Study of the Mass Distribution of Neutron Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Zheng; Zhang, Cheng-Min; Zhao, Yong-Heng; Wang, De-Hua; Pan, Yuan-Yue; Lei, Ya-Juan

2014-07-01

By reviewing the methods of mass measurements of neutron stars in four different kinds of systems, i.e., the high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs), low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), double neutron star systems (DNSs) and neutron star-white dwarf (NS-WD) binary systems, we have collected the orbital parameters of 40 systems. By using the boot-strap method and the Monte-Carlo method, we have rebuilt the likelihood probability curves of the measured masses of 46 neutron stars. The statistical analysis of the simulation results shows that the masses of neutron stars in the X-ray neutron star systems and those in the radio pulsar systems exhibit different distributions. Besides, the Bayes statistics of these four different kind systems yields the most-probable probability density distributions of these four kind systems to be (1.340 ± 0.230)M8, (1, 505 ± 0.125)M8,(1.335 ± 0.055)M8 and (1.495 ± 0.225)M8, respectively. It is noteworthy that the masses of neutron stars in the HMXB and DNS systems are smaller than those in the other two kind systems by approximately 0.16M8. This result is consistent with the theoretical model of the pulsar to be accelerated to the millisecond order of magnitude via accretion of approximately 0.2M8. If the HMXBs and LMXBs are respectively taken to be the precursors of the BNS and NS-WD systems, then the influence of the accretion effect on the masses of neutron stars in the HMXB systems should be exceedingly small. Their mass distributions should be very close to the initial one during the formation of neutron stars. As for the LMXB and NS-WD systems, they should have already under- gone the process of suffcient accretion, hence there arises rather large deviation from the initial mass distribution.

Design of Experiments Relevant to Accreting Stream-Disk Impact in Interacting Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krauland, Christine; Drake, R. P.; Kuranz, C. C.; Grosskopf, M. J.; Young, R.; Plewa, T.

2010-05-01

In many Cataclysmic Binary systems, mass transfer via Roche lobe overflow onto an accretion disk occurs. This produces a hot spot from the heating created by the supersonic impact of the infalling flow with the rotating accretion disk, which can produce a radiative reverse shock in the infalling flow. This collision region has many ambiguities as a radiation hydrodynamic system. Depending upon conditions, it has been argued (Armitgae & Livio, ApJ 493, 898) that the shocked region may be optically thin, thick, or intermediate, which has the potential to significantly alter its structure and emissions. Laboratory experiments have yet to produce colliding flows that create a radiative reverse shock or to produce obliquely incident colliding flows, both of which are aspects of these Binary systems. We have undertaken the design of such an experiment, aimed at the Omega-60 laser facility. The design elements include the production of postshock flows within a dense material layer or ejecta flows by release of material from a shocked layer. Obtaining a radiative reverse shock in the laboratory requires producing a sufficiently fast flow (> 100 km/s) within a material whose opacity is large enough to produce energetically significant emission from experimentally achievable layers. In this poster we will discuss the astrophysical context, the experimental design work we have done, and the challenges of implementing and diagnosing an actual experiment. This work is funded by the NNSA-DS and SC-OFES Joint Program in High-Energy-Density Laboratory Plasmas, by the National Laser User Facility Program in NNSA-DS and by the Predictive Sciences Academic Alliances Program in NNSA-ASC. The corresponding grant numbers are DE-FG52-09NA29548, DE-FG52-09NA29034, and DE-FC52-08NA28616.

International Ultraviolet Explorer observations of the peculiar variable spectrum of the eclipsing binary R Arae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccluskey, G. E.; Kondo, Y.

1983-01-01

The eclipsing binary system R Arae = HD 149730 is a relatively bright southern system with an orbital period of about 4.4 days. It is a single-lined spectroscopic binary. The spectral class of the primary component is B9 Vp. The system was included in a study of mass flow and evolution in close binary systems using the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite (IUE). Four spectra in the wavelength range from 1150 to 1900 A were obtained with the far-ultraviolet SWP camera, and six spectra in the range from 1900 to 3200 range were obtained with the mid-ultraviolet LWR camera. The close binary R Arae exhibits very unusual ultraviolet spectra. It appears that no other close binary system, observed with any of the orbiting satellites, shows outside-eclipse ultraviolet continuum flux variations of this nature.

On the Induced Gravitational Collapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becerra, Laura M.; Bianco, Carlo; Fryer, Chris; Rueda, Jorge; Ruffini, Remo

2018-01-01

The induced gravitational collapse (IGC) paradigm has been applied to explain the long gamma ray burst (GRB) associated with type Ic supernova, and recently the Xray flashes (XRFs). The progenitor is a binary systems of a carbon-oxygen core (CO) and a neutron star (NS). The CO core collapses and undergoes a supernova explosion which triggers the hypercritical accretion onto the NS companion (up to 10-2 M⊙s-1). For the binary driven hypernova (BdHNe), the binary system is enough bound, the NS reach its critical mass, and collapse to a black hole (BH) with a GRB emission characterized by an isotropic energy Eiso > 1052 erg. Otherwise, for binary systems with larger binary separations, the hypercritical accretion onto the NS is not sufficient to induced its gravitational collapse, a X-ray flash is produced with Eiso < 1052 erg. We're going to focus in identify the binary parameters that limits the BdHNe systems with the XRFs systems.

A More Stringent Constraint on the Mass Ratio of Binary Neutron Star Merger GW170817

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, He; Cao, Zhoujian; Ai, Shunke; Zhang, Bing

2017-12-01

Recently, the LIGO–Virgo Collaborations reported their first detection of gravitational-wave (GW) signals from the low-mass compact binary merger GW170817, which is most likely due to a double neutron star (NS) merger. With the GW signals only, the chirp mass of the binary is precisely constrained to {1.188}-0.002+0.004 {M}ȯ , but the mass ratio is loosely constrained in the range 0.4–1, so that a very rough estimation of the individual NS masses (1.36 M ⊙ < M 1 < 2.26 M ⊙ and 0.86 M ⊙ < M 2 < 1.36 M ⊙) was obtained. Here, we propose that if one can constrain the dynamical ejecta mass through performing kilonova modeling of the optical/IR data, by utilizing an empirical relation between the dynamical ejecta mass and the mass ratio of NS binaries, one may place a more stringent constraint on the mass ratio of the system. For instance, considering that the red “kilonova” component is powered by the dynamical ejecta, we reach a tight constraint on the mass ratio in the range of 0.46–0.59. Alternatively, if the blue “kilonova” component is powered by the dynamical ejecta, the mass ratio would be constrained in the range of 0.53–0.67. Overall, such a multi-messenger approach could narrow down the mass ratio of GW170817 system to the range of 0.46–0.67, which gives a more precise estimation of the individual NS mass than pure GW signal analysis, i.e., 1.61 M ⊙ < M 1 < 2.11 M ⊙ and 0.90 M ⊙ < M 2 < 1.16 M ⊙.

Electron Capture Supernovae from Close Binary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poelarends, Arend J. T.; Wurtz, Scott; Tarka, James; Cole Adams, L.; Hills, Spencer T.

2017-12-01

We present the first detailed study of the Electron Capture Supernova Channel (ECSN Channel) for a primary star in a close binary star system. Progenitors of ECSN occupy the lower end of the mass spectrum of supernova progenitors and are thought to form the transition between white dwarf progenitors and core-collapse progenitors. The mass range for ECSN from close binary systems is thought to be wider than the range for single stars, because of the effects of mass transfer on the helium core. Using the MESA stellar evolution code, we explored the parameter space of initial primary masses between 8 and 17 {M}⊙ , using a large grid of models. We find that the initial primary mass and the mass transfer evolution are important factors in the final fate of stars in this mass range. Mass transfer due to Roche lobe overflow during and after carbon burning causes the core to cool down so that it avoids neon ignition, even in helium-free cores with masses up to 1.52 {M}⊙ , which in single stars would ignite neon. If the core is able to contract to high enough densities for electron captures to commence, we find that, for the adopted Ledoux convection criterion, the initial mass range for the primary to evolve into an ECSN is between 13.5 and 17.6 {M}⊙ . The mass ratio, initial period, and mass-loss efficiency only marginally affect the predicted ranges.

Ground-based detectability of terrestrial and Jovian extrasolar planets: observations of CM Draconis at Lick Observatory.

PubMed

Doyle, L R; Dunham, E T; Deeg, H J; Blue, J E; Jenkins, J M

1996-06-25

The detection of terrestrial-sized extrasolar planets from the ground has been thought to be virtually impossible due to atmospheric scintillation limits. However, we show that this is not the case especially selected (but nevertheless main sequence) stars, namely small eclipsing binaries. For the smallest of these systems, CM Draconis, several months to a few years of photometric observations with 1-m-class telescopes will be sufficient to detect the transits of any short-period planets of sizes > or = 1.5 Earth radii (RE), using cross-correlation analysis with moderately good photometry. Somewhat larger telescopes will be needed to extend this detectability to terrestrial planets in larger eclipsing binary systems. (We arbitrarily define "terrestrial planets" herein as those whose disc areas are closer to that of Earth's than Neptune's i.e., less than about 2.78 RE.) As a "spin-off" of such observations, we will also be able to detect the presence of Jovian-mass planets without transits using the timing of the eclipse minima. Eclipse minima will drift in time as the binary system is offset by a sufficiently massive planet (i.e., one Jupiter mass) about the binary/giant-planet barycenter, causing a periodic variation in the light travel time to the observer. We present here an outline of present observations taking place at the University of California Lick Observatory using the Crossley 0.9-m telescope in collaboration with other observatories (in South Korea, Crete, France, Canary Islands, and New York) to detect or constrain the existence of terrestrial planets around main sequence eclipsing binary star systems, starting with CM Draconis. We demonstrate the applicability of photometric data to the general detection of gas giant planets via eclipse minima timings in many other small-mass eclipsing binary systems as well.

Ground-based detectability of terrestrial and Jovian extrasolar planets: observations of CM Draconis at Lick Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doyle, L. R.; Dunham, E. T.; Deeg, H. J.; Blue, J. E.; Jenkins, J. M.

1996-01-01

The detection of terrestrial-sized extrasolar planets from the ground has been thought to be virtually impossible due to atmospheric scintillation limits. However, we show that this is not the case especially selected (but nevertheless main sequence) stars, namely small eclipsing binaries. For the smallest of these systems, CM Draconis, several months to a few years of photometric observations with 1-m-class telescopes will be sufficient to detect the transits of any short-period planets of sizes > or = 1.5 Earth radii (RE), using cross-correlation analysis with moderately good photometry. Somewhat larger telescopes will be needed to extend this detectability to terrestrial planets in larger eclipsing binary systems. (We arbitrarily define "terrestrial planets" herein as those whose disc areas are closer to that of Earth's than Neptune's i.e., less than about 2.78 RE.) As a "spin-off" of such observations, we will also be able to detect the presence of Jovian-mass planets without transits using the timing of the eclipse minima. Eclipse minima will drift in time as the binary system is offset by a sufficiently massive planet (i.e., one Jupiter mass) about the binary/giant-planet barycenter, causing a periodic variation in the light travel time to the observer. We present here an outline of present observations taking place at the University of California Lick Observatory using the Crossley 0.9-m telescope in collaboration with other observatories (in South Korea, Crete, France, Canary Islands, and New York) to detect or constrain the existence of terrestrial planets around main sequence eclipsing binary star systems, starting with CM Draconis. We demonstrate the applicability of photometric data to the general detection of gas giant planets via eclipse minima timings in many other small-mass eclipsing binary systems as well.

Orbital synchronization capture of two binaries emitting gravitational waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seto, Naoki

2018-03-01

We study the possibility of orbital synchronization capture for a hierarchical quadrupole stellar system composed by two binaries emitting gravitational waves. Based on a simple model including the mass transfer for white dwarf binaries, we find that the capture might be realized for inter-binary distances less than their gravitational wavelength. We also discuss related intriguing phenomena such as a parasitic relation between the coupled white dwarf binaries and significant reductions of gravitational and electromagnetic radiations.

Mesoscopic Community Structure of Financial Markets Revealed by Price and Sign Fluctuations.

PubMed

Almog, Assaf; Besamusca, Ferry; MacMahon, Mel; Garlaschelli, Diego

2015-01-01

The mesoscopic organization of complex systems, from financial markets to the brain, is an intermediate between the microscopic dynamics of individual units (stocks or neurons, in the mentioned cases), and the macroscopic dynamics of the system as a whole. The organization is determined by "communities" of units whose dynamics, represented by time series of activity, is more strongly correlated internally than with the rest of the system. Recent studies have shown that the binary projections of various financial and neural time series exhibit nontrivial dynamical features that resemble those of the original data. This implies that a significant piece of information is encoded into the binary projection (i.e. the sign) of such increments. Here, we explore whether the binary signatures of multiple time series can replicate the same complex community organization of the financial market, as the original weighted time series. We adopt a method that has been specifically designed to detect communities from cross-correlation matrices of time series data. Our analysis shows that the simpler binary representation leads to a community structure that is almost identical with that obtained using the full weighted representation. These results confirm that binary projections of financial time series contain significant structural information.

Merging Black Hole Binaries in Galactic Nuclei: Implications for Advanced-LIGO Detections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonini, Fabio; Rasio, Frederic A.

2016-11-01

Motivated by the recent detection of gravitational waves from the black hole binary merger GW150914, we study the dynamical evolution of (stellar-mass) black holes in galactic nuclei, where massive star clusters reside. With masses of ˜ {10}7 {M}⊙ and sizes of only a few parsecs, nuclear star clusters (NSCs) are the densest stellar systems observed in the local universe and represent a robust environment where black hole binaries can dynamically form, harden, and merge. We show that due to their large escape speeds, NSCs can retain a large fraction of their merger remnants. Successive mergers can then lead to significant growth and produce black hole mergers of several tens of solar masses similar to GW150914 and up to a few hundreds of solar masses, without the need to invoke extremely low metallicity environments. We use a semi-analytical approach to describe the dynamics of black holes in massive star clusters. Our models give a black hole binary merger rate of ≈ 1.5 {{Gpc}}-3 {{yr}}-1 from NSCs, implying up to a few tens of possible detections per year with Advanced LIGO. Moreover, we find a local merger rate of ˜ 1 {{Gpc}}-3 {{yr}}-1 for high mass black hole binaries similar to GW150914; a merger rate comparable to or higher than that of similar binaries assembled dynamically in globular clusters (GCs). Finally, we show that if all black holes receive high natal kicks, ≳ 50 {km} {{{s}}}-1, then NSCs will dominate the local merger rate of binary black holes compared to either GCs or isolated binary evolution.

Discovery of a Free-Floating Double Planet?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-07-01

An object previously identified as a free-floating, large Jupiter analogturns out to be two objects each with the mass of a few Jupiters. This system is the lowest-mass binary weve ever discovered.Tracking Down Ages2MASS J111932541137466 is thought to be a member of the TW Hydrae Association, a group of roughly two dozen young stars moving together in the solar neighborhood. [University of Western Ontario/Carnegie Institution of Washington DTM/David Rodriguez]Brown dwarfs represent the bottom end of the stellar mass spectrum, with masses too low to fuse hydrogen (typically below 75-80 Jupiter masses). Observing these objects provides us a unique opportunity to learn about stellar evolution and atmospheric models but to properly understand these observations, we need to determine the dwarfs masses and ages.This is surprisingly difficult, however. Brown dwarfs cool continuously as they age, which creates an observational degeneracy: dwarfs of different masses and ages can have the same luminosity, making it difficult to infer their physical properties from observations.We can solve this problem with an independent measurement of the dwarfs masses. One approach is to find brown dwarfs that are members of nearby stellar associations called moving groups. The stars within the association share the same approximate age, so a brown dwarfs age can be estimated based on the easier-to-identify ages of other stars in the group.An Unusual BinaryRecently, a team of scientists led by William Best (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii) were following up on such an object: the extremely red, low-gravity L7 dwarf 2MASS J111932541137466, possibly a member of the TW Hydrae Association. With the help of the powerful adaptive optics on the Keck II telescope in Hawaii, however, the team discovered that this Jupiter-like objectwas hiding something: its actually two objects of equal flux orbiting each other.Keck images of 2MASS J111932541137466 reveal that this object is actually a binary system. A similar image of another dwarf, WISEA J1147-2040, is shown at bottom left for contrast: this one does not show signs of being a binary at this resolution. [Best et al. 2017]To learn more about this unusual binary, Best and collaborators began by using observed properties like sky position, proper motion, and radial velocity to estimate the likelihood that 2MASS J111932541137466AB is, indeed, a member of the TW Hydrae Association of stars. They found roughly an 80% chance that it belongs to this group.Under this assumption, the authors then used the distance to the group around 160 light-years to estimate that the binarys separation is 3.9 AU. The assumed membership in the TW Hydrae Association also provides binarys age: roughly 10 million years. This allowed Best and collaborators to estimate the masses and effective temperatures of the components from luminosities and evolutionary models.Planetary-Mass ObjectsThe positions of 2MASS J111932541137466A and B on a color-magnitude diagram for ultracool dwarfs. The binary components lie among the faintest and reddest planetary-mass L dwarfs. [Best et al. 2017]The team found that each component is a mere 3.7 Jupiter masses, placing them in the fuzzy region between planets and stars. While the International Astronomical Union considers objects below the minimum mass to fuse deuterium (around 13 Jupiter masses) to be planets, other definitions vary, depending on factors such as composition, temperature, and formation. The authors describe the binary as consisting of two planetary-mass objects.Regardless of its definition, 2MASS J111932541137466AB qualifies as the lowest-mass binary discovered to date. The individual masses of the components also place them among the lowest-mass free-floating brown dwarfs known. This system will therefore be a crucial benchmark for tests of evolutionary and atmospheric models for low-mass stars in the future.CitationWilliam M. J. Best et al 2017 ApJL 843 L4. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa76df

Surprising dissimilarities in a newly formed pair of `identical twin' stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stassun, Keivan G.; Mathieu, Robert D.; Cargile, Phillip A.; Aarnio, Alicia N.; Stempels, Eric; Geller, Aaron

2008-06-01

The mass and chemical composition of a star are the primary determinants of its basic physical properties-radius, temperature and luminosity-and how those properties evolve with time. Accordingly, two stars born at the same time, from the same natal material and with the same mass, are `identical twins,' and as such might be expected to possess identical physical attributes. We have discovered in the Orion nebula a pair of stellar twins in a newborn binary star system. Each star in the binary has a mass of 0.41+/-0.01 solar masses, identical to within 2per cent. Here we report that these twin stars have surface temperatures differing by ~300K (~10per cent) and luminosities differing by ~50per cent, both at high confidence level. Preliminary results indicate that the stars' radii also differ, by 5-10per cent. These surprising dissimilarities suggest that one of the twins may have been delayed by several hundred thousand years in its formation relative to its sibling. Such a delay could only have been detected in a very young, definitively equal-mass binary system. Our findings reveal cosmic limits on the age synchronization of young binary stars, often used as tests for the age calibrations of star-formation models.

Constraining parameters of white-dwarf binaries using gravitational-wave and electromagnetic observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shah, Sweta; Nelemans, Gijs, E-mail: s.shah@astro.ru.nl

The space-based gravitational wave (GW) detector, evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA) is expected to observe millions of compact Galactic binaries that populate our Milky Way. GW measurements obtained from the eLISA detector are in many cases complimentary to possible electromagnetic (EM) data. In our previous papers, we have shown that the EM data can significantly enhance our knowledge of the astrophysically relevant GW parameters of Galactic binaries, such as the amplitude and inclination. This is possible due to the presence of some strong correlations between GW parameters that are measurable by both EM and GW observations, for example, themore » inclination and sky position. In this paper, we quantify the constraints in the physical parameters of the white-dwarf binaries, i.e., the individual masses, chirp mass, and the distance to the source that can be obtained by combining the full set of EM measurements such as the inclination, radial velocities, distances, and/or individual masses with the GW measurements. We find the following 2σ fractional uncertainties in the parameters of interest. The EM observations of distance constrain the chirp mass to ∼15%-25%, whereas EM data of a single-lined spectroscopic binary constrain the secondary mass and the distance with factors of two to ∼40%. The single-line spectroscopic data complemented with distance constrains the secondary mass to ∼25%-30%. Finally, EM data on double-lined spectroscopic binary constrain the distance to ∼30%. All of these constraints depend on the inclination and the signal strength of the binary systems. We also find that the EM information on distance and/or the radial velocity are the most useful in improving the estimate of the secondary mass, inclination, and/or distance.« less

Masses of the components of SB2 binaries observed with Gaia - IV. Accurate SB2 orbits for 14 binaries and masses of three binaries*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiefer, F.; Halbwachs, J.-L.; Lebreton, Y.; Soubiran, C.; Arenou, F.; Pourbaix, D.; Famaey, B.; Guillout, P.; Ibata, R.; Mazeh, T.

2018-02-01

The orbital motion of non-contact double-lined spectroscopic binaries (SB2s), with periods of a few tens of days to several years, holds unique, accurate information on individual stellar masses, which only long-term monitoring can unlock. The combination of radial velocity measurements from high-resolution spectrographs and astrometric measurements from high-precision interferometers allows the derivation of SB2 component masses down to the percent precision. Since 2010, we have observed a large sample of SB2s with the SOPHIE spectrograph at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence, aiming at the derivation of orbital elements with sufficient accuracy to obtain masses of components with relative errors as low as 1 per cent when the astrometric measurements of the Gaia satellite are taken into account. In this paper, we present the results from 6 yr of observations of 14 SB2 systems with periods ranging from 33 to 4185 days. Using the TODMOR algorithm, we computed radial velocities from the spectra and then derived the orbital elements of these binary systems. The minimum masses of the 28 stellar components are then obtained with an average sample accuracy of 1.0 ± 0.2 per cent. Combining the radial velocities with existing interferometric measurements, we derived the masses of the primary and secondary components of HIP 61100, HIP 95995 and HIP 101382 with relative errors for components (A,B) of, respectively, (2.0, 1.7) per cent, (3.7, 3.7) per cent and (0.2, 0.1) per cent. Using the CESAM2K stellar evolution code, we constrained the initial He abundance, age and metallicity for HIP 61100 and HIP 95995.

Observations of Ultra-Luminous X-ray Sources, and Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colbert, E. J. M.

2004-05-01

I will review observations of Ultra-Luminous X-ray Sources (ULXs; Lx > 1E39 erg/s), in particular those observations that have helped reveal the nature of these curious objects. Some recent observations suggest that ULXs are a heterogenous class. Although ULX phenomenology is not fully understood, I will present some examples from the (possibly overlapping) sub-classes. Since ULXs are the most luminous objects in starburst galaxies, they, and ``normal'' luminous black-hole high-mass X-ray binaries are intimately tied to the global galaxian X-ray-star-formation connection. Further work is needed to understand how ULXs form, and how they are associated with the putative population of intermediate-mass black holes.

RED GIANTS IN ECLIPSING BINARY AND MULTIPLE-STAR SYSTEMS: MODELING AND ASTEROSEISMIC ANALYSIS OF 70 CANDIDATES FROM KEPLER DATA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gaulme, P.; McKeever, J.; Rawls, M. L.

2013-04-10

Red giant stars are proving to be an incredible source of information for testing models of stellar evolution, as asteroseismology has opened up a window into their interiors. Such insights are a direct result of the unprecedented data from space missions CoRoT and Kepler as well as recent theoretical advances. Eclipsing binaries are also fundamental astrophysical objects, and when coupled with asteroseismology, binaries provide two independent methods to obtain masses and radii and exciting opportunities to develop highly constrained stellar models. The possibility of discovering pulsating red giants in eclipsing binary systems is therefore an important goal that could potentiallymore » offer very robust characterization of these systems. Until recently, only one case has been discovered with Kepler. We cross-correlate the detected red giant and eclipsing-binary catalogs from Kepler data to find possible candidate systems. Light-curve modeling and mean properties measured from asteroseismology are combined to yield specific measurements of periods, masses, radii, temperatures, eclipse timing variations, core rotation rates, and red giant evolutionary state. After using three different techniques to eliminate false positives, out of the 70 systems common to the red giant and eclipsing-binary catalogs we find 13 strong candidates (12 previously unknown) to be eclipsing binaries, one to be a non-eclipsing binary with tidally induced oscillations, and 10 more to be hierarchical triple systems, all of which include a pulsating red giant. The systems span a range of orbital eccentricities, periods, and spectral types F, G, K, and M for the companion of the red giant. One case even suggests an eclipsing binary composed of two red giant stars and another of a red giant with a {delta}-Scuti star. The discovery of multiple pulsating red giants in eclipsing binaries provides an exciting test bed for precise astrophysical modeling, and follow-up spectroscopic observations of many of the candidate systems are encouraged. The resulting highly constrained stellar parameters will allow, for example, the exploration of how binary tidal interactions affect pulsations when compared to the single-star case.« less

Results of the GstLAL Search for Compact Binary Mergers in Advanced LIGO's First Observing Run

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Ryan; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration Collaboration

2017-01-01

Advanced LIGO's first observing period ended in January 2016. We discuss the GstLAL matched-filter search over this data set for gravitational waves from compact binary objects with total mass up to 100 solar masses. In particular, we discuss the recovery of the unambiguous gravitational wave signals GW150914 and GW151226, as well as the possible third signal LVT151012. Additionally, we discuss the constraints we can place on binary-neutron-star and neutron-star-black-hole system merger rates.

INTEGRAL Long-Term Monitoring of the Supergiant Fast X-Ray Transient XTE J1739-302

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blay, P.; Martinez-Nunez, S.; Negueruela, I.; Pottschmidt, K.; Smith, D. M.; Torrejon, J. M.; Reig, P.; Kretschmar, P.; Kreykenbohm, I.

2008-01-01

Context. In the past few years, a new class of High Mass X-Ray Binaries (HMXRB) has been claimed to exist, the Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients (SFXT). These are X-ray binary systems with a compact companion orbiting a supergiant star which show very short and bright outbursts in a series of activity periods overimposed on longer quiescent periods. Only very recently the first attempts to model the behaviour of these sources have been published, some of them within the framework of accretion from clumpy stellar winds. Aims. Our goal is to analyze the properties of XTE J1739-302/IGR J17391-3021 within the context of the clumpy structure of the supergiant wind. Methods. We have used INTEGRAL and RXTE/PCA observations in order to obtain broad band (1 - 200 keV) spectra and light curves of XTE J1739-302 and investigate its X-ray spectrum and temporal variability. Results. We have found that XTE J1739-302 follows a much more complex behaviour than expected. Far from presenting a regular variability pattern, XTE J1739-302 shows periods of high, intermediate, and low flaring activity.

I-process Nucleosynthesis and Mass Retention Efficiency in He-shell Flash Evolution of Rapidly Accreting White Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denissenkov, Pavel A.; Herwig, Falk; Battino, Umberto; Ritter, Christian; Pignatari, Marco; Jones, Samuel; Paxton, Bill

2017-01-01

Based on stellar evolution simulations, we demonstrate that rapidly accreting white dwarfs (WDs) in close binary systems are an astrophysical site for the intermediate neutron-capture process. During recurrent and very strong He-shell flashes in the stable H-burning accretion regime H-rich material enters the He-shell flash convection zone. {}12{{C}}(p,γ ){}13{{N}} reactions release enough energy to potentially impact convection, and I process is activated through the {}13{{C}}{(α ,{{n}})}16{{O}} reaction. The H-ingestion flash may not cause a split of the convection zone as it was seen in simulations of He-shell flashes in post-AGB and low-Z asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. We estimate that for the production of first-peak heavy elements this site can be of similar importance for galactic chemical evolution as the s-process production by low-mass AGB stars. The He-shell flashes result in the expansion and, ultimately, ejection of the accreted and then I-process enriched material, via super-Eddington-luminosity winds or Roche-lobe overflow. The WD models do not retain any significant amount of the accreted mass, with a He retention efficiency of ≲ 10 % depending on mass and convective boundary mixing assumptions. This makes the evolutionary path of such systems to supernova Ia explosion highly unlikely.

An eclipsing post common-envelope system consisting of a pulsating hot subdwarf B star and a brown dwarf companion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaffenroth, V.; Barlow, B. N.; Drechsel, H.; Dunlap, B. H.

2015-04-01

Hot subdwarf B stars (sdBs) are evolved, core helium-burning objects located on the extreme horizontal branch. Their formation history is still puzzling because the sdB progenitors must lose nearly all of their hydrogen envelope during the red-giant phase. About half of the known sdBs are in close binaries with periods from 1.2 h to a few days, which implies that they experienced a common-envelope phase. Eclipsing hot subdwarf binaries (also called HW Virginis systems) are rare but important objects for determining fundamental stellar parameters. Even more significant and uncommon are those binaries containing a pulsating sdB, since the mass can be determined independently by asteroseismology. Here we present a first analysis of the eclipsing hot subdwarf binary V2008-1753. The light curve shows a total eclipse, a prominent reflection effect, and low-amplitude pulsations with periods from 150 to 180 s. An analysis of the light- and radial velocity curves indicates a mass ratio close to q = 0.146, an radial velocity semi-amplitude of K = 54.6 km s-1, and an inclination of i = 86.8°. Combining these results with our spectroscopic determination of the surface gravity, log g = 5.83, the best-fitting model yields an sdB mass of 0.47 M⊙ and a companion mass of 69 MJup. Because the latter mass is below the hydrogen-burning limit, V2008-1753 represents the first HW Vir system that is known to consist of a pulsating sdB and a brown dwarf companion. Consequently, it holds strong potential for better constraining models of sdB binary evolution and asteroseismology.

A brown dwarf mass donor in an accreting binary.

PubMed

Littlefair, S P; Dhillon, V S; Marsh, T R; Gänsicke, Boris T; Southworth, John; Watson, C A

2006-12-08

A long-standing and unverified prediction of binary star evolution theory is the existence of a population of white dwarfs accreting from substellar donor stars. Such systems ought to be common, but the difficulty of finding them, combined with the challenge of detecting the donor against the light from accretion, means that no donor star to date has a measured mass below the hydrogen burning limit. We applied a technique that allowed us to reliably measure the mass of the unseen donor star in eclipsing systems. We were able to identify a brown dwarf donor star, with a mass of 0.052 +/- 0.002 solar mass. The relatively high mass of the donor star for its orbital period suggests that current evolutionary models may underestimate the radii of brown dwarfs.

GW170608: Observation of a 19 Solar-mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Adya, V. B.; Affeldt, C.; Afrough, M.; Agarwal, B.; Agathos, M.; Agatsuma, K.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Aiello, L.; Ain, A.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Allen, G.; Allocca, A.; Altin, P. A.; Amato, A.; Ananyeva, A.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Angelova, S. V.; Antier, S.; Appert, S.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Areeda, J. S.; Arnaud, N.; Arun, K. G.; Ascenzi, S.; Ashton, G.; Ast, M.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Atallah, D. V.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; AultONeal, K.; Austin, C.; Avila-Alvarez, A.; Babak, S.; Bacon, P.; Bader, M. K. M.; Bae, S.; Baker, P. T.; Baldaccini, F.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Banagiri, S.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barclay, S. E.; Barish, B. C.; Barker, D.; Barkett, K.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barta, D.; Bartlett, J.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J. C.; Bawaj, M.; Bayley, J. C.; Bazzan, M.; Bécsy, B.; Beer, C.; Bejger, M.; Belahcene, I.; Bell, A. S.; Berger, B. K.; Bergmann, G.; Bero, J. J.; Berry, C. P. L.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Bhagwat, S.; Bhandare, R.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Billman, C. R.; Birch, J.; Birney, R.; Birnholtz, O.; Biscans, S.; Biscoveanu, S.; Bisht, A.; Bitossi, M.; Biwer, C.; Bizouard, M. A.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackman, J.; Blair, C. D.; Blair, D. G.; Blair, R. M.; Bloemen, S.; Bock, O.; Bode, N.; Boer, M.; Bogaert, G.; Bohe, A.; Bondu, F.; Bonilla, E.; Bonnand, R.; Boom, B. A.; Bork, R.; Boschi, V.; Bose, S.; Bossie, K.; Bouffanais, Y.; Bozzi, A.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Briant, T.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Brockill, P.; Broida, J. E.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brunett, S.; Buchanan, C. C.; Buikema, A.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cabero, M.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Cahillane, C.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Callister, T. A.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Canepa, M.; Canizares, P.; Cannon, K. C.; Cao, H.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Capocasa, E.; Carbognani, F.; Caride, S.; Carney, M. F.; Casanueva Diaz, J.; Casentini, C.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C. B.; Cerdá-Durán, P.; Cerretani, G.; Cesarini, E.; Chamberlin, S. J.; Chan, M.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chase, E.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chatterjee, D.; Chatziioannou, K.; Cheeseboro, B. D.; Chen, H. Y.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Cheng, H.-P.; Chia, H.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Chmiel, T.; Cho, H. S.; Cho, M.; Chow, J. H.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, A. J. K.; Chua, S.; Chung, A. K. W.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Ciolfi, R.; Cirelli, C. E.; Cirone, A.; Clara, F.; Clark, J. A.; Clearwater, P.; Cleva, F.; Cocchieri, C.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Cohen, D.; Colla, A.; Collette, C. G.; Cominsky, L. R.; Constancio, M., Jr.; Conti, L.; Cooper, S. J.; Corban, P.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordero-Carrión, I.; Corley, K. R.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Cortese, S.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coughlin, S. B.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S. T.; Couvares, P.; Covas, P. B.; Cowan, E. E.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M. J.; Coyne, D. C.; Coyne, R.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Cripe, J.; Crowder, S. G.; Cullen, T. J.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dal Canton, T.; Dálya, G.; Danilishin, S. L.; D’Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dasgupta, A.; Da Silva Costa, C. F.; Dattilo, V.; Dave, I.; Davier, M.; Davis, D.; Daw, E. J.; Day, B.; De, S.; DeBra, D.; Degallaix, J.; De Laurentis, M.; Deléglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Demos, N.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; De Pietri, R.; Dergachev, V.; De Rosa, R.; DeRosa, R. T.; De Rossi, C.; DeSalvo, R.; de Varona, O.; Devenson, J.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M. C.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Giovanni, M.; Di Girolamo, T.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Pace, S.; Di Palma, I.; Di Renzo, F.; Doctor, Z.; Dolique, V.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Dorrington, I.; Douglas, R.; Dovale Álvarez, M.; Downes, T. P.; Drago, M.; Dreissigacker, C.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Ducrot, M.; Dupej, P.; Dwyer, S. E.; Edo, T. B.; Edwards, M. C.; Effler, A.; Eggenstein, H.-B.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Eisenstein, R. A.; Essick, R. C.; Estevez, D.; Etienne, Z. B.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T. M.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fair, H.; Fairhurst, S.; Fan, X.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W. M.; Fauchon-Jones, E. J.; Favata, M.; Fays, M.; Fee, C.; Fehrmann, H.; Feicht, J.; Fejer, M. M.; Fernandez-Galiana, A.; Ferrante, I.; Ferreira, E. C.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Finstad, D.; Fiori, I.; Fiorucci, D.; Fishbach, M.; Fisher, R. P.; Fitz-Axen, M.; Flaminio, R.; Fletcher, M.; Fong, H.; Font, J. A.; Forsyth, P. W. F.; Forsyth, S. S.; Fournier, J.-D.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Frey, V.; Fries, E. M.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gabbard, H.; Gadre, B. U.; Gaebel, S. M.; Gair, J. R.; Gammaitoni, L.; Ganija, M. R.; Gaonkar, S. G.; Garcia-Quiros, C.; Garufi, F.; Gateley, B.; Gaudio, S.; Gaur, G.; Gayathri, V.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; George, D.; George, J.; Gergely, L.; Germain, V.; Ghonge, S.; Ghosh, Abhirup; Ghosh, Archisman; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, K.; Glover, L.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gomes, S.; Goncharov, B.; González, G.; Gonzalez Castro, J. M.; Gopakumar, A.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S. E.; Gosselin, M.; Gouaty, R.; Grado, A.; Graef, C.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greco, G.; Green, A. C.; Gretarsson, E. M.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Gruning, P.; Guidi, G. M.; Guo, X.; Gupta, A.; Gupta, M. K.; Gushwa, K. E.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Halim, O.; Hall, B. R.; Hall, E. D.; Hamilton, E. Z.; Hammond, G.; Haney, M.; Hanke, M. M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hannam, M. D.; Hannuksela, O. A.; Hanson, J.; Hardwick, T.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Hart, M. J.; Haster, C.-J.; Haughian, K.; Healy, J.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M. C.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Hennig, J.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hild, S.; Hinderer, T.; Hoak, D.; Hofman, D.; Holt, K.; Holz, D. E.; Hopkins, P.; Horst, C.; Hough, J.; Houston, E. A.; Howell, E. J.; Hreibi, A.; Hu, Y. M.; Huerta, E. A.; Huet, D.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Indik, N.; Inta, R.; Intini, G.; Isa, H. N.; Isac, J.-M.; Isi, M.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacqmin, T.; Jani, K.; Jaranowski, P.; Jawahar, S.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Johnson-McDaniel, N. K.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; Junker, J.; Kalaghatgi, C. V.; Kalogera, V.; Kamai, B.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kapadia, S. J.; Karki, S.; Karvinen, K. S.; Kasprzack, M.; Katolik, M.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, S.; Kawabe, K.; Kéfélian, F.; Keitel, D.; Kemball, A. J.; Kennedy, R.; Kent, C.; Key, J. S.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khan, I.; Khan, S.; Khan, Z.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kijbunchoo, N.; Kim, Chunglee; Kim, J. C.; Kim, K.; Kim, W.; Kim, W. S.; Kim, Y.-M.; Kimbrell, S. J.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kinley-Hanlon, M.; Kirchhoff, R.; Kissel, J. S.; Kleybolte, L.; Klimenko, S.; Knowles, T. D.; Koch, P.; Koehlenbeck, S. M.; Koley, S.; Kondrashov, V.; Kontos, A.; Korobko, M.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D. B.; Krämer, C.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kumar, S.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Kwang, S.; Lackey, B. D.; Lai, K. H.; Landry, M.; Lang, R. N.; Lange, J.; Lantz, B.; Lanza, R. K.; Lartaux-Vollard, A.; Lasky, P. D.; Laxen, M.; Lazzarini, A.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, H. W.; Lee, K.; Lehmann, J.; Lenon, A.; Leonardi, M.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Li, T. G. F.; Linker, S. D.; Littenberg, T. B.; Liu, J.; Lo, R. K. L.; Lockerbie, N. A.; London, L. T.; Lord, J. E.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J. D.; Lousto, C. O.; Lovelace, G.; Lück, H.; Lumaca, D.; Lundgren, A. P.; Lynch, R.; Ma, Y.; Macas, R.; Macfoy, S.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magaña Hernandez, I.; Magaña-Sandoval, F.; Magaña Zertuche, L.; Magee, R. M.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Man, N.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mansell, G. L.; Manske, M.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markakis, C.; Markosyan, A. S.; Markowitz, A.; Maros, E.; Marquina, A.; Martelli, F.; Martellini, L.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martynov, D. V.; Mason, K.; Massera, E.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Masso-Reid, M.; Mastrogiovanni, S.; Matas, A.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazumder, N.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McCormick, S.; McCuller, L.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McManus, D. J.; McNeill, L.; McRae, T.; McWilliams, S. T.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meidam, J.; Mejuto-Villa, E.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Merilh, E. L.; Merzougui, M.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Messick, C.; Metzdorff, R.; Meyers, P. M.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Middleton, H.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Miller, A. L.; Miller, B. B.; Miller, J.; Millhouse, M.; Milovich-Goff, M. C.; Minazzoli, O.; Minenkov, Y.; Ming, J.; Mishra, C.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moffa, D.; Moggi, A.; Mogushi, K.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Montani, M.; Moore, C. J.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morriss, S. R.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, G.; Muir, A. W.; Mukherjee, Arunava; Mukherjee, D.; Mukherjee, S.; Mukund, N.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Muñiz, E. A.; Muratore, M.; Murray, P. G.; Napier, K.; Nardecchia, I.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R. K.; Neilson, J.; Nelemans, G.; Nelson, T. J. N.; Nery, M.; Neunzert, A.; Nevin, L.; Newport, J. M.; Newton, G.; Ng, K. K. Y.; Nguyen, T. T.; Nichols, D.; Nielsen, A. B.; Nissanke, S.; Nitz, A.; Noack, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; North, C.; Nuttall, L. K.; Oberling, J.; O’Dea, G. D.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Okada, M. A.; Oliver, M.; Oppermann, P.; Oram, Richard J.; O’Reilly, B.; Ormiston, R.; Ortega, L. F.; O’Shaughnessy, R.; Ossokine, S.; Ottaway, D. J.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Pace, A. E.; Page, J.; Page, M. A.; Pai, A.; Pai, S. A.; Palamos, J. R.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pal-Singh, A.; Pan, Howard; Pan, Huang-Wei; Pang, B.; Pang, P. T. H.; Pankow, C.; Pannarale, F.; Pant, B. C.; Paoletti, F.; Paoli, A.; Papa, M. A.; Parida, A.; Parker, W.; Pascucci, D.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patil, M.; Patricelli, B.; Pearlstone, B. L.; Pedraza, M.; Pedurand, R.; Pekowsky, L.; Pele, A.; Penn, S.; Perez, C. J.; Perreca, A.; Perri, L. M.; Pfeiffer, H. P.; Phelps, M.; Piccinni, O. J.; Pichot, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pillant, G.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pirello, M.; Pitkin, M.; Poe, M.; Poggiani, R.; Popolizio, P.; Porter, E. K.; Post, A.; Powell, J.; Prasad, J.; Pratt, J. W. W.; Pratten, G.; Predoi, V.; Prestegard, T.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L. G.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Pürrer, M.; Qi, H.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E. A.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajan, C.; Rajbhandari, B.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramirez, K. E.; Ramos-Buades, A.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Razzano, M.; Read, J.; Regimbau, T.; Rei, L.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Ren, W.; Reyes, S. D.; Ricci, F.; Ricker, P. M.; Rieger, S.; Riles, K.; Rizzo, M.; Robertson, N. A.; Robie, R.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Roma, V. J.; Romano, R.; Romel, C. L.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Ross, M. P.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Rutins, G.; Ryan, K.; Sachdev, S.; Sadecki, T.; Sadeghian, L.; Sakellariadou, M.; Salconi, L.; Saleem, M.; Salemi, F.; Samajdar, A.; Sammut, L.; Sampson, L. M.; Sanchez, E. J.; Sanchez, L. E.; Sanchis-Gual, N.; Sandberg, V.; Sanders, J. R.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Sauter, O.; Savage, R. L.; Sawadsky, A.; Schale, P.; Scheel, M.; Scheuer, J.; Schmidt, J.; Schmidt, P.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schönbeck, A.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schulte, B. W.; Schutz, B. F.; Schwalbe, S. G.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Seidel, E.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shaffer, T. J.; Shah, A. A.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaner, M. B.; Shao, L.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Sheperd, A.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Shoemaker, D. M.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sieniawska, M.; Sigg, D.; Silva, A. D.; Singer, L. P.; Singh, A.; Singhal, A.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Smith, B.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, R. J. E.; Somala, S.; Son, E. J.; Sonnenberg, J. A.; Sorazu, B.; Sorrentino, F.; Souradeep, T.; Spencer, A. P.; Srivastava, A. K.; Staats, K.; Staley, A.; Steinke, M.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steinmeyer, D.; Stevenson, S. P.; Stone, R.; Stops, D. J.; Strain, K. A.; Stratta, G.; Strigin, S. E.; Strunk, A.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sun, L.; Sunil, S.; Suresh, J.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B. L.; Szczepańczyk, M. J.; Tacca, M.; Tait, S. C.; Talbot, C.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tápai, M.; Taracchini, A.; Tasson, J. D.; Taylor, J. A.; Taylor, R.; Tewari, S. V.; Theeg, T.; Thies, F.; Thomas, E. G.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, S.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Toland, K.; Tonelli, M.; Tornasi, Z.; Torres-Forné, A.; Torrie, C. I.; Töyrä, D.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Trinastic, J.; Tringali, M. C.; Trozzo, L.; Tsang, K. W.; Tse, M.; Tso, R.; Tsukada, L.; Tsuna, D.; Tuyenbayev, D.; Ueno, K.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Usman, S. A.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Valdes, G.; van Bakel, N.; van Beuzekom, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; Vander-Hyde, D. C.; van der Schaaf, L.; van Heijningen, J. V.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vardaro, M.; Varma, V.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Venugopalan, G.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Viets, A. D.; Vinciguerra, S.; Vine, D. J.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vyatchanin, S. P.; Wade, A. R.; Wade, L. E.; Wade, M.; Walet, R.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Walsh, S.; Wang, G.; Wang, H.; Wang, J. Z.; Wang, W. H.; Wang, Y. F.; Ward, R. L.; Warner, J.; Was, M.; Watchi, J.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Wen, L.; Wessel, E. K.; Weßels, P.; Westerweck, J.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whiting, B. F.; Whittle, C.; Wilken, D.; Williams, D.; Williams, R. D.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M. H.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Woehler, J.; Wofford, J.; Wong, K. W. K.; Worden, J.; Wright, J. L.; Wu, D. S.; Wysocki, D. M.; Xiao, S.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, L.; Yap, M. J.; Yazback, M.; Yu, Hang; Yu, Haocun; Yvert, M.; Zadrożny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zelenova, T.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zevin, M.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, M.; Zhang, T.; Zhang, Y.-H.; Zhao, C.; Zhou, M.; Zhou, Z.; Zhu, S. J.; Zhu, X. J.; Zimmerman, A. B.; Zucker, M. E.; Zweizig, J.; (LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

2017-12-01

On 2017 June 8 at 02:01:16.49 UTC, a gravitational-wave (GW) signal from the merger of two stellar-mass black holes was observed by the two Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory detectors with a network signal-to-noise ratio of 13. This system is the lightest black hole binary so far observed, with component masses of {12}-2+7 {M}ȯ and {7}-2+2 {M}ȯ (90% credible intervals). These lie in the range of measured black hole masses in low-mass X-ray binaries, thus allowing us to compare black holes detected through GWs with electromagnetic observations. The source’s luminosity distance is {340}-140+140 {Mpc}, corresponding to redshift {0.07}-0.03+0.03. We verify that the signal waveform is consistent with the predictions of general relativity.

Low-mass X-ray binaries from black hole retaining globular clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giesler, Matthew; Clausen, Drew; Ott, Christian D.

2018-06-01

Recent studies suggest that globular clusters (GCs) may retain a substantial population of stellar-mass black holes (BHs), in contrast to the long-held belief of a few to zero BHs. We model the population of BH low-mass X-ray binaries (BH-LMXBs), an ideal observable proxy for elusive single BHs, produced from a representative group of Milky Way GCs with variable BH populations. We simulate the formation of BH binaries in GCs through exchange interactions between binary and single stars in the company of tens to hundreds of BHs. Additionally, we consider the impact of the BH population on the rate of compact binaries undergoing gravitational wave driven mergers. The characteristics of the BH-LMXB population and binary properties are sensitive to the GCs structural parameters as well as its unobservable BH population. We find that GCs retaining ˜1000 BHs produce a galactic population of ˜150 ejected BH-LMXBs, whereas GCs retaining only ˜20 BHs produce zero ejected BH-LMXBs. Moreover, we explore the possibility that some of the presently known BH-LMXBs might have originated in GCs and identify five candidate systems.

Cepheid binaries with large mass ratios (M1/M2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Nancy Remage

1988-01-01

The IUE observations of 3 Cepheid systems (Polaris, FF Aql, and S Sge) are used to derive, or set limits on, the temperatures and masses of the companions. Light from the companions of FF Aql and S Sge from 1700 to 2000 A is consistent with an A5 to A7 main sequence companion for both Cepheids, with a mass of 1.8 solar mass. This mass for the companion of S Sge is smaller than required by the orbital mass function and an evolutionary mass of the Cepheid, suggesting that the companion may itself be a binary. For Polaris, the mass of the companion must be less than 1.8 solar mass.

A PHOTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF SEVENTEEN BINARY STARS USING SPECKLE IMAGING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davidson, James W.; Baptista, Brian J.; Horch, Elliott P.

2009-11-15

Magnitude differences obtained from speckle imaging are used in combination with other data in the literature to place the components of binary star systems on the H-R diagram. Isochrones are compared with the positions obtained, and a best-fit isochrone is determined for each system, yielding both masses of the components as well as an age range consistent with the system parameters. Seventeen systems are studied, 12 of which were observed with the 0.6 m Lowell-Tololo Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory and six of which were observed with the WIYN 3.5 m Telescope (The WIYN Observatory is a joint facilitymore » of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Indiana University, Yale University, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatories) at Kitt Peak. One system was observed from both sites. In comparing photometric masses to mass information from orbit determinations, we find that the photometric masses agree very well with the dynamical masses, and are generally more precise. For three systems, no dynamical masses exist at present, and therefore the photometrically determined values are the first mass estimates derived for these components.« less

Hot subdwarfs in (eclipsing) binaries with brown dwarf or low-mass main-sequence companions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaffenroth, Veronika; Geier, Stephan; Heber, Uli

2014-09-01

The formation of hot subdwarf stars (sdBs), which are core helium-burning stars located on the extended horizontal branch, is not yet understood. Many of the known hot subdwarf stars reside in close binary systems with short orbital periods of between a few hours and a few days, with either M-star or white-dwarf companions. Common-envelope ejection is the most probable formation channel. Among these, eclipsing systems are of special importance because it is possible to constrain the parameters of both components tightly by combining spectroscopic and light-curve analyses. They are called HW Virginis systems. Soker (1998) proposed that planetary or brown-dwarf companions could cause the mass loss necessary to form an sdB. Substellar objects with masses greater than >10 M_J were predicted to survive the common-envelope phase and end up in a close orbit around the stellar remnant, while planets with lower masses would entirely evaporate. This raises the question if planets can affect stellar evolution. Here we report on newly discovered eclipsing or not eclipsing hot subdwarf binaries with brown-dwarf or low-mass main-sequence companions and their spectral and photometric analysis to determine the fundamental parameters of both components.

A spectroscopic search for colliding stellar winds in O-type close binary systems. I - AO Cassiopeiae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gies, Douglas R.; Wiggs, Michael S.

1991-01-01

AO Cas, a short-period, double-lined spectroscopic binary, is studied as part of a search for spectroscopic evidence of colliding stellar winds in binary systems of O-type stars. High S/N ratio spectra of the H-alpha and He I 6678-A line profiles are presented, and their orbital-phase-related variations are examined in order to derive the location and motions of high-density circumstellar gas in the system. These profile variations are compared with those observed in the UV stellar wind lines in IUE archival spectra. IUE spectra are also used to derive a system mass ratio by constructing cross-correlation functions of a single-lined phase spectrum with each of the other spectra. The resulting mass ratio is consistent with the rotational line broadening of the primary star, if the primary is rotating synchronously with the binary system. The best-fit models were found to have an inclination of 61.1 deg + or - 3.0 deg and have a primary which is close to filling its critical Roche lobe.

Improvements to the construction of binary black hole initial data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ossokine, Serguei; Foucart, Francois; Pfeiffer, Harald P.; Boyle, Michael; Szilágyi, Béla

2015-12-01

Construction of binary black hole initial data is a prerequisite for numerical evolutions of binary black holes. This paper reports improvements to the binary black hole initial data solver in the spectral Einstein code, to allow robust construction of initial data for mass-ratio above 10:1, and for dimensionless black hole spins above 0.9, while improving efficiency for lower mass-ratios and spins. We implement a more flexible domain decomposition, adaptive mesh refinement and an updated method for choosing free parameters. We also introduce a new method to control and eliminate residual linear momentum in initial data for precessing systems, and demonstrate that it eliminates gravitational mode mixing during the evolution. Finally, the new code is applied to construct initial data for hyperbolic scattering and for binaries with very small separation.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Orbital parameters of 341 new binaries (Murphy+, 2018)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, S. J.; Moe, M.; Kurtz, D. W.; Bedding, T.; Shibahashi, H.; Boffin, H. M. J.

2018-01-01

Kepler targets with effective temperatures between 6600 and 10000K have been investigated for pulsational phase modulation that can be attributed to binary orbital motion. For each target, we provide a binary status, which also reflects whether or not the target pulsates. For the binary systems, we provide the Kepler Input Catalogue (KIC) number, as well as the binary orbital elements: the period, semi-major axis, eccentricity, longitude of periastron, time of periastron passage, binary mass function and a calculated radial velocity semi-amplitude. (3 data files).

Angular momentum exchange in white dwarf binaries accreting through direct impact

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sepinsky, J. F.; Kalogera, V., E-mail: jeremy.sepinsky@scranton.edu, E-mail: vicky@northwestern.edu

We examine the exchange of angular momentum between the component spins and the orbit in semi-detached double white dwarf binaries undergoing mass transfer through direct impact of the transfer stream. We approximate the stream as a series of discrete massive particles ejected in the ballistic limit at the inner Lagrangian point of the donor toward the accretor. This work improves upon similar earlier studies in a number of ways. First, we self-consistently calculate the total angular momentum of the orbit at all times. This includes changes in the orbital angular momentum during the ballistic trajectory of the ejected mass, asmore » well as changes during the ejection/accretion due to the radial component of the particle's velocity. Second, we calculate the particle's ballistic trajectory for each system, which allows us to determine the precise position and velocity of the particle upon accretion. We can then include specific information about the radius of the accretor as well as the angle of impact. Finally, we ensure that the total angular momentum is conserved, which requires the donor star spin to vary self-consistently. With these improvements, we calculate the angular momentum change of the orbit and each binary component across the entire parameter space of direct impact double white dwarf binary systems. We find a significant decrease in the amount of angular momentum removed from the orbit during mass transfer, as well as cases where this process increases the angular momentum of the orbit at the expense of the spin angular momentum of the donor. We conclude that, unlike earlier claims in the literature, mass transfer through direct impact need not destabilize the binary and that the quantity and sign of the orbital angular momentum transfer depends on the binary properties, particularly the masses of the double white dwarf binary component stars. This stabilization may significantly impact the population synthesis calculations of the expected numbers of events/systems for which double white dwarfs may be a progenitor, e.g., Type Ia supernovae, Type.Ia supernovae, and AM CVn.« less

Constraining Accreting Binary Populations in Normal Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmer, Bret; Hornschemeier, A.; Basu-Zych, A.; Fragos, T.; Jenkins, L.; Kalogera, V.; Ptak, A.; Tzanavaris, P.; Zezas, A.

2011-01-01

X-ray emission from accreting binary systems (X-ray binaries) uniquely probe the binary phase of stellar evolution and the formation of compact objects such as neutron stars and black holes. A detailed understanding of X-ray binary systems is needed to provide physical insight into the formation and evolution of the stars involved, as well as the demographics of interesting binary remnants, such as millisecond pulsars and gravitational wave sources. Our program makes wide use of Chandra observations and complementary multiwavelength data sets (through, e.g., the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey [SINGS] and the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey [GOODS]), as well as super-computing facilities, to provide: (1) improved calibrations for correlations between X-ray binary emission and physical properties (e.g., star-formation rate and stellar mass) for galaxies in the local Universe; (2) new physical constraints on accreting binary processes (e.g., common-envelope phase and mass transfer) through the fitting of X-ray binary synthesis models to observed local galaxy X-ray binary luminosity functions; (3) observational and model constraints on the X-ray evolution of normal galaxies over the last 90% of cosmic history (since z 4) from the Chandra Deep Field surveys and accreting binary synthesis models; and (4) predictions for deeper observations from forthcoming generations of X-ray telesopes (e.g., IXO, WFXT, and Gen-X) to provide a science driver for these missions. In this talk, we highlight the details of our program and discuss recent results.

LUT observations of the mass-transferring binary AI Dra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Wenping; Qian, Shengbang; Li, Linjia; Zhou, Xiao; Zhao, Ergang; Liu, Nianping

2016-06-01

Complete UV band light curve of the eclipsing binary AI Dra was observed with the Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) in October 2014. It is very useful to adopt this continuous and uninterrupted light curve to determine physical and orbital parameters of the binary system. Photometric solutions of the spot model are obtained by using the W-D (Wilson and Devinney) method. It is confirmed that AI Dra is a semi-detached binary with secondary component filling its critical Roche lobe, which indicates that a mass transfer from the secondary component to the primary one should happen. Orbital period analysis based on all available eclipse times suggests a secular period increase and two cyclic variations. The secular period increase was interpreted by mass transfer from the secondary component to the primary one at a rate of 4.12 ×10^{-8}M_{⊙}/yr, which is in agreement with the photometric solutions. Two cyclic oscillations were due to light travel-time effect (LTTE) via the presence of two cool stellar companions in a near 2:1 mean-motion resonance. Both photometric solutions and orbital period analysis confirm that AI Dra is a mass-transferring binary, the massive primary is filling 69 % of its critical Roche lobe. After the primary evolves to fill the critical Roche lobe, the mass transfer will be reversed and the binary will evolve into a contact configuration.

Rotational properties of hypermassive neutron stars from binary mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanauske, Matthias; Takami, Kentaro; Bovard, Luke; Rezzolla, Luciano; Font, José A.; Galeazzi, Filippo; Stöcker, Horst

2017-08-01

Determining the differential-rotation law of compact stellar objects produced in binary neutron stars mergers or core-collapse supernovae is an old problem in relativistic astrophysics. Addressing this problem is important because it impacts directly on the maximum mass these objects can attain and, hence, on the threshold to black-hole formation under realistic conditions. Using the results from a large number of numerical simulations in full general relativity of binary neutron star mergers described with various equations of state and masses, we study the rotational properties of the resulting hypermassive neutron stars. We find that the angular-velocity distribution shows only a modest dependence on the equation of state, thus exhibiting the traits of "quasiuniversality" found in other aspects of compact stars, both isolated and in binary systems. The distributions are characterized by an almost uniformly rotating core and a "disk." Such a configuration is significantly different from the j -constant differential-rotation law that is commonly adopted in equilibrium models of differentially rotating stars. Furthermore, the rest-mass contained in such a disk can be quite large, ranging from ≃0.03 M⊙ in the case of high-mass binaries with stiff equations of state, up to ≃0.2 M⊙ for low-mass binaries with soft equations of state. We comment on the astrophysical implications of our findings and on the long-term evolutionary scenarios that can be conjectured on the basis of our simulations.

Observational Δν-ρ¯ Relation for δ Sct Stars using Eclipsing Binaries and Space Photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García Hernández, A.; Martín-Ruiz, S.; Monteiro, Mário J. P. F. G.; Suárez, J. C.; Reese, D. R.; Pascual-Granado, J.; Garrido, R.

2015-10-01

Delta Scuti (δ Sct) stars are intermediate-mass pulsators, whose intrinsic oscillations have been studied for decades. However, modeling their pulsations remains a real theoretical challenge, thereby even hampering the precise determination of global stellar parameters. In this work, we used space photometry observations of eclipsing binaries with a δ Sct component to obtain reliable physical parameters and oscillation frequencies. Using that information, we derived an observational scaling relation between the stellar mean density and a frequency pattern in the oscillation spectrum. This pattern is analogous to the solar-like large separation but in the low order regime. We also show that this relation is independent of the rotation rate. These findings open the possibility of accurately characterizing this type of pulsator and validate the frequency pattern as a new observable for δ Sct stars.

On the Nature of the Compact Object in SS 433: Observational Evidence of X-ray Photon Index Saturation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seifina, Elena; Titarchuk, Lev

2010-10-01

We present an analysis of the X-ray spectral properties observed from the black hole candidate (BHC) binary SS 433. We have analyzed Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer data from this source, coordinated with Green Bank Interferometer/RATAN-600. We show that SS 433 undergoes an X-ray spectral transition from the low hard state to the intermediate state (IS). We show that the X-ray broadband energy spectra during all spectral states are well fitted by a sum of the so-called bulk motion Comptonization (BMC) component and by two (broad and narrow) Gaussians for the continuum and line emissions, respectively. In addition to these spectral model components, we also find a strong feature that we identify as a "blackbody-like (BB)" component in which the color temperature is in the range of 4-5 keV in 24 IS spectra during the radio outburst decay in SS 433. Our observational results on the "high-temperature BB" bump lead us to suggest the presence of gravitationally redshifted annihilation line emission in this source. In fact, this spectral feature has been recently reproduced in Monte Carlo simulations by Laurent & Titarchuk. We have also established the photon index saturation at about 2.3 in index versus mass accretion correlation. This index-mass accretion correlation allows us to evaluate the low limit of the black hole (BH) mass of the compact object in SS 433, M_{{bh}}≳ 2 solar masses, using the scaling method using BHC GX 339 - 4 as a reference source. Our estimate of the BH mass in SS 433 is consistent with the recent BH mass measurement using the radial velocity measurements of the binary system by Hillwig & Gies, who find that Mx = (4.3 ± 0.8) solar masses. This is the smallest BH mass found up to now among all BH sources. Moreover, the index saturation effect versus mass accretion rate revealed in SS 433, as in a number of other BH candidates, is strong observational evidence for the presence of a BH in SS 433.

On the Nature of the Compact Object in SS 433. Observational Evidence of X-Ray Photon Index Saturation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seifina, Elena; Titarchuk, Lev

2010-01-01

We present an analysis of the X-ray spectral properties observed from black hole , candidate (BHC) binary SS 433. We have analyzed Rossi X-ray Time Explorer (RXTE) data from this source, coordinated with Green Bank Interferometer/RATAN-600. We show that SS 433 undergoes a X-ray spectral transition from the low hard state (LHS) to the intermediate state (IS). We show that the X-ray broad-band energy spectra during all spectral states are well fit by a sum of so called "Bulk Motion Comptonization (BMC) component" and by two (broad and narrow) Gaussians for the continuum and line emissions respectively. In addition to these spectral model components we also find a strong feature that we identify as a" blackbody-like (BB)" component which color temperature is in the range of 4-5 keV in 24 IS spectra during the radio outburst decay in SS 433. Our observational results on the "high temperature BB" bump leads us to suggest the presence of gravitationally redshifted annihilation line emission in this source. In fact this spectral feature has been recently reproduced in Monte Carlo simulations by Laurent and Titarchuk. We have also established the photon index saturation at about 2.3 in index vs mass accretion correlation. This index-mass accretion correlation allows us to evaluate the low limit of black hole (BH) mass of compact object in SS 433, M(sub bh) approximately > 2 solar masses, using the scaling method using BHC GX 339-4 as a reference source. Our estimate of the BH mass in SS 433 is consistent with recent BH mass measurement using the radial-velocity measurements of the binary system by Hillwig & Gies who find that M(sub x)( = (4.3 +/- 0.8) solar masses. This is the smallest BH mass found up to now among all BH sources. Moreover, the index saturation effect versus mass accretion rate revealed in SS 433, like in a number of other BH candidates, is the strong observational evidence for the presence of a BH in SS 433.

1E 1048.5 + 5421 - A new 114 minute AM Herculis binary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, Simon L.; Schmidt, Gary D.; Liebert, James; Gioia, Isabella M.; Maccacaro, Tommaso

1987-01-01

The discovery of a new AM Herculis binary system, found as a serendipitous Einstein X-ray source, is described. Like the previously discovered mass-transfer binaries involving synchronously rotating magnetic white-dwarf primaries, the system exhibits strong circular polarization, X-ray and optical continuum variations, and optical emission lines, all of which seem to be modulated with these binary periods of 114.5 + or - 0.2 minutes. Although all data are not concurrent, the new system appears to possess the highest ratio of F(x)/F(opt) yet found for an AM Her system. The surprising accumulation of AM Her variables with periods near 114 minute is commented on.

Orbital period changes of OB-type contact binaries and their implications for the triplicity, formation and evolution of this type of binary stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, S.-B.; Kreiner, J. M.; Liu, L.; He, J.-J.; Zhu, L.-Y.; Yuan, J.-Z.; Dai, Z.-B.

2007-08-01

Orbital period variations of NINE well-observed OB-type contact binary stars, LY Aur, BH Cen, V382 CYg, V729 Cyg, AW Lac, TU Mus, RZ Pyx, V701 Sco and CT Tau, are investigated in detail. Of the nine systems, V701 Sco and CT Tau are two contact binaries containing twin components with a mass ratio of unit, LY Aur and V729 Cyg have the longest period among contact binary stars (P=4.0 and 6.6 days, respectively), and BH Cen and V701 Sco are the members of two extremely young galactic cluster IC 2994 and NGC 6383. It is discovered that, apart from the two systems with twin components (V701 Sco and CT Tau), the orbital periods of the rest SEVEN binary stars show a long-term increase. This is different from the situations of the late-type (W UMa-type) contact binaries where both secular period increase and decrease are usually encountered, indicating that magnetic field may play an important role in causing the long-term period decrease of W UMa-type contact binary stars. The fact that no long-term continuous period variations were found for V701 Sco and CT Tau may suggest that contact binary with twin components can be in an equilibrium. Based on the rates of period changes (dP/dt) of the SEVEN sample binary stars, statistical relations between dP/dt and orbital period (P) and the mean density of the secondary component were found. Our results suggest that the period increases of the short-period systems (P<2 days) may be mainly caused by a mass transfer from the less massive component to the more massive one, while for the long-period ones (P>2 days), LY Aur and V729 Cyg, their period increases may be resulted from a combination of stellar wind and mass transfer from the secondary to the primary. Meanwhile, cyclic period changes are found for all of the nine binary systems. Those periodic variations can be plausibly explained as the results of light-travel time effects suggesting that they are triple systems. The astrophysical parameters of the tertiary components in the nine systems have been determined. The tertiary components in the seven binaries, BH Cen, V382 Cyg, AW Lac, TU Mus, RZ Pyx, V701 Sco and CT Tau, may be invisible, while those in LY Aur and V729 Cyg may be the fainter visual companions in the two systems. It is possible that the tertiary components in those binaries played an important role for the formations and evolutions of the contact configurations by bringing angular momentum out from the central systems. Thus they have initial short period and can evolve into a contact configuration in a short timescale.

Searching for Partners of Cool Senior Citizens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jao, Wei-Chun; Henry, T. J.

2012-01-01

Mass is one of the most fundamental parameters in stellar astronomy. In order to measure dynamical masses, one needs to find nearby binary systems that can be resolved and monitored, ideally with orbital periods that completely wrap in a reasonable amount of time. Many surveys have been made of nearby main sequence dwarfs, and their mass-luminosity relation is well established. As part of our Cool Subdwarf Investigations (CSI) program, we are searching for subdwarf binaries of spectral types K and M within 60 parsecs to measure their multiplicity rate and to reveal binaries appropriate for mass determinations. Here we present results of our CSI work using HST's Fine Guidance Sensors. When combined with previous CSI work and results in the literature, we find the multiplicity rate of subdwarfs, 21%, to be surprisingly low compared to that of similar main sequence K and M stars, 37%. This work has several implications, including that the star formation and/or evolution history of subdwarfs is different than for dwarfs, and that ideal systems for subdwarf mass determinations are difficult to find. This work is supported by HST grant GO-11943.

A new technique for calculations of binary stellar evolution, with application to magnetic braking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rappaport, S.; Joss, P. C.; Verbunt, F.

1983-01-01

The development of appropriate computer programs has made it possible to conduct studies of stellar evolution which are more detailed and accurate than the investigations previously feasible. However, the use of such programs can also entail some serious drawbacks which are related to the time and expense required for the work. One approach for overcoming these drawbacks involves the employment of simplified stellar evolution codes which incorporate the essential physics of the problem of interest without attempting either great generality or maximal accuracy. Rappaport et al. (1982) have developed a simplified code to study the evolution of close binary stellar systems composed of a collapsed object and a low-mass secondary. The present investigation is concerned with a more general, but still simplified, technique for calculating the evolution of close binary systems with collapsed binaries and mass-losing secondaries.

Evolutionary paths of binaries with a neutron star. I. The case of SAX J1808.4-3658

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tailo, M.; D'Antona, F.; Burderi, L.; Ventura, P.; di Salvo, T.; Sanna, A.; Papitto, A.; Riggio, A.; Maselli, A.

2018-06-01

The evolutionary status of the low mass X-ray binary SAX J1808.4-3658 is simulated by following the binary evolution of its possible progenitor system through mass transfer, starting at a period of ˜6.6 hr. The evolution includes angular momentum losses via magnetic braking and gravitational radiation. It also takes into account the effects of illumination of the donor by both the X-ray emission and the spin down luminosity of the pulsar. The system goes through stages of mass transfer and stages during which it is detached, where only the rotationally powered pulsar irradiates the donor. We show that the pulsar irradiation is a necessary ingredient to reach SAX J1808.4-3658 orbital period when the donor mass is reduced to 0.04-0.06 M⊙. We also show that the models reproduce important properties of the system, including the orbital period derivative, which is shown to be directly linked to the evolution through mass transfer cycles. Moreover we find that the effects of the irradiation on the internal structure of the donor are non negligible, causing the companion star to be non completely convective at the values of mass observed for the system and significantly altering its long term evolution, as the magnetic braking remains active along the whole evolution.

New Pleiades Eclipsing Binaries and a Hyades Transiting System Identified by K2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

David, Trevor J.; Conroy, Kyle E.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Stauffer, John; Rebull, Luisa M.; Cody, Ann Marie; Isaacson, Howard; Howard, Andrew W.; Aigrain, Suzanne

2016-05-01

We present the discovery in Kepler’s K2 mission observations and our follow-up radial velocity (RV) observations from Keck/HIRES for four eclipsing binary (EB) star systems in the young benchmark Pleiades and Hyades clusters. Based on our modeling results, we announce two new low mass ({M}{tot}\\lt 0.6 {M}⊙ ) EBs among Pleiades members (HCG 76 and MHO 9) and we report on two previously known Pleiades binaries that are also found to be EB systems (HII 2407 and HD 23642). We measured the masses of the binary HCG 76 to ≲2.5% precision, and the radii to ≲4.5% precision, which together with the precise effective temperatures yield an independent Pleiades distance of 132 ± 5 pc. We discuss another EB toward the Pleiades that is a possible but unlikely Pleiades cluster member (AK II 465). The two new confirmed Pleiades systems extend the mass range of Pleiades EB components to 0.2-2 {M}⊙ . Our initial measurements of the fundamental stellar parameters for the Pleiades EBs are discussed in the context of the current stellar models and the nominal cluster isochrone, finding good agreement with the stellar models of Baraffe et al. at the nominal Pleiades age of 120 Myr. Finally, in the Hyades, we report a new low mass eclipsing system (vA 50) that was concurrently discovered and studied by Mann et al. We confirm that the eclipse is likely caused by a Neptune-sized transiting planet, and with the additional RV constraints presented here we improve the constraint on the maximum mass of the planet to be ≲1.2 MJup.

The chemically peculiar double-lined spectroscopic binary HD 90264

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quiroga, C.; Torres, A. F.; Cidale, L. S.

2010-10-01

Context. HD 90264 is a chemically peculiar (CP) double-lined spectroscopic binary system of the type He-weak. Double-lined binaries are unique sources of data for stellar masses, physical properties, and evolutionary aspects of stars. Therefore, the determination of orbital elements is of great importance to study how the physical characteristics of CP stars are affected by a companion. Aims: We carried out a detailed spectral and polarimetric study of the spectroscopic binary system HD 90264 to characterize its orbit, determine the stellar masses, and investigate the spectral variability and possible polarization of the binary components. Methods: We employed medium-resolution échelle spectra and polarimetric data obtained at the 2.15-m telescope at CASLEO Observatory, Argentina. We measured radial velocities and line equivalent widths with IRAF packages. The radial velocity curves of both binary components were obtained combining radial velocity data derived from the single line of Hg II λ3984 Åand the double lines of Mg II λ4481 Å. Polarimetric data were studied by means of the statistical method of Clarke & Stewart and the Welch test. Results: We found that both components of the binary system are chemically peculiar stars, deficient in helium, where the primary is a He variable and the secondary is a Hg-Mn star. We derived for the first time the orbital parameters of the binary system. We found that the system has a quasi-circular orbit (e ~ 0.04) with an orbital period of 15.727 days. Taking into account the circular orbit solution, we derived a mass ratio of q = MHe-w/MHg-Mn = 1.22. We also found a rotational period of around 15-16 days, suggesting a spin-orbit synchronization. Possible signs of intrinsic polarization have also been detected. Conclusions: HD 90264 is the first known binary system comprised of a He variable star as the primary component and a Hg-Mn star as the secondary one. Based on observations taken at Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito (CASLEO), operated under an agreement between the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República Argentina, the Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Nación and the National Universities of La Plata, Córdoba and San Juan.

Binary Black Hole Mergers in the First Advanced LIGO Observing Run

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Adya, V. B.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Agatsuma, K.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Aiello, L.; Ain, A.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Altin, P. A.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C. C.; Areeda, J. S.; Arnaud, N.; Arun, K. G.; Ascenzi, S.; Ashton, G.; Ast, M.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Babak, S.; Bacon, P.; Bader, M. K. M.; Baker, P. T.; Baldaccini, F.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barclay, S. E.; Barish, B. C.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barta, D.; Bartlett, J.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J. C.; Baune, C.; Bavigadda, V.; Bazzan, M.; Bejger, M.; Bell, A. S.; Berger, B. K.; Bergmann, G.; Berry, C. P. L.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Bhagwat, S.; Bhandare, R.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Birney, R.; Birnholtz, O.; Biscans, S.; Bisht, A.; Bitossi, M.; Biwer, C.; Bizouard, M. A.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blair, C. D.; Blair, D. G.; Blair, R. M.; Bloemen, S.; Bock, O.; Boer, M.; Bogaert, G.; Bogan, C.; Bohe, A.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonnand, R.; Boom, B. A.; Bork, R.; Boschi, V.; Bose, S.; Bouffanais, Y.; Bozzi, A.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Briant, T.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Brockill, P.; Broida, J. E.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brown, N. M.; Brunett, S.; Buchanan, C. C.; Buikema, A.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cabero, M.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Cahillane, C.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Callister, T.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Cannon, K. C.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Capocasa, E.; Carbognani, F.; Caride, S.; Casanueva Diaz, J.; Casentini, C.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C. B.; Cerboni Baiardi, L.; Cerretani, G.; Cesarini, E.; Chamberlin, S. J.; Chan, M.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Cheeseboro, B. D.; Chen, H. Y.; Chen, Y.; Cheng, C.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Cho, M.; Chow, J. H.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colla, A.; Collette, C. G.; Cominsky, L.; Constancio, M.; Conte, A.; Conti, L.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Cortese, S.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coughlin, S. B.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S. T.; Couvares, P.; Cowan, E. E.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M. J.; Coyne, D. C.; Coyne, R.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Cripe, J.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dal Canton, T.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Darman, N. S.; Dasgupta, A.; Da Silva Costa, C. F.; Dattilo, V.; Dave, I.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; De, S.; DeBra, D.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; De Laurentis, M.; Deléglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dergachev, V.; De Rosa, R.; DeRosa, R. T.; DeSalvo, R.; Devine, R. C.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M. C.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Giovanni, M.; Di Girolamo, T.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Pace, S.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Dolique, V.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Douglas, R.; Downes, T. P.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Ducrot, M.; Dwyer, S. E.; Edo, T. B.; Edwards, M. C.; Effler, A.; Eggenstein, H.-B.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Engels, W.; Essick, R. C.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T. M.; Everett, R.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fair, H.; Fairhurst, S.; Fan, X.; Fang, Q.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W. M.; Favata, M.; Fays, M.; Fehrmann, H.; Fejer, M. M.; Fenyvesi, E.; Ferrante, I.; Ferreira, E. C.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Fiori, I.; Fiorucci, D.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Fletcher, M.; Fong, H.; Fournier, J.-D.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Frey, V.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gabbard, H. A. G.; Gaebel, S.; Gair, J. R.; Gammaitoni, L.; Gaonkar, S. G.; Garufi, F.; Gaur, G.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Geng, P.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; George, J.; Gergely, L.; Germain, V.; Ghosh, Abhirup; Ghosh, Archisman; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, K.; Glaefke, A.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gonzalez Castro, J. M.; Gopakumar, A.; Gordon, N. A.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S. E.; Gosselin, M.; Gouaty, R.; Grado, A.; Graef, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greco, G.; Green, A. C.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guo, X.; Gupta, A.; Gupta, M. K.; Gushwa, K. E.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hacker, J. J.; Hall, B. R.; Hall, E. D.; Hamilton, H.; Hammond, G.; Haney, M.; Hanke, M. M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hannam, M. D.; Hanson, J.; Hardwick, T.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Hart, M. J.; Hartman, M. T.; Haster, C.-J.; Haughian, K.; Healy, J.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M. C.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Hennig, J.; Henry, J.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hofman, D.; Holt, K.; Holz, D. E.; Hopkins, P.; Hough, J.; Houston, E. A.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y. M.; Huang, S.; Huerta, E. A.; Huet, D.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Indik, N.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isa, H. N.; Isac, J.-M.; Isi, M.; Isogai, T.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacqmin, T.; Jang, H.; Jani, K.; Jaranowski, P.; Jawahar, S.; Jian, L.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Johnson-McDaniel, N. K.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; K, Haris; Kalaghatgi, C. V.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kapadia, S. J.; Karki, S.; Karvinen, K. S.; Kasprzack, M.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, S.; Kaur, T.; Kawabe, K.; Kéfélian, F.; Kehl, M. S.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Kennedy, R.; Key, J. S.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khan, I.; Khan, S.; Khan, Z.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kijbunchoo, N.; Kim, Chi-Woong; Kim, Chunglee; Kim, J.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, W.; Kim, Y.-M.; Kimbrell, S. J.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kissel, J. S.; Klein, B.; Kleybolte, L.; Klimenko, S.; Koehlenbeck, S. M.; Koley, S.; Kondrashov, V.; Kontos, A.; Korobko, M.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D. B.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Krueger, C.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Lackey, B. D.; Landry, M.; Lange, J.; Lantz, B.; Lasky, P. D.; Laxen, M.; Lazzarini, A.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, K.; Lenon, A.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Lewis, J. B.; Li, T. G. F.; Libson, A.; Littenberg, T. B.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lombardi, A. L.; London, L. T.; Lord, J. E.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J. D.; Lousto, C.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Lynch, R.; Ma, Y.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magaña-Sandoval, F.; Magaña Zertuche, L.; Magee, R. M.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mansell, G. L.; Manske, M.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A. S.; Maros, E.; Martelli, F.; Martellini, L.; Martin, I. W.; Martynov, D. V.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Masso-Reid, M.; Mastrogiovanni, S.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazumder, N.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McCormick, S.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McManus, D. J.; McRae, T.; McWilliams, S. T.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Meidam, J.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Merilh, E. L.; Merzougui, M.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Messick, C.; Metzdorff, R.; Meyers, P. M.; Mezzani, F.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Middleton, H.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Miller, A. L.; Miller, A.; Miller, B. B.; Miller, J.; Millhouse, M.; Minenkov, Y.; Ming, J.; Mirshekari, S.; Mishra, C.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moggi, A.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Montani, M.; Moore, B. C.; Moore, C. J.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, G.; Muir, A. W.; Mukherjee, Arunava; Mukherjee, D.; Mukherjee, S.; Mukund, N.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D. J.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nardecchia, I.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R. K.; Nedkova, K.; Nelemans, G.; Nelson, T. J. N.; Neri, M.; Neunzert, A.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T. T.; Nielsen, A. B.; Nissanke, S.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E. N.; Nuttall, L. K.; Oberling, J.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Oliver, M.; Oppermann, P.; Oram, Richard J.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Ottaway, D. J.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Pai, A.; Pai, S. A.; Palamos, J. R.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pal-Singh, A.; Pan, H.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Pannarale, F.; Pant, B. C.; Paoletti, F.; Paoli, A.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H. R.; Parker, W.; Pascucci, D.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patricelli, B.; Patrick, Z.; Pearlstone, B. L.; Pedraza, M.; Pedurand, R.; Pekowsky, L.; Pele, A.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Perri, L. M.; Pfeiffer, H. P.; Phelps, M.; Piccinni, O. J.; Pichot, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pillant, G.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poe, M.; Poggiani, R.; Popolizio, P.; Porter, E.; Post, A.; Powell, J.; Prasad, J.; Predoi, V.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Pürrer, M.; Qi, H.; Qin, J.; Qiu, S.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E. A.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajan, C.; Rakhmanov, M.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Razzano, M.; Re, V.; Read, J.; Reed, C. M.; Regimbau, T.; Rei, L.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Rew, H.; Reyes, S. D.; Ricci, F.; Riles, K.; Rizzo, M.; Robertson, N. A.; Robie, R.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Roma, V. J.; Romano, J. D.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Sachdev, S.; Sadecki, T.; Sadeghian, L.; Sakellariadou, M.; Salconi, L.; Saleem, M.; Salemi, F.; Samajdar, A.; Sammut, L.; Sanchez, E. J.; Sandberg, V.; Sandeen, B.; Sanders, J. R.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Sauter, O. E. S.; Savage, R. L.; Sawadsky, A.; Schale, P.; Schilling, R.; Schmidt, J.; Schmidt, P.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schönbeck, A.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schutz, B. F.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Setyawati, Y.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shaffer, T.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Sheperd, A.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Shoemaker, D. M.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sieniawska, M.; Sigg, D.; Silva, A. D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L. P.; Singh, A.; Singh, R.; Singhal, A.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, N. D.; Smith, R. J. E.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Sorrentino, F.; Souradeep, T.; Srivastava, A. K.; Staley, A.; Steinke, M.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steinmeyer, D.; Stephens, B. C.; Stevenson, S.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Stratta, G.; Strauss, N. A.; Strigin, S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sun, L.; Sunil, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B. L.; Szczepańczyk, M. J.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tápai, M.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taracchini, A.; Taylor, R.; Theeg, T.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, E. G.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, S.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Toland, K.; Tomlinson, C.; Tonelli, M.; Tornasi, Z.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Töyrä, D.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Trifirò, D.; Tringali, M. C.; Trozzo, L.; Tse, M.; Turconi, M.; Tuyenbayev, D.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Usman, S. A.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Valdes, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van Bakel, N.; van Beuzekom, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; Vander-Hyde, D. C.; van der Schaaf, L.; van Heijningen, J. V.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vardaro, M.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Vinciguerra, S.; Vine, D. J.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Voss, D. V.; Vousden, W. D.; Vyatchanin, S. P.; Wade, A. R.; Wade, L. E.; Wade, M.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Walsh, S.; Wang, G.; Wang, H.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Wang, Y.; Ward, R. L.; Warner, J.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Wen, L.; Weßels, P.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whitcomb, S. E.; Whiting, B. F.; Williams, R. D.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M. H.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Woehler, J.; Worden, J.; Wright, J. L.; Wu, D. S.; Wu, G.; Yablon, J.; Yam, W.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yu, H.; Yvert, M.; ZadroŻny, A.; Zangrando, L.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zevin, M.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, M.; Zhang, Y.; Zhao, C.; Zhou, M.; Zhou, Z.; Zhu, X. J.; Zucker, M. E.; Zuraw, S. E.; Zweizig, J.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

2016-10-01

The first observational run of the Advanced LIGO detectors, from September 12, 2015 to January 19, 2016, saw the first detections of gravitational waves from binary black hole mergers. In this paper, we present full results from a search for binary black hole merger signals with total masses up to 100 M⊙ and detailed implications from our observations of these systems. Our search, based on general-relativistic models of gravitational-wave signals from binary black hole systems, unambiguously identified two signals, GW150914 and GW151226, with a significance of greater than 5 σ over the observing period. It also identified a third possible signal, LVT151012, with substantially lower significance and with an 87% probability of being of astrophysical origin. We provide detailed estimates of the parameters of the observed systems. Both GW150914 and GW151226 provide an unprecedented opportunity to study the two-body motion of a compact-object binary in the large velocity, highly nonlinear regime. We do not observe any deviations from general relativity, and we place improved empirical bounds on several high-order post-Newtonian coefficients. From our observations, we infer stellar-mass binary black hole merger rates lying in the range 9 - 240 Gpc-3 yr-1 . These observations are beginning to inform astrophysical predictions of binary black hole formation rates and indicate that future observing runs of the Advanced detector network will yield many more gravitational-wave detections.

Discovery of a Detached, Eclipsing 40 Minute Period Double White Dwarf Binary and a Friend: Implications for He+CO White Dwarf Mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Warren R.; Kilic, Mukremin; Kosakowski, Alekzander; Gianninas, A.

2017-09-01

We report the discovery of two detached double white dwarf (WD) binaries, SDSS J082239.546+304857.19 and SDSS J104336.275+055149.90, with orbital periods of 40 and 46 minutes, respectively. The 40 minute system is eclipsing; it is composed of a 0.30 M ⊙ and a 0.52 M ⊙ WD. The 46 minute system is a likely LISA verification binary. The short 20 ± 2 Myr and ˜34 Myr gravitational-wave merger times of the two binaries imply that many more such systems have formed and merged over the age of the Milky Way. We update the estimated Milky Way He+CO WD binary merger rate and affirm our previously published result: He+CO WD binaries merge at a rate at least 40 times greater than the formation rate of stable mass-transfer AM CVn binaries, and so the majority must have unstable mass-transfer. The implication is that spin-orbit coupling in He+CO WD mergers is weak, or perhaps nova-like outbursts drive He+CO WDs into merger, as proposed by Shen. Based on observations obtained at the MMT Observatory, a joint facility of the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona, and on observations obtained with the Apache Point Observatory 3.5 m telescope, which is owned and operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium.

Einstein's Gift: Stellar Mass Black Holes in the LIGO Era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cadonati, Laura; Georgia Institute of Technology, LIGO-Virgo Collaboration

2017-01-01

The discovery of gravitational waves from the coalescence of black hole binary systems in LIGO has provided the first evidence for heavy stellar mass black holes. In this talk, I will review the observational evidence for black holes in LIGO data, its astrophysical implications and the plans for the near and long term future of ground based gravitational wave detection of black hole binary coalescences.

N-body modeling of globular clusters: detecting intermediate-mass black holes by non-equipartition in HST proper motions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trenti, Michele

2010-09-01

Intermediate Mass Black Holes {IMBHs} are objects of considerable astrophysical significance. They have been invoked as possible remnants of Population III stars, precursors of supermassive black holes, sources of ultra-luminous X-ray emission, and emitters of gravitational waves. The centers of globular clusters, where they may have formed through runaway collapse of massive stars, may be our best chance of detecting them. HST studies of velocity dispersions have provided tentative evidence, but the measurements are difficult and the results have been disputed. It is thus important to explore and develop additional indicators of the presence of an IMBH in these systems. In a Cycle 16 theory project we focused on the fingerprints of an IMBH derived from HST photometry. We showed that an IMBH leads to a detectable quenching of mass segregation. Analysis of HST-ACS data for NGC 2298 validated the method, and ruled out an IMBH of more than 300 solar masses. We propose here to extend the search for IMBH signatures from photometry to kinematics. The velocity dispersion of stars in collisionally relaxed stellar systems such as globular clusters scales with main sequence mass as sigma m^alpha. A value alpha = -0.5 corresponds to equipartition. Mass-dependent kinematics can now be measured from HST proper motion studies {e.g., alpha = -0.21 for Omega Cen}. Preliminary analysis shows that the value of alpha can be used as indicator of the presence of an IMBH. In fact, the quenching of mass segregation is a result of the degree of equipartition that the system attains. However, detailed numerical simulations are required to quantify this. Therefore we propose {a} to carry out a new, larger set of realistic N-body simulations of star clusters with IMBHs, primordial binaries and stellar evolution to predict in detail the expected kinematic signatures and {b} to compare these predictions to datasets that are {becoming} available. Considerable HST resources have been invested in proper motions studies of some dozen clusters, but theoretical simulations are generally not performed as part of such programs. Our methods are complementary to other efforts to detect IMBHs in globulars, and will allow new constraints to be derived from HST data that are already being obtained.

A near infrared speckle imaging study of T Tauri stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghez, A. M.; Mccarthy, D. W., Jr.; Weinberger, A. J.; Neugebauer, G.; Matthews, K.

1994-01-01

The results of a speckle imaging survey of T Tauri stars suggest that most, if not all, young low mass stars have companions. Repeated observations of these young binary stars have revealed orbital motion in the closest pairs (less than or = 0.3 sec), providing that these systems are indeed gravitationally bound and providing the basis for mass estimates in the upcoming years. These mass estimates are necessary to distinguish between the various binary star formation mechanisms that have been proposed to date.

Imaging accretion sources and circumbinary disks in young brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiners, Ansgar

2010-09-01

We propose to obtain deep WFC3/UVIS imaging observations of two accreting, nearby, young brown dwarf binaries. The first, 2M1207, is a brown dwarf with a planetary mass companion that became a benchmark in low-mass star formation and low-mass evolutionary models. The second, 2M0041, is a nearby young brown dwarf with clear evidence for accretion, but its space motion suggests a slightly higher age than the canonical accretion lifetime of 5-10 Myr. It has recently been discovered to be a binary and is likely to become a second benchmark object in this field. With narrow band images centered on the Halpha line that is indicative of accretion, we aim to determine the accretion ratio between the two components in each system. Halpha was observed in both systems but so far not spatially resolved. In particular, we want to search for accretion in the planetary mass companion of 2M1207. The evidence for accretion in 2M0041 and the possibility that it is in fact older than 10Myr suggests that the accretion lifetime is longer in brown dwarfs than in stars, and in particular that it is longer in brown dwarf binaries. Accretion could be sustained for a longer time if the accreting material is replenished by a circumbinary disk that might exist in both systems. We propose deep WFC/UVIS observations in the optical to search for circumbinary disks, similar to the famous disk around the binary TTauri system GG Tau.

ILLUMINATING BLACK HOLE BINARY FORMATION CHANNELS WITH SPINS IN ADVANCED LIGO

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rodriguez, Carl L.; Zevin, Michael; Pankow, Chris

The recent detections of the binary black hole mergers GW150914 and GW151226 have inaugurated the field of gravitational-wave astronomy. For the two main formation channels that have been proposed for these sources, isolated binary evolution in galactic fields and dynamical formation in dense star clusters, the predicted masses and merger rates overlap significantly, complicating any astrophysical claims that rely on measured masses alone. Here, we examine the distribution of spin–orbit misalignments expected for binaries from the field and from dense star clusters. Under standard assumptions for black hole natal kicks, we find that black hole binaries similar to GW150914 couldmore » be formed with significant spin–orbit misalignment only through dynamical processes. In particular, these heavy-black hole binaries can only form with a significant spin–orbit anti -alignment in the dynamical channel. Our results suggest that future detections of merging black hole binaries with measurable spins will allow us to identify the main formation channel for these systems.« less

Evidence from Quasi-Periodic Oscillations for a Millisecond Pulsar in the Low Mass X-Ray Binary 4U 0614+091

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ford, E.; Kaaret, P.; Tavani, M.; Barret, D.; Bloser, P.; Grindlay, J.; Harmon, B. A.; Paciesas, W. S.; Zhang, S. N.

1997-01-01

We have detected quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) near 1 kHz from the low mass X-ray binary 4U 0614+091 in observations with RXTE. The observations span several months and sample the source over a large range of X-ray luminosity. In every interval QPOs are present above 400 Hz with fractional RMS amplitudes from 3 to 12% over the full PCA band. At high count rates, two high frequency QPOs are detected simultaneously. The difference of their frequency centroids is consistent with a constant value of 323 Hz in all observations. During one interval a third signal is detected at 328 +/- 2 Hz. This suggests the system has a stable 'clock' which is most likely the neutron star with spin period 3.1 msec. Thus, our observations of 4U 0614+091 and those of 4U 1728-34 provide the first evidence for millisecond pulsars within low-mass X-ray binary systems and reveal the 'missing-link' between millisecond radiopulsars and the late stages of binary evolution in low mass X-ray binaries. The constant difference of the high frequency QPOs sug,,ests a beat-frequency interpretation. In this model, the high frequency QPO is associated with the Keplerian frequency of the inner accretion disk and the lower frequency QPO is a 'beat' between the differential rotation frequency of the inner disk and the spinning neutron star. Assuming the high frequency QPO is a Keplerian orbital frequency for the accretion disk, we find a maximum mass of 1.9 solar mass and a maximum radius of 17 km for the neutron star.

Candidate Binary Microlensing Events from the MACHO Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, A. C.; Alcock, C.; Allsman, R. A.; Alves, D. R.; Axelrod, T. S.; Bennett, D. P.; Cook, K. H.; Drake, A. J.; Freeman, K. C.; Griest, K.; King, L. J.; Lehner, M. J.; Marshall, S. L.; Minniti, D.; Peterson, B. A.; Popowski, P.; Pratt, M. R.; Quinn, P. J.; Rodgers, A. W.; Stubbs, C. W.; Sutherland, W.; Tomaney, A.; Vandehei, T.; Welch, D. L.; Baines, D.; Brakel, A.; Crook, B.; Howard, J.; Leach, T.; McDowell, D.; McKeown, S.; Mitchell, J.; Moreland, J.; Pozza, E.; Purcell, P.; Ring, S.; Salmon, A.; Ward, K.; Wyper, G.; Heller, A.; Kaspi, S.; Kovo, O.; Maoz, D.; Retter, A.; Rhie, S. H.; Stetson, P.; Walker, A.; MACHO Collaboration

1998-12-01

We present the lightcurves of 22 gravitational microlensing events from the first six years of the MACHO Project gravitational microlensing survey which are likely examples of lensing by binary systems. These events were selected from a total sample of ~ 300 events which were either detected by the MACHO Alert System or discovered through retrospective analyses of the MACHO database. Many of these events appear to have undergone a caustic or cusp crossing, and 2 of the events are well fit with lensing by binary systems with large mass ratios, indicating secondary companions of approximately planetary mass. The event rate is roughly consistent with predictions based upon our knowledge of the properties of binary stars. The utility of binary lensing in helping to solve the Galactic dark matter problem is demonstrated with analyses of 3 binary microlensing events seen towards the Magellanic Clouds. Source star resolution during caustic crossings in 2 of these events allows us to estimate the location of the lensing systems, assuming each source is a single star and not a short period binary. * MACHO LMC-9 appears to be a binary lensing event with a caustic crossing partially resolved in 2 observations. The resulting lens proper motion appears too small for a single source and LMC disk lens. However, it is considerably less likely to be a single source star and Galactic halo lens. We estimate the a priori probability of a short period binary source with a detectable binary character to be ~ 10 %. If the source is also a binary, then we currently have no constraints on the lens location. * The most recent of these events, MACHO 98-SMC-1, was detected in real-time. Follow-up observations by the MACHO/GMAN, PLANET, MPS, EROS and OGLE microlensing collaborations lead to the robust conclusion that the lens likely resides in the SMC.

Searching for Low-mass Companions of Cepheids, Part II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Remage Evans, Nancy; Tingle, E.; Bond, H. E.; Schaefer, G. H.; Mason, B.; Karovska, M.; Wolk, S.; Pillitteri, I.; DePasquale, J.; Guinan, E.; Engle, S.

2012-01-01

The formation of a binary/multiple system is an effective way to manipulate angular momentum during the star-formation process. The properties of binary systems (separations and mass ratios) are thus the ``fingerprints" of the process. Low mass companions are the most difficult to identify particularly for massive stars. We are conducting a snapshot survey of the nearest Cepheids (5 Msun stars) using the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) to discover possible resolved low mass companions. The color-magnitude combination is the first approach to identifying probable physical companions. The distributions of mass and separation for these stars will be discussed. Financial suppoet was provided by Hubble grant GO-12215.01-A and the Chandra X-ray Center NASA contract NAS8-03060.

A mass of less than 15 solar masses for the black hole in an ultraluminous X-ray source.

PubMed

Motch, C; Pakull, M W; Soria, R; Grisé, F; Pietrzyński, G

2014-10-09

Most ultraluminous X-ray sources have a typical set of properties not seen in Galactic stellar-mass black holes. They have luminosities of more than 3 × 10(39) ergs per second, unusually soft X-ray components (with a typical temperature of less than about 0.3 kiloelectronvolts) and a characteristic downturn in their spectra above about 5 kiloelectronvolts. Such puzzling properties have been interpreted either as evidence of intermediate-mass black holes or as emission from stellar-mass black holes accreting above their Eddington limit, analogous to some Galactic black holes at peak luminosity. Recently, a very soft X-ray spectrum was observed in a rare and transient stellar-mass black hole. Here we report that the X-ray source P13 in the galaxy NGC 7793 is in a binary system with a period of about 64 days and exhibits all three canonical properties of ultraluminous sources. By modelling the strong optical and ultraviolet modulations arising from X-ray heating of the B9Ia donor star, we constrain the black hole mass to be less than 15 solar masses. Our results demonstrate that in P13, soft thermal emission and spectral curvature are indeed signatures of supercritical accretion. By analogy, ultraluminous X-ray sources with similar X-ray spectra and luminosities of up to a few times 10(40) ergs per second can be explained by supercritical accretion onto massive stellar-mass black holes.

MAPPING THE SHORES OF THE BROWN DWARF DESERT. II. MULTIPLE STAR FORMATION IN TAURUS-AURIGA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kraus, Adam L.; Ireland, Michael J.; Martinache, Frantz

2011-04-10

We have conducted a high-resolution imaging study of the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region in order to characterize the primordial outcome of multiple star formation and the extent of the brown dwarf desert. Our survey identified 16 new binary companions to primary stars with masses of 0.25-2.5 M{sub sun}, raising the total number of binary pairs (including components of high-order multiples) with separations of 3-5000 AU to 90. We find that {approx}2/3-3/4 of all Taurus members are multiple systems of two or more stars, while the other {approx}1/4-1/3 appear to have formed as single stars; the distribution of high-order multiplicity suggests thatmore » fragmentation into a wide binary has no impact on the subsequent probability that either component will fragment again. The separation distribution for solar-type stars (0.7-2.5 M{sub sun}) is nearly log-flat over separations of 3-5000 AU, but lower-mass stars (0.25-0.7 M{sub sun}) show a paucity of binary companions with separations of {approx}>200 AU. Across this full mass range, companion masses are well described with a linear-flat function; all system mass ratios (q = M{sub B} /M{sub A} ) are equally probable, apparently including substellar companions. Our results are broadly consistent with the two expected modes of binary formation (free-fall fragmentation on large scales and disk fragmentation on small scales), but the distributions provide some clues as to the epochs at which the companions are likely to form.« less

A new mechanism of long-term period variations for W UMa-type contact binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, L.; Qian, S.-B.; Xiong, X.

2018-03-01

W UMa-type contact binaries belong to close binary systems whose components exactly overflow their Roche lobes and share a common convective envelope (CCE). In the last twenty years, the long-term variations of their orbital periods have been thought to depend on several mechanisms. Now, we suggest a new mechanism: CCE-dominated mechanism. The CCE-dominated mechanism is found based on our numerical result, especially at high mass ratios, that the orbital periods (P) of contact binaries change very much with their fill-out factors (f). Because f is taken as a measurement of the thickness of CCE, the physical cause for the variation of P is a mass transfer between CCE and components. Further, an f-dominated simplification model for this mechanism is introduced. According to it, P may change in a long-term oscillation way with a similar time scale of the thermal modulation, meanwhile q is decreasing slowly till the two components merge. It could be also applied to explain the presence of extremely short period, high mass ratio and deep contact binaries. Moreover, the CCE-dominated mechanism should always work due to mass transfer and mass loss both occurring via CCE. Therefor, the effect of CCE on the variations of orbital periods may have been underestimated before.

Constraining the inclination of the Low-Mass X-ray Binary Cen X-4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammerstein, Erica K.; Cackett, Edward M.; Reynolds, Mark T.; Miller, Jon M.

2018-05-01

We present the results of ellipsoidal light curve modeling of the low mass X-ray binary Cen X-4 in order to constrain the inclination of the system and mass of the neutron star. Near-IR photometric monitoring was performed in May 2008 over a period of three nights at Magellan using PANIC. We obtain J, H and K lightcurves of Cen X-4 using differential photometry. An ellipsoidal modeling code was used to fit the phase folded light curves. The lightcurve fit which makes the least assumptions about the properties of the binary system yields an inclination of 34.9^{+4.9}_{-3.6} degrees (1σ), which is consistent with previous determinations of the system's inclination but with improved statistical uncertainties. When combined with the mass function and mass ratio, this inclination yields a neutron star mass of 1.51^{+0.40}_{-0.55} M⊙. This model allows accretion disk parameters to be free in the fitting process. Fits that do not allow for an accretion disk component in the near-IR flux gives a systematically lower inclination between approximately 33 and 34 degrees, leading to a higher mass neutron star between approximately 1.7 M⊙ and 1.8 M⊙. We discuss the implications of other assumptions made during the modeling process as well as numerous free parameters and their effects on the resulting inclination.

On the orbital evolution of radiating binary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bekov, A. A.; Momynov, S. B.

2018-05-01

The evolution of dynamic parameters of radiating binary systems with variable mass is studied. As a dynamic model, the problem of two gravitating and radiating bodies is considered, taking into account the gravitational attraction and the light pressure of the interacting bodies with the additional assumption of isotropic variability of their masses. The problem combines the Gylden-Meshchersky problem, acquiring a new physical meaning, and the two-body photogravitational Radzievsky problem. The evolving orbit is presented, unlike Kepler, with varying orbital elements - parameter and eccentricity, defines by the parameter µ(t), area integral C and quasi-integral energy h(t). Adiabatic invariants of the problem, which are of interest for the slow evolution of orbits, are determined. The general course of evolution of orbits of binary systems with radiation are determined by the change of the parameter µ(t) and the total energy of the system.

Evidence for Unresolved Exoplanet-hosting Binaries in Gaia DR2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Daniel F.

2018-05-01

This note describes an effort to detect additional stellar sources in known transiting exoplanet (TEP) systems, which are unresolved or barely resolved in the Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2) catalogue. The presence of multiple unresolved stars in photometric and spectroscopic observations of a transiting planetary system biases measurements of the planet's radius, mass, and atmospheric conditions. In addition to the effect on individual planetary systems, the presence of unresolved stars across the sample of known exoplanets biases our overall understanding of planetary systems, due to the systematic underestimation of both masses and radii. This work uses the Astrometric Goodness of Fit in the Along-Scan direction (GOF_AL) and the Astrometric Excess Noise as indicators of poorly-resolved binaries. Many known close binaries in the exoplanet host star sample have highly significant GOF_AL and Astrometric Excess Noise values, such as WASP-20AB with Astrometric Excess Noise significant at $4720\\sigma$ and GOF_AL=124.

Binary Orbits as the Driver of Gamma-Ray Emission and Mass Ejection in Classical Novae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chomiuk, Laura; Linford, Justin D.; Yang, Jun; O'Brien, T. J.; Paragi, Zsolt; Mioduszewski, Amy J.; Beswick, R. J.; Cheung, C. C.; Mukai, Koji; Nelson, Thomas

2014-01-01

Classical novae are the most common astrophysical thermonuclear explosions, occurring on the surfaces of white dwarf stars accreting gas from companions in binary star systems. Novae typically expel about 10 (sup -4) solar masses of material at velocities exceeding 1,000 kilometers per second.However, the mechanism of mass ejection in novae is poorly understood, and could be dominated by the impulsive flash of thermonuclear energy, prolonged optically thick winds or binary interaction with the nova envelope. Classical novae are now routinely detected at giga-electronvolt gamma-ray wavelengths, suggesting that relativistic particles are accelerated by strong shocks in the ejecta. Here we report high-resolution radio imaging of the gamma-ray-emitting nova V959 Mon. We find that its ejecta were shaped by the motion of the binary system: some gas was expelled rapidly along the poles as a wind from the white dwarf, while denser material drifted out along the equatorial plane, propelled by orbital motion..At the interface between the equatorial and polar regions, we observe synchrotron emission indicative of shocks and relativistic particle acceleration, thereby pinpointing the location of gamma-ray production. Binary shaping of the nova ejecta and associated internal shocks are expected to be widespread among novae, explaining why many novae are gamma-ray emitters.

Full Ionisation In Binary-Binary Encounters With Small Positive Energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sweatman, W. L.

2006-08-01

Interactions between binary stars and single stars and binary stars and other binary stars play a key role in the dynamics of a dense stellar system. Energy can be transferred between the internal dynamics of a binary and the larger scale dynamics of the interacting objects. Binaries can be destroyed and created by the interaction. In a binary-binary encounter, full ionisation occurs when both of the binary stars are destroyed in the interaction to create four single stars. This is only possible when the total energy of the system is positive. For very small energies the probability of this occurring is very low and it tends towards zero as the total energy tends towards zero. Here the case is considered for which all the stars have equal masses. An asymptotic power law is predicted relating the probability of full ionisation with the total energy when this latter quantity is small. The exponent, which is approximately 2.31, is compared with the results from numerical scattering experiments. The theoretical approach taken is similar to one used previously in the three-body problem. It makes use of the fact that the most dramatic changes in scale and energies of a few-body system occur when its components pass near to a central configuration. The position, and number, of these configurations is not known for the general four-body problem, however, with equal masses there are known to be exactly five different cases. Separate consideration and comparison of the properties of orbits close to each of these five central configurations enables the prediction of the form of the cross-section for full ionisation for the case of small positive total energy. This is the relation between total energy and the probability of total ionisation described above.

Black hole binaries dynamically formed in globular clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Dawoo; Kim, Chunglee; Lee, Hyung Mok; Bae, Yeong-Bok; Belczynski, Krzysztof

2017-08-01

We investigate properties of black hole (BH) binaries formed in globular clusters via dynamical processes, using directN-body simulations. We pay attention to effects of BH mass function on the total mass and mass ratio distributions of BH binaries ejected from clusters. First, we consider BH populations with two different masses in order to learn basic differences from models with single-mass BHs only. Secondly, we consider continuous BH mass functions adapted from recent studies on massive star evolution in a low metallicity environment, where globular clusters are formed. In this work, we consider only binaries that are formed by three-body processes and ignore stellar evolution and primordial binaries for simplicity. Our results imply that most BH binary mergers take place after they get ejected from the cluster. Also, mass ratios of dynamically formed binaries should be close to 1 or likely to be less than 2:1. Since the binary formation efficiency is larger for higher-mass BHs, it is likely that a BH mass function sampled by gravitational-wave observations would be weighed towards higher masses than the mass function of single BHs for a dynamically formed population. Applying conservative assumptions regarding globular cluster populations such as small BH mass fraction and no primordial binaries, the merger rate of BH binaries originated from globular clusters is estimated to be at least 6.5 yr-1 Gpc-3. Actual rate can be up to more than several times of our conservative estimate.

Evolution of vaporizing pulsars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccormick, P.

1994-01-01

We construct evolutional scenarios for LMXB's using a simplified stellar model. We discuss the origin and evolution of short-period, low mass binary pulsars with evaporating companions. We suggest that these systems descend from low-mass X-ray binaries and that angular momentum loss mainly due to evaporative wind drives their evolution. We derive limits on the energy and angular momentum carried away by the wind based on the observed low eccentricity. In our model the companion remains near contact, and its quasiadiabatic expansion causes the binary to expand. Short-term oscillations of the orbital period may occur if the Roche-lobe overflow forms an evaporating disk.

Non-conservative evolution in Algols: where is the matter?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deschamps, R.; Braun, K.; Jorissen, A.; Siess, L.; Baes, M.; Camps, P.

2015-05-01

Context. There is indirect evidence of non-conservative evolutions in Algols. However, the systemic mass-loss rate is poorly constrained by observations and generally set as a free parameter in binary-star evolution simulations. Moreover, systemic mass loss may lead to observational signatures that still need to be found. Aims: Within the "hotspot" ejection mechanism, some of the material that is initially transferred from the companion star via an accretion stream is expelled from the system due to the radiative energy released on the gainer's surface by the impacting material. The objective of this paper is to retrieve observable quantities from this process and to compare them with observations. Methods: We investigate the impact of the outflowing gas and the possible presence of dust grains on the spectral energy distribution (SED). We used the 1D plasma code Cloudy and compared the results with the 3D Monte-Carlo radiative transfer code Skirt for dusty simulations. The circumbinary mass-distribution and binary parameters were computed with state-of-the-art binary calculations done with the Binstar evolution code. Results: The outflowing material reduces the continuum flux level of the stellar SED in the optical and UV. Because of the time-dependence of this effect, it may help to distinguish between different ejection mechanisms. If present, dust leads to observable infrared excesses, even with low dust-to-gas ratios, and traces the cold material at large distances from the star. By searching for this dust emission in the WISE catalogue, we found a small number of Algols showing infrared excesses, among which the two rather surprising objects SX Aur and CZ Vel. We find that some binary B[e] stars show the same strong Balmer continuum as we predict with our models. However, direct evidence of systemic mass loss is probably not observable in genuine Algols, since these systems no longer eject mass through the hotspot mechanism. Furthermore, owing to its high velocity, the outflowing material dissipates in a few hundred years. If hot enough, the hotspot may produce highly ionised species, such as Si iv, and observable characteristics that are typical of W Ser systems. Conclusions: If present, systemic mass loss leads to clear observational imprints. These signatures are not to be found in genuine Algols but in the closely related β Lyraes, W Serpentis stars, double periodic variables, symbiotic Algols, and binary B[e] stars. We emphasise the need for further observations of such objects where systemic mass loss is most likely to occur. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Absolute and geometric parameters of contact binary GW Cnc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gürol, B.; Gökay, G.; Saral, G.; Gürsoytrak, S. H.; Cerit, S.; Terzioğlu, Z.

2016-07-01

We present the results of our investigation on the geometrical and physical parameters of the W UMa type binary system GW Cnc. We analyzed the photometric data obtained in 2010 and 2011 at Ankara University Observatory (AUO) and the spectroscopic data obtained in 2010 at TUBITAK National Observatory (TUG) by using the Wilson-Devinney (2013 revision) code to obtain the absolute and geometrical parameters. We derived masses and radii of the eclipsing system to be M1 = 0.257M⊙ , M2 = 0.971M⊙ , R1 = 0.526R⊙ and R2 = 0.961R⊙ with an orbital inclination i(∘) = 83.38 ± 0.25 and we determined the GW Cnc system to be a W-type W UMa over-contact binary with a mass ratio of q = 3.773 ± 0.007 .

A possible origin of the Galactic Center magnetar SGR 1745-2900

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Quan; Zhang, Shuang-Nan; Zheng, Xiao-Ping

2017-05-01

Since there is a large population of massive O/B stars and putative neutron stars (NSs) located in the vicinity of the Galactic Center (GC), intermediate-mass X-ray binaries (IMXBs) constituted by an NS and a B-type star probably exist there. We investigate the evolutions of accreting NSs in IMXBs (similar to M82 X-2) with a ˜ 5.2 {M}⊙ companion and orbital period ≃ 2.53 d. By adopting a mildly super-Eddington rate \\dot{M}=6× {10}-8 {M}⊙ {{yr}}-1 for the early Case B Roche-lobe overflow (RLOF) accretion, we find that only in accreting NSs with quite elastic crusts (slippage factor s = 0.05) can the toroidal magnetic fields be amplified within 1 Myr, which is assumed to be the longest duration of the RLOF. These IMXBs will evolve into NS+white dwarf (WD) binaries if they are dynamically stable. However, before the formation of NS+WD binaries, the high stellar density in the GC will probably lead to frequent encounters between the NS+evolved star binaries (in post-early Case B mass transfer phase) and NSs or exchange encounters with other stars, which may produce single NSs. These NSs will evolve into magnetars when the amplified poloidal magnetic fields diffuse out to the NS surfaces. Consequently, our results provide a possible explanation for the origin of the GC magnetar SGR 1745-2900. Moreover, the accreting NSs with s> 0.05 will evolve into millisecond pulsars (MSPs). Therefore, our model reveals that the GC magnetars and MSPs could both originate from a special kind of IMXB.

Formation Constraints Indicate a Black Hole Accretor in 47 Tuc X9

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Church, Ross P.; Strader, Jay; Davies, Melvyn B.; Bobrick, Alexey

2017-12-01

The luminous X-ray binary 47 Tuc X9 shows radio and X-ray emission consistent with a stellar-mass black hole (BH) accreting from a carbon-oxygen white dwarf. Its location, in the core of the massive globular cluster 47 Tuc, hints at a dynamical origin. We assess the stability of mass transfer from a carbon-oxygen white dwarf onto compact objects of various masses, and conclude that for mass transfer to proceed stably, the accretor must, in fact, be a BH. Such systems can form dynamically by the collision of a stellar-mass BH with a giant star. Tidal dissipation of energy in the giant’s envelope leads to a bound binary with a pericenter separation less than the radius of the giant. An episode of common-envelope evolution follows, which ejects the giant’s envelope. We find that the most likely target is a horizontal-branch star, and that a realistic quantity of subsequent dynamical hardening is required for the resulting binary to merge via gravitational wave emission. Observing one binary like 47 Tuc X9 in the Milky Way globular cluster system is consistent with the expected formation rate. The observed 6.8-day periodicity in the X-ray emission may be driven by eccentricity induced in the ultra-compact X-ray binary’s orbit by a perturbing companion.

Accretion Disks Around Binary Black Holes of Unequal Mass: GRMHD Simulations Near Decoupling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gold, Roman; Paschalidis, Vasileios; Etienne, Zachariah B.; Shapiro, Stuart L.; Pfeiffer, Harald, P.

2013-01-01

We report on simulations in general relativity of magnetized disks onto black hole binaries. We vary the binary mass ratio from 1:1 to 1:10 and evolve the systems when they orbit near the binary disk decoupling radius. We compare (surface) density profiles, accretion rates (relative to a single, non-spinning black hole), variability, effective alpha-stress levels and luminosities as functions of the mass ratio. We treat the disks in two limiting regimes: rapid radiative cooling and no radiative cooling. The magnetic field lines clearly reveal jets emerging from both black hole horizons and merging into one common jet at large distances. The magnetic fields give rise to much stronger shock heating than the pure hydrodynamic flows, completely alter the disk structure, and boost accretion rates and luminosities. Accretion streams near the horizons are among the densest structures; in fact, the 1:10 no-cooling evolution results in a refilling of the cavity. The typical effective temperature in the bulk of the disk is approx. 10(exp5) (M / 10(exp 8)M solar mass (exp -1/4(L/L(sub edd) (exp 1/4K) yielding characteristic thermal frequencies approx. 10 (exp 15) (M /10(exp 8)M solar mass) (exp -1/4(L/L (sub edd) (1+z) (exp -1)Hz. These systems are thus promising targets for many extragalactic optical surveys, such as LSST, WFIRST, and PanSTARRS.

The Eclipsing Central Stars of the Planetary Nebulae Lo 16 and PHR J1040-5417

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillwig, Todd C.; Frew, David; Jones, David; Crispo, Danielle

2017-01-01

Binary central stars of planetary nebula are a valuable tool in understanding common envelope evolution. In these cases both the resulting close binary system and the expanding envelope (the planetary nebula) can be studied directly. In order to compare observed systems with common envelope evolution models we need to determine precise physical parameters of the binaries and the nebulae. Eclipsing central stars provide us with the best opportunity to determine high precision values for mass, radius, and temperature of the component stars in these close binaries. We present photometry and spectroscopy for two of these eclipsing systems; the central stars of Lo 16 and PHR 1040-5417. Using light curves and radial velocity curves along with binary modeling we provide physical parameters for the stars in both of these systems.

Determination of the Period of Binary Asteroid Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lust, Nathaniel B.; Britt, D. T.

2008-09-01

In the study of asteroids, binary pairs offer a unique window of study. By observing these systems and determining the period of the secondary, it is possible to determine system mass (e.g. Pravec and Hahn 1997; Ryan et al., 2004). With mass and volume, properties such as bulk density and porosity can be derived. At the University of Central Florida we have begun a binary asteroid hunt, in conjunction with the Prague consortium, in order to identify new binary candidates and to better constrain data on known pairs. All of the observations are collected on campus using a 0.5meter f/8.1 Ritchey-Chretien telescope with a SBIG STL-6303E detector. For our first test target we observed the known binary asteroid 107 Camila over a period of six days for approximately six to eight hours a night. The data is then processed using an open source python algorithm developed by Nate Lust. The data is read in, reduced, and compared to a standard star. Once the light curve was generated we make use of the CLEAN algorithm, originally developed by Hogbom (1974), to extract meaningful periods from the light curve.

Where Planets Take up Residence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

This diagram illustrates that mature planetary systems like our own might be more common around twin, or binary, stars that are either really close together, or really far apart.

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope observed that debris disks, which are signposts of mature planetary systems, are more abundant around the tightest and widest of binary stars it studied. Specifically, the infrared telescope found significantly more debris disks around binary stars that are 0 to 3 astronomical units apart (top panel) and 50 to 500 astronomical units apart (bottom panel) than binary stars that are 3 to 50 astronomical units apart (middle panel). An astronomical unit is the distance between Earth and the sun.

In other words, if two stars are as far apart from each other as the sun is from Jupiter (5 astronomical units) or Pluto (40 astronomical units), they would be unlikely to host a family of planetary bodies.

The Spitzer data also revealed that debris disks circle all the way around both members of a close-knit binary (top panel), but only a single member of a wide duo (bottom panel). This could explain why the intermediately spaced binary systems (middle panel) can be inhospitable to planetary disks: they are too far apart to support one big disk around both stars, and they are too close together to have enough room for a disk around just one star.

The binary system K2SO4CaSO4

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rowe, J.J.; Morey, G.W.; Hansen, I.D.

1965-01-01

The binary system K2SO4CaSO4 was studied by means of heating-cooling curves, differential thermal analysis, high-temperature quenching technique and by means of a heating stage mounted on an X-ray diffractometer. Compositions and quench products were identified optically and by X-ray. Limited solid solution of CaSO4 in K2SO4 was found. There is a eutectic at 875??C and 34 wt. per cent CaSO4. Calcium langbeinite melts incongruently at 1011??C. The melting-point of CaSO4 (1462??C) was determined by the quenching technique using sealed platinum tubes. The only intermediate crystalline phase found in the system is K2SO4??2CaSO4 (calcium langbeinite). ?? 1965.

Case A and B evolution towards electron capture supernova

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siess, L.; Lebreuilly, U.

2018-06-01

Context. Most super-asymptotic giant branch (SAGB) stars are expected to end their life as oxygen-neon white dwarfs rather than electron capture supernovae (ECSN). The reason is ascribed to the ability of the second dredge-up to significantly reduce the mass of the He core and of the efficient AGB winds to remove the stellar envelope before the degenerate core reaches the critical mass for the activation of electron capture reactions. Aims: In this study, we investigate the formation of ECSN through case A and case B mass transfer. In these scenarios, when Roche lobe overflow stops, the primary has become a helium star. With a small envelope left, the second dredge-up is prevented, potentially opening new paths to ECSN. Methods: We compute binary models using our stellar evolution code BINSTAR. We consider three different secondary masses of 8, 9, and 10 M⊙ and explore the parameter space, varying the companion mass, orbital period, and input physics. Results: Assuming conservative mass transfer, with our choice of secondary masses all case A systems enter contact either during the main sequence or as a consequence of reversed mass transfer when the secondary overtakes its companion during core helium burning. Case B systems are able to produce ECSN progenitors in a relatively small range of periods (3 ≲ P(d) ≤ 30) and primary masses (10.9 ≤ M/M⊙≤ 11.5). Changing the companion mass has little impact on the primary's fate as long as the mass ratio M1/M2 remains less than 1.4-1.5, above which evolution to contact becomes unavoidable. We also find that allowing for systemic mass loss substantially increases the period interval over which ECSN can occur. This change in the binary physics does not however affect the primary mass range. We finally stress that the formation of ECSN progenitors through case A and B mass transfer is very sensitive to adopted binary and stellar physics. Conclusions: Close binaries provide additional channels for ECSN but the parameter space is rather constrained likely making ECSN a rare event.

Observing mergers of nonspinning black-hole binaries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McWilliams, Sean T.; Baker, John G.; Kelly, Bernard J.

2010-07-15

Advances in the field of numerical relativity now make it possible to calculate the final, most powerful merger phase of binary black-hole coalescence for generic binaries. The state of the art has advanced well beyond the equal-mass case into the unequal-mass and spinning regions of parameter space. We present a study of the nonspinning portion of parameter space, primarily using an analytic waveform model tuned to available numerical data, with an emphasis on observational implications. We investigate the impact of varied mass-ratio on merger signal-to-noise ratios for several detectors, and compare our results with expectations from the test-mass limit. Wemore » note a striking similarity of the waveform phasing of the merger waveform across the available mass ratios. Motivated by this, we calculate the match between our 1:1 (equal-mass) and 4:1 mass-ratio waveforms during the merger as a function of location on the source sky, using a new formalism for the match that accounts for higher harmonics. This is an indicator of the amount of degeneracy in mass-ratio for mergers of moderate-mass-ratio systems.« less

Low-mass X-ray binaries and gamma-ray bursts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lasota, J. P.; Frank, J.; King, A. R.

1992-01-01

More than twenty years after their discovery, the nature of gamma-ray burst sources (GRBs) remains mysterious. The results from BATSE experiment aboard the Compton Observatory show however that most of the sources of gamma-ray bursts cannot be distributed in the galactic disc. The possibility that a small fraction of sites of gamma-ray bursts is of galactic disc origin cannot however be excluded. We point out that large numbers of neutron-star binaries with orbital periods of 10 hr and M dwarf companions of mass 0.2-0.3 solar mass are a natural result of the evolution of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). The numbers and physical properties of these systems suggest that some gamma-ray burst sources may be identified with this endpoint of LMXB evolution. We suggest an observational test of this hypothesis.

Low-Frequency Gravitational Radiation from Coalescing Massive Black Hole Binaries in Hierarchical Cosmologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sesana, Alberto; Haardt, Francesco; Madau, Piero; Volonteri, Marta

2004-08-01

We compute the expected low-frequency gravitational wave signal from coalescing massive black hole (MBH) binaries at the center of galaxies in a hierarchical structure formation scenario in which seed holes of intermediate mass form far up in the dark halo ``merger tree.'' The merger history of dark matter halos and associated MBHs is followed via cosmological Monte Carlo realizations of the merger hierarchy from redshift z=20 to the present in a ΛCDM cosmology. MBHs get incorporated through halo mergers into larger and larger structures, sink to the center because of dynamical friction against the dark matter background, accrete cold material in the merger remnant, and form MBH binary systems. Stellar dynamical (three-body) interactions cause the hardening of the binary at large separations, while gravitational wave emission takes over at small radii and leads to the final coalescence of the pair. A simple scheme is applied in which the ``loss cone'' is constantly refilled and a constant stellar density core forms because of the ejection of stars by the shrinking binary. The integrated emission from inspiraling MBH binaries at all redshifts is computed in the quadrupole approximation and results in a gravitational wave background (GWB) with a well-defined shape that reflects the different mechanisms driving the late orbital evolution. The characteristic strain spectrum has the standard hc(f)~f-2/3 behavior only in the range f=10-9to10-6 Hz. At lower frequencies the orbital decay of MBH binaries is driven by the ejection of background stars (``gravitational slingshot''), and the strain amplitude increases with frequency, hc(f)~f. In this range the GWB is dominated by 109-1010 Msolar MBH pairs coalescing at 0<~z<~2. At higher frequencies, f>10-6Hz, the strain amplitude, as steep as hc(f)~f-1.3, is shaped by the convolution of last stable circular orbit emission by lighter binaries (102-107 Msolar) populating galaxy halos at all redshifts. We discuss the observability of inspiraling MBH binaries by a low-frequency gravitational wave experiment such as the planned Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). Over a 3 yr observing period LISA should resolve this GWB into discrete sources, detecting ~60 (~250) individual events above an S/N=5 (S/N=1) confidence level.

Forming spectroscopic massive protobinaries by disc fragmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, D. M.-A.; Kuiper, R.; Kley, W.; Johnston, K. G.; Vorobyov, E.

2018-01-01

The surroundings of massive protostars constitute an accretion disc which has numerically been shown to be subject to fragmentation and responsible for luminous accretion-driven outbursts. Moreover, it is suspected to produce close binary companions which will later strongly influence the star's future evolution in the Hertzsprung-Russel diagram. We present three-dimensional gravitation-radiation-hydrodynamic numerical simulations of 100 M⊙ pre-stellar cores. We find that accretion discs of young massive stars violently fragment without preventing the (highly variable) accretion of gaseous clumps on to the protostars. While acquiring the characteristics of a nascent low-mass companion, some disc fragments migrate on to the central massive protostar with dynamical properties showing that its final Keplerian orbit is close enough to constitute a close massive protobinary system, having a young high- and a low-mass components. We conclude on the viability of the disc fragmentation channel for the formation of such short-period binaries, and that both processes - close massive binary formation and accretion bursts - may happen at the same time. FU-Orionis-type bursts, such as observed in the young high-mass star S255IR-NIRS3, may not only indicate ongoing disc fragmentation, but also be considered as a tracer for the formation of close massive binaries - progenitors of the subsequent massive spectroscopic binaries - once the high-mass component of the system will enter the main-sequence phase of its evolution. Finally, we investigate the Atacama Large (sub-)Millimeter Array observability of the disc fragments.

Orbits of Four Very Massive Binaries in the R136 Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penny, L. R.; Massey, P.; Vukovich, J.

2001-12-01

We present radial velocity and photometry for four early-type, massive double-lined spectroscopic binaries in the R136 cluster. Three of these systems are eclipsing, allowing orbital inclinations to be determined. One of these systems, R136-38 (O3 V + O6 V), has one of the highest masses ever measured, 57 Modot, for the primary. Comparison of our masses with those derived from standard evolutionary tracks shows excellent agreement. We also identify five other light variables in the R136 cluster worthy of follow-up study.

The origin of ultra-compact binaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hachisu, Izumi; Miyaji, Shigeki; Saio, Hideyuki

1987-01-01

The origin of ultra-compact binaries composed of a neutron star and a low-mass (about 0.06 solar mass) white dwarf is considered. Taking account of the systemic losses of mass and angular momentum, it was found that a serious difficulty exists in the scenarios which involve tidal captures of a normal star (a main sequence star or a red giant) by a neutron star. This difficulty can be avoided if a red giant star is captured by a massive white dwarf (M is approx. greater than 1.2 solar masses), which becomes a neutron star through the accretion induced collapse.

Binary interaction dominates the evolution of massive stars.

PubMed

Sana, H; de Mink, S E; de Koter, A; Langer, N; Evans, C J; Gieles, M; Gosset, E; Izzard, R G; Le Bouquin, J-B; Schneider, F R N

2012-07-27

The presence of a nearby companion alters the evolution of massive stars in binary systems, leading to phenomena such as stellar mergers, x-ray binaries, and gamma-ray bursts. Unambiguous constraints on the fraction of massive stars affected by binary interaction were lacking. We simultaneously measured all relevant binary characteristics in a sample of Galactic massive O stars and quantified the frequency and nature of binary interactions. More than 70% of all massive stars will exchange mass with a companion, leading to a binary merger in one-third of the cases. These numbers greatly exceed previous estimates and imply that binary interaction dominates the evolution of massive stars, with implications for populations of massive stars and their supernovae.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Common proper motion stars in the Kepler field (Janes, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janes, K. A.

2017-08-01

In a search of proper motion catalogs for common proper motion stars in the field of the Kepler spacecraft I identified 93 likely binary systems. A comparison of their rotation periods is a test of the gyrochronology concept. To find their periods I calculated the autocorrelation function (ACF) of the Kepler mission photometry for each star. In most systems for which good periods can be found, the cooler star has a longer period than the hotter component, in general agreement with models. However, there is a wide range in the gradients of lines connecting binary pairs in a period-color diagram. Furthermore, near the solar color, only a few stars have longer periods than the Sun, suggesting that they, and their cooler companions, are not much older than the Sun. In addition, there is an apparent gap at intermediate periods in the period distribution of the late K and early M stars. Either star formation in this direction has been variable, or stars evolve in period at a non-uniform rate, or some stars evolve more rapidly than others at the same mass. Finally, using the ACF as a measure of the activity level, I found that while the F, G, and early K stars become less active as their periods increase, there is no correlation between period and activity for the mid K to early M stars. (1 data file).

Black hole binaries in galactic nuclei and gravitational wave sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Jongsuk; Lee, Hyung Mok

2015-03-01

Stellar black hole (BH) binaries are one of the most promising gravitational wave (GW) sources for GW detection by the ground-based detectors. Nuclear star clusters (NCs) located at the centre of galaxies are known to harbour massive black holes (MBHs) and to be bounded by a gravitational potential by other galactic components such as the galactic bulge. Such an environment of NCs provides a favourable conditions for the BH-BH binary formation by the gravitational radiation capture due to the high BH number density and velocity dispersion. We carried out detailed numerical study of the formation of BH binaries in the NCs using a series of N-body simulations for equal-mass cases. There is no mass segregation introduced. We have derived scaling relations of the binary formation rate with the velocity dispersion of the stellar system beyond the radius of influence and made estimates of the rate of formation of BH binaries per unit comoving volume and thus expected detection rate by integrating the binary formation rate over galaxy population within the detection distance of the advanced detectors. We find that the overall formation rates for BH-BH binaries per NC is ˜10-10 yr-1 for the Milky Way-like galaxies and weakly dependent on the mass of MBH as Γ ∝ M_MBH^{3/28}. We estimate the detection rate of 0.02-14 yr-1 for advanced LIGO/Virgo considering several factors such as the dynamical evolution of NCs, the variance of the number density of stars and the mass range of MBH giving uncertainties.

Spectroscopic binaries in the Solar Twin Planet Search program: from substellar-mass to M dwarf companions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

dos Santos, Leonardo A.; Meléndez, Jorge; Bedell, Megan; Bean, Jacob L.; Spina, Lorenzo; Alves-Brito, Alan; Dreizler, Stefan; Ramírez, Iván; Asplund, Martin

2017-12-01

Previous studies on the rotation of Sun-like stars revealed that the rotational rates of young stars converge towards a well-defined evolution that follows a power-law decay. It seems, however, that some binary stars do not obey this relation, often by displaying enhanced rotational rates and activity. In the Solar Twin Planet Search program, we observed several solar twin binaries, and found a multiplicity fraction of 42 per cent ± 6 per cent in the whole sample; moreover, at least three of these binaries (HIP 19911, HIP 67620 and HIP 103983) clearly exhibit the aforementioned anomalies. We investigated the configuration of the binaries in the program, and discovered new companions for HIP 6407, HIP 54582, HIP 62039 and HIP 30037, of which the latter is orbited by a 0.06 M⊙ brown dwarf in a 1 m long orbit. We report the orbital parameters of the systems with well-sampled orbits and, in addition, the lower limits of parameters for the companions that only display a curvature in their radial velocities. For the linear trend binaries, we report an estimate of the masses of their companions when their observed separation is available, and a minimum mass otherwise. We conclude that solar twin binaries with low-mass stellar companions at moderate orbital periods do not display signs of a distinct rotational evolution when compared to single stars. We confirm that the three peculiar stars are double-lined binaries, and that their companions are polluting their spectra, which explains the observed anomalies.

IRAS 16253–2429: THE FIRST PROTO-BROWN DWARF BINARY CANDIDATE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE DYNAMICS OF JETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hsieh, Tien-Hao; Lai, Shih-Ping; Belloche, Arnaud

2016-07-20

The formation mechanism of brown dwarfs (BDs) is one of the long-standing problems in star formation because the typical Jeans mass in molecular clouds is too large to form these substellar objects. To answer this question, it is crucial to study a BD in the embedded phase. IRAS 16253–2429 is classified as a very low-luminosity object (VeLLO) with an internal luminosity of <0.1 L {sub ⊙}. VeLLOs are believed to be very low-mass protostars or even proto-BDs. We observed the jet/outflow driven by IRAS 16253–2429 in CO (2–1), (6–5), and (7–6) using the IRAM 30 m and Atacama Pathfinder Experimentmore » telescopes and the Submillimeter Array (SMA) in order to study its dynamical features and physical properties. Our SMA map reveals two protostellar jets, indicating the existence of a proto-binary system as implied by the precessing jet detected in H{sub 2} emission. We detect a wiggling pattern in the position–velocity diagrams along the jet axes, which is likely due to the binary orbital motion. Based on this information, we derive the current mass of the binary as ∼0.032 M{sub ⊙}. Given the low envelope mass, IRAS 16253–2429 will form a binary that probably consist of one or two BDs. Furthermore, we found that the outflow force as well as the mass accretion rate are very low based on the multi-transition CO observations, which suggests that the final masses of the binary components are at the stellar/substellar boundary. Since IRAS 16253 is located in an isolated environment, we suggest that BDs can form through fragmentation and collapse, similar to low-mass stars.« less

Discovery of Par 1802 as a Low-Mass, Pre-Main-Sequence Eclipsing Binary in the Orion Star-Forming Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cargile, P. A.; Stassun, K. G.; Mathieu, R. D.

2008-02-01

We report the discovery of a pre-main-sequence (PMS), low-mass, double-lined, spectroscopic, eclipsing binary in the Orion star-forming region. We present our observations, including radial velocities derived from optical high-resolution spectroscopy, and present an orbit solution that permits the determination of precise empirical masses for both components of the system. We find that Par 1802 is composed of two equal-mass (0.39 +/- 0.03, 0.40 +/- 0.03 M⊙) stars in a circular, 4.7 day orbit. There is strong evidence, such as the system exhibiting strong Li lines and a center-of-mass velocity consistent with cluster membership, that this system is a member of the Orion star-forming region and quite possibly the Orion Nebula Cluster, and therefore has an age of only a few million years. As there are currently only a few empirical mass and radius measurements for low-mass, PMS stars, this system presents an interesting test for the predictions of current theoretical models of PMS stellar evolution.

Mesoscopic Community Structure of Financial Markets Revealed by Price and Sign Fluctuations

PubMed Central

Almog, Assaf; Besamusca, Ferry; MacMahon, Mel; Garlaschelli, Diego

2015-01-01

The mesoscopic organization of complex systems, from financial markets to the brain, is an intermediate between the microscopic dynamics of individual units (stocks or neurons, in the mentioned cases), and the macroscopic dynamics of the system as a whole. The organization is determined by “communities” of units whose dynamics, represented by time series of activity, is more strongly correlated internally than with the rest of the system. Recent studies have shown that the binary projections of various financial and neural time series exhibit nontrivial dynamical features that resemble those of the original data. This implies that a significant piece of information is encoded into the binary projection (i.e. the sign) of such increments. Here, we explore whether the binary signatures of multiple time series can replicate the same complex community organization of the financial market, as the original weighted time series. We adopt a method that has been specifically designed to detect communities from cross-correlation matrices of time series data. Our analysis shows that the simpler binary representation leads to a community structure that is almost identical with that obtained using the full weighted representation. These results confirm that binary projections of financial time series contain significant structural information. PMID:26226226

Towards a Fundamental Understanding of Short Period Eclipsing Binary Systems Using Kepler Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prsa, Andrej

Kepler's ultra-high precision photometry is revolutionizing stellar astrophysics. We are seeing intrinsic phenomena on an unprecedented scale, and interpreting them is both a challenge and an exciting privilege. Eclipsing binary stars are of particular significance for stellar astrophysics because precise modeling leads to fundamental parameters of the orbiting components: masses, radii, temperatures and luminosities to better than 1-2%. On top of that, eclipsing binaries are ideal physical laboratories for studying other physical phenomena, such as asteroseismic properties, chromospheric activity, proximity effects, mass transfer in close binaries, etc. Because of the eclipses, the basic geometry is well constrained, but a follow-up spectroscopy is required to get the dynamical masses and the absolute scale of the system. A conjunction of Kepler photometry and ground- based spectroscopy is a treasure trove for eclipsing binary star astrophysics. This proposal focuses on a carefully selected set of 100 short period eclipsing binary stars. The fundamental goal of the project is to study the intrinsic astrophysical effects typical of short period binaries in great detail, utilizing Kepler photometry and follow-up spectroscopy to devise a robust and consistent set of modeling results. The complementing spectroscopy is being secured from 3 approved and fully funded programs: the NOAO 4-m echelle spectroscopy at Kitt Peak (30 nights; PI Prsa), the 10- m Hobby-Eberly Telescope high-resolution spectroscopy (PI Mahadevan), and the 2.5-m Sloan Digital Sky Survey III spectroscopy (PI Mahadevan). The targets are prioritized by the projected scientific yield. Short period detached binaries host low-mass (K- and M- type) components for which the mass-radius relationship is sparsely populated and still poorly understood, as the radii appear up to 20% larger than predicted by the population models. We demonstrate the spectroscopic detection viability in the secondary-to-primary light ratio regime of ~1-2% for the circumbinary host system Kepler-16. Semi-detached binaries are ideal targets to study the dynamical processes such as mass flow and accretion, and the associated thermal processes such as intensity variation due to distortion of the lobe-filling component and material inflow collisions with accretion disks. Overcontact binaries are very abundant, yet their evolution and radiative properties are poorly understood and conflicting theories exist to explain their population frequency and structure. In addition, we will measure eclipse timing variations for all program binaries that attest to the presence of perturbing third bodies (stellar and substellar!) or dynamical interaction between the components. By a dedicated, detailed, manual modeling of these sets of targets, we will be able to use Kepler's ultra-high precision photometry to a rewarding scientific end. Thanks to the unprecedented quality of Kepler data, this will be a highly focused effort that maximizes the scientific yield and the reliability of the results. Our team has ample experience dealing with Kepler data (PI Prsa serves as chair of the Eclipsing Binary Working Group in the Kepler Science Team), spectroscopic follow-up (Co-Is Mahadevan and Bender both have experience with radial velocity instrumentation and large spectroscopic surveys), and eclipsing binary modeling (PI Prsa and Co-I Devinney both have a long record of theoretical and computational development of modeling tools). The bulk of funding we are requesting is for two postdoctoral research fellows to conduct this work at 0.5 FTE/year each, for the total of 2 years.

An unusually massive stellar black hole in the Galaxy.

PubMed

Greiner, J; Cuby, J G; McCaughrean, M J

2001-11-29

The X-ray source known as GRS1915+105 belongs to a group dubbed 'microquasars'. These objects are binary systems which sporadically eject matter at speeds that appear superluminal, as is the case for some quasars. GRS1915+105 is also one of only two known binary sources thought to contain a maximally spinning black hole. Determining the basic parameters of GRS195+105, such as the masses of the components, will help us to understand jet formation in this system, as well as providing links to other objects which exhibit jets. Using X-ray data, indirect methods have previously been used to infer a variety of masses for the accreting compact object in the range 10-30 solar masses (M middle dot in circle). Here we report a direct measurement of the orbital period and mass function of GRS1915+105, which allow us to deduce a mass of 14 +/- 4 M middle dot in circle for the black hole. Black holes with masses >5-7 M middle dot in circle challenge the conventional picture of black-hole formation in binary systems. Based on the mass estimate, we interpret the distinct X-ray variability of GRS1915+105 as arising from instabilities in an accretion disk that is dominated by radiation pressure, and radiating near the Eddington limit (the point where radiation pressure supports matter against gravity). Also, the mass estimate constrains most models which relate observable X-ray properties to the spin of black holes in microquasars.

Discovery of a 3.6-hr Eclipsing Luminous X-Ray Binary in the Galaxy NGC 4214

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghosh, Kajal K.; Rappaport, Saul; Tennant, Allyn F.; Swartz, Douglas A.; Pooley, David; Madhusudhan, N.

2006-01-01

We report the discovery of an eclipsing X-ray binary with a 3.62-hr period within 24 arcsec of the center of the dwarf starburst galaxy NGC 4214. The orbital period places interesting constraints on the nature of the binary, and allows for a few very different interpretations. The most likely possibility is that the source lies within NGC 4214 and has an X-ray luminosity of up to 7e38. In this case the binary may well be comprised of a naked He-burning donor star with a neutron-star accretor, though a stellar-mass black-hole accretor cannot be completely excluded. There is no obvious evidence for a strong stellar wind in the X-ray orbital light curve that would be expected from a massive He star; thus, the mass of the He star should be <3-4 solar masses. If correct, this would represent a new class of very luminous X-ray binary----perhaps related to Cyg X-3. Other less likely possibilities include a conventional low-mass X-ray binary that somehow manages to produce such a high X-ray luminosity and is apparently persistent over an interval of years; or a foreground AM Her binary of much lower luminosity that fortuitously lies in the direction of NGC 4214. Any model for this system must accommodate the lack of an optical counterpart down to a limiting magnitude of 22.6 in the visible.

Properties of the Binary Black Hole Merger GW150914

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Camp, J. B.

2016-01-01

On September 14, 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detected a gravitational-wave transient (GW150914); we characterize the properties of the source and its parameters. The data around the time of the event were analyzed coherently across the LIGO network using a suite of accurate waveform models that describe gravitational waves from a compact binary system in general relativity. GW150914 was produced by a nearly equal mass binary black hole of masses 36(+5/-4) solar mass and 29(+4/-4) solar mass; for each parameter we report the median value and the range of the 90% credible interval. The dimensionless spin magnitude of the more massive black hole is bound to be less than 0.7 (at 90% probability). The luminosity distance to the source is 410(+160/-180) Mpc, corresponding to a redshift 0.09(+0.03/-0.04) assuming standard cosmology. The source location is constrained to an annulus section of 610 sq deg, primarily in the southern hemisphere. The binary merges into a black hole of mass 62(+4/-4) solar mass and spin 0.67(+0.05/-0.07). This black hole is significantly more massive than any other inferred from electromagnetic observations in the stellar-mass regime.

New binaries among UV-selected, hot subdwarf stars and population properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawka, A.; Vennes, S.; O'Toole, S.; Németh, P.; Burton, D.; Kotze, E.; Buckley, D. A. H.

2015-07-01

We have measured the orbital parameters of seven close binaries, including six new objects, in a radial velocity survey of 38 objects comprising a hot subdwarf star with orbital periods ranging from ˜0.17 to 3 d. One new system, GALEX J2205-3141, shows reflection on an M dwarf companion. Three other objects show significant short-period variations, but their orbital parameters could not be constrained. Two systems comprising a hot subdwarf paired with a bright main-sequence/giant companion display short-period photometric variations possibly due to irradiation or stellar activity and are also short-period candidates. All except two candidates were drawn from a selection of subluminous stars in the Galaxy Evolution Explorer ultraviolet sky survey. Our new identifications also include a low-mass subdwarf B star and likely progenitor of a low-mass white dwarf (GALEX J0805-1058) paired with an unseen, possibly substellar, companion. The mass functions of the newly identified binaries imply minimum secondary masses ranging from 0.03 to 0.39 M⊙. Photometric time series suggest that, apart from GALEX J0805-1058 and J2205-3141, the companions are most likely white dwarfs. We update the binary population statistics: close to 40 per cent of hot subdwarfs have a companion. Also, we found that the secondary mass distribution shows a low-mass peak attributed to late-type dwarfs, and a higher mass peak and tail distribution attributed to white dwarfs and a few spectroscopic composites. Also, we found that the population kinematics imply an old age and include a few likely halo population members.

Reconciling Optical and Radio Observations of the Binary Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1640+2224

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vigeland, Sarah J.; Deller, Adam T.; Kaplan, David L.; Istrate, Alina G.; Stappers, Benjamin W.; Tauris, Thomas M.

2018-03-01

Previous optical and radio observations of the binary millisecond pulsar PSR J1640+2224 have come to inconsistent conclusions about the identity of its companion, with some observations suggesting that the companion is a low-mass helium-core (He-core) white dwarf (WD), while others indicate that it is most likely a high-mass carbon–oxygen (CO) WD. Binary evolution models predict PSR J1640+2224 most likely formed in a low-mass X-ray binary based on the pulsar’s short spin period and long-period, low-eccentricity orbit, in which case its companion should be a He-core WD with mass about 0.35–0.39 M ⊙, depending on metallicity. If instead it is a CO WD, it would suggest that the system has an unusual formation history. In this paper we present the first astrometric parallax measurement for this system from observations made with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), from which we determine the distance to be {1520}-150+170 {pc}. We use this distance and a reanalysis of archival optical observations originally taken in 1995 with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to measure the WD’s mass. We also incorporate improvements in calibration, extinction model, and WD cooling models. We find that the existing observations are not sufficient to tightly constrain the companion mass, but we conclude the WD mass is >0.4 M ⊙ with >90% confidence. The limiting factor in our analysis is the low signal-to-noise ratio of the original HST observations.

The O-type eclipsing contact binary LY Aurigae - member of a quadruple system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, Pavel; Drechsel, Horst; Harmanec, Petr; Yang, Stephenson; Šlechta, Miroslav

2013-11-01

The eclipsing binary LY Aur (O9 II + O9 III) belongs to the rare class of early-type contact systems. We obtained 23 new spectra at the Ondřejov and Dominion Astrophysical Observatories, which were analysed with four older Calar Alto and one ELODIE archive spectra. A new result of this study is that the visual companion of LY Aur - the spectral lines of which are clearly seen in our spectra - is also an SB1 binary having an orbital period of 20.46d, an eccentric orbit, and a radial velocity semi-amplitude of 33 km s-1. The Hα line blend contains an emission component, which shows dependence on the orbital phase of the eclipsing system, with the strongest emission around the secondary eclipse. Revised elements of the eclipsing binary and the orbital solution of the companion binary are determined from our set of spectra and new light-curve solutions of the eclipsing pair. The mass of the primary of 25.5 M⊙ agrees well with its spectral type, whereas the secondary mass of 14 M⊙ is smaller than expected. From an O-C analysis of the minimum times of LY Aur that span more than 40 years, we found that the orbital period is decreasing, indicating the presence of interaction processes. The system is likely in a phase of non-conservative mass exchange. Based on spectral observations collected at the German-Spanish Observatory, Calar Alto, Spain; Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Canada; Ondřejov Observatory, Czech Republic, and an archival Haute Provence Observatory ELODIE spectrum.

A 15.7-Minute AM CVn Binary Discovered in K2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, M. J.; Hermes, J. J.; Marsh, T. R.; Steeghs, D. T. H.; Bell, Keaton J.; Littlefair, S. P.; Parsons, S. G.; Dennihy, E.; Fuchs, J. T.; Reding, J. S.; Kaiser, B. C.; Ashley, R. P.; Breedt, E.; Dhillon, V. S.; Gentile Fusillo, N. P.; Kerry, P.; Sahman, D. I.

2018-04-01

We present the discovery of SDSS J135154.46-064309.0, a short-period variable observed using 30-minute cadence photometry in K2 Campaign 6. Follow-up spectroscopy and high-speed photometry support a classification as a new member of the rare class of ultracompact accreting binaries known as AM CVn stars. The spectroscopic orbital period of 15.65 ± 0.12 minutes makes this system the fourth-shortest period AM CVn known, and the second system of this type to be discovered by the Kepler spacecraft. The K2 data show photometric periods at 15.7306 ± 0.0003 minutes, 16.1121 ± 0.0004 minutes and 664.82 ± 0.06 minutes, which we identify as the orbital period, superhump period, and disc precession period, respectively. From the superhump and orbital periods we estimate the binary mass ratio q = M2/M1 = 0.111 ± 0.005, though this method of mass ratio determination may not be well calibrated for helium-dominated binaries. This system is likely to be a bright foreground source of gravitational waves in the frequency range detectable by LISA, and may be of use as a calibration source if future studies are able to constrain the masses of its stellar components.

A 15.7-minAM CVn binary discovered in K2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, M. J.; Hermes, J. J.; Marsh, T. R.; Steeghs, D. T. H.; Bell, Keaton J.; Littlefair, S. P.; Parsons, S. G.; Dennihy, E.; Fuchs, J. T.; Reding, J. S.; Kaiser, B. C.; Ashley, R. P.; Breedt, E.; Dhillon, V. S.; Gentile Fusillo, N. P.; Kerry, P.; Sahman, D. I.

2018-07-01

We present the discovery of SDSS J135154.46-064309.0, a short-period variable observed using 30-mincadence photometry in K2 Campaign 6. Follow-up spectroscopy and high-speed photometry support a classification as a new member of the rare class of ultracompact accreting binaries known as AM CVn stars. The spectroscopic orbital period of 15.65 ± 0.12 min makes this system the fourth-shortest-period AM CVn known, and the second system of this type to be discovered by the Kepler spacecraft. The K2 data show photometric periods at 15.7306 ± 0.0003 min, 16.1121 ± 0.0004 min, and 664.82 ± 0.06 min, which we identify as the orbital period, superhump period, and disc precession period, respectively. From the superhump and orbital periods we estimate the binary mass ratio q = M2/M1= 0.111 ± 0.005, though this method of mass ratio determination may not be well calibrated for helium-dominated binaries. This system is likely to be a bright foreground source of gravitational waves in the frequency range detectable by Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, and may be of use as a calibration source if future studies are able to constrain the masses of its stellar components.

General relativistic dynamics of an extreme mass-ratio binary interacting with an external body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Huan; Casals, Marc

2017-10-01

We study the dynamics of a hierarchical three-body system in the general relativistic regime: an extreme mass-ratio inner binary under the tidal influence of an external body. The inner binary consists of a central Schwarzschild black hole and a test body moving around it. We discuss three types of tidal effects on the orbit of the test body. First, the angular momentum of the inner binary precesses around the angular momentum of the outer binary. Second, the tidal field drives a "transient resonance" when the radial and azimuthal frequencies are commensurable. In contrast with resonances driven by the gravitational self-force, this tidal-driven resonance may boost the orbital angular momentum and eccentricity (a relativistic version of the Kozai-Lidov effect). Finally, for an orbit-dynamical effect during the nonresonant phase, we calculate the correction to the innermost stable circular (mean) orbit due to the tidal interaction. Hierarchical three-body systems are potential sources for future space-based gravitational wave missions, and the tidal effects that we find could contribute significantly to their waveform.

The most plausible explanation of the cyclic period changes in close binaries: the case of the RS CVn-type binary WW Dra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, W.-P.; Qian, S.-B.

2010-07-01

Cyclic period changes are a fairly common phenomenon in close binary systems and are usually explained as being caused either by the magnetic activity of one or both components or by the light travel time effect (LTTE) of a third body. We searched the orbital period changes in 182 EA-type (including the 101 Algol systems used by Hall), 43 EB-type and 53 EW-type binaries with known mass ratio and spectral type of the secondary component. We reproduced and improved the diagram in Hall according to the new collected data. Our plots do not support the conclusion derived by Hall that cyclic period changes are restricted to binaries having a secondary component with spectral type later than F5. The presence of period changes among systems with a secondary component of early type indicates that magnetic activity is one, but not the only, cause of the period variation. It is discovered that cyclic period changes, probably resulting from the presence of a third body, are more frequent in EW-type binaries among close systems. Therefore, the most plausible explanation of the cyclic period changes is the LTTE through the presence of a third body. Using the century-long historical record of the times of light minimum, we analysed the cyclic period change in the Algol binary WW Dra. It is found that the orbital period of the binary shows a ~112.2-yr cyclic variation with an amplitude of ~0.1977d. The cyclic oscillation can be attributed to the LTTE by means of a third body with a mass no less than 6.43Msolar. However, no spectral lines of the third body were discovered, indicating that it may be a candidate black hole. The third body is orbiting the binary at a distance closer than 14.4 au and may play an important role in the evolution of this system.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Photometric study of fourteen low-mass binaries (Korda+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korda, D.; Zasche, P.; Wolf, M.; Kucakova, H.; Honkova, K.; Vrastil, J.

2018-05-01

All new photometric observations of 14 binaries were carried out in the Ondrejov Observatory in the Czech Republic with the 0.65 m reflecting-type telescope and the G2-3200 CCD camera. Observations were collected from 2015 February to 2016 November in the I, R, and V filters (Bessell 1990PASP..102.1181B). Some of the older observations obtained only in the R filter were used for refining the individual orbital periods. The stars were primarily chosen from the catalog of Hoffman et al. (2008, J/AJ/136/1067). For the selection of suitable stars, we used several criteria. Each binary's classification as a low-mass binary was performed using the photometric indices J-H and H-K, which are known from the 2MASS survey (Cutri et al. 2003, Cat. II/246; J-H>0.25 and H-K>0.07 Pecaut & Mamajek (2013, J/ApJS/208/9; www.pas.rochester.edu/~emamajek/EEMdwarfUBVIJHKcolorsTeff.txt)). Furthermore, we selected binary systems that have short orbital periods (P<1.5 days) and we chose the declination to be higher than +30°. The last criterion was that these systems cannot have been analyzed in detail before. We chose 11 systems in Hoffman's catalog (2008, J/AJ/136/1067), 2 more were found in the measured field (one of them is on the edge of criteria), and 1 star was added later. (6 data files).

News From The Erebos Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaffenroth, Veronika; Barlow, Brad; Geier, Stephan; Vučković, Maja; Kilkenny, Dave; Schaffenroth, Johannes

2017-12-01

Planets and brown dwarfs in close orbits will interact with their host stars, as soon as the stars evolve to become red giants. However, the outcome of those interactions is still unclear. Recently, several brown dwarfs have been discovered orbiting hot subdwarf stars at very short orbital periods of 0.065 - 0.096 d. More than 8% of the close hot subdwarf binaries might have sub-stellar companions. This shows that such companions can significantly affect late stellar evolution and that sdB binaries are ideal objects to study this influence. Thirty-eight new eclipsing sdB binary systems with cool low-mass companions and periods from 0.05 to 0.5 d were discovered based on their light curves by the OGLE project. In the recently published catalog of eclipsing binaries in the Galactic bulge, we discovered 75 more systems. We want to use this unique and homogeneously selected sample to derive the mass distribution of the companions, constrain the fraction of sub-stellar companions and determine the minimum mass needed to strip off the red-giant envelope. We are especially interested in testing models that predict hot Jupiter planets as possible companions. Therefore, we started the EREBOS (Eclipsing Reflection Effect Binaries from the OGLE Survey) project, which aims at analyzing those new HW Vir systems based on a spectroscopic and photometric follow up. For this we were granted an ESO Large Program for ESO-VLT/FORS2. Here we give an update on the the current status of the project and present some preliminary results.

Two white dwarfs in ultrashort binaries with detached, eclipsing, likely sub-stellar companions detected by K2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, S. G.; Hermes, J. J.; Marsh, T. R.; Gänsicke, B. T.; Tremblay, P.-E.; Littlefair, S. P.; Sahman, D. I.; Ashley, R. P.; Green, M.; Rattanasoon, S.; Dhillon, V. S.; Burleigh, M. R.; Casewell, S. L.; Buckley, D. A. H.; Braker, I. P.; Irawati, P.; Dennihy, E.; Rodríguez-Gil, P.; Winget, D. E.; Winget, K. I.; Bell, Keaton J.; Kilic, Mukremin

2017-10-01

Using data from the extended Kepler mission in K2 Campaign 10, we identify two eclipsing binaries containing white dwarfs with cool companions that have extremely short orbital periods of only 71.2 min (SDSS J1205-0242, a.k.a. EPIC 201283111) and 72.5 min (SDSS J1231+0041, a.k.a. EPIC 248368963). Despite their short periods, both systems are detached with small, low-mass companions, in one case a brown dwarf and in the other case either a brown dwarf or a low-mass star. We present follow-up photometry and spectroscopy of both binaries, as well as phase-resolved spectroscopy of the brighter system, and use these data to place preliminary estimates on the physical and binary parameters. SDSS J1205-0242 is composed of a 0.39 ± 0.02 M⊙ helium-core white dwarf that is totally eclipsed by a 0.049 ± 0.006 M⊙ (51 ± 6MJ) brown-dwarf companion, while SDSS J1231+0041 is composed of a 0.56 ± 0.07 M⊙ white dwarf that is partially eclipsed by a companion of mass ≲0.095 M⊙. In the case of SDSS J1205-0242, we look at the combined constraints from common-envelope evolution and brown-dwarf models; the system is compatible with similar constraints from other post-common-envelope binaries, given the current parameter uncertainties, but has potential for future refinement.

A wide deep infrared look at the Pleiades with UKIDSS: new constraints on the substellar binary fraction and the low-mass initial mass function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lodieu, N.; Dobbie, P. D.; Deacon, N. R.; Hodgkin, S. T.; Hambly, N. C.; Jameson, R. F.

2007-09-01

We present the results of a deep wide-field near-infrared survey of 12 deg2 of the Pleiades conducted as part of the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Galactic Cluster Survey (GCS). We have extracted over 340 high-probability proper motion (PM) members down to 0.03 Msolar using a combination of UKIDSS photometry and PM measurements obtained by cross-correlating the GCS with data from the Two Micron All Sky Survey, the Isaac Newton Telescope and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Additionally, we have unearthed 73 new candidate brown dwarf (BD) members on the basis of five-band UKIDSS photometry alone. We have identified 23 substellar multiple system candidates out of 63 candidate BDs from the (Y - K, Y) and (J - K, J) colour-magnitude diagrams, yielding a binary frequency of 28-44 per cent in the 0.075-0.030 Msolar mass range. Our estimate is three times larger than the binary fractions reported from high-resolution imaging surveys of field ultracool dwarfs and Pleiades BDs. However, it is marginally consistent with our earlier `peculiar' photometric binary fraction of 50 +/- 10 per cent presented by Pinfield et al., in good agreement with the 32-45 per cent binary fraction derived from the recent Monte Carlo simulations of Maxted & Jeffries and compatible with the 26 +/- 10 per cent frequency recently estimated by Basri & Reiners. A tentative estimate of the mass ratios from photometry alone seems to support the hypothesis that binary BDs tend to reside in near equal-mass ratio systems. In addition, the recovery of four Pleiades members targeted by high-resolution imaging surveys for multiplicity studies suggests that half of the binary candidates may have separations below the resolution limit of the Hubble Space Telescope or current adaptive optics facilities at the distance of the Pleiades (a ~7 au). Finally, we have derived luminosity and mass functions from the sample of photometric candidates with membership probabilities. The mass function is well modelled by a lognormal peaking at 0.24Msolar and is in agreement with previous studies in the Pleiades. Based on observations made with the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope, operated by the Joint Astronomy Centre on behalf of the UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council. E-mail: nlodieu@iac.es

A Hidden Population of Hot Subdwarf Stars in Close Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wade, Richard A.; Clausen, Drew R.; Kopparapu, Ravi Kumar; O'Shaughnessy, Richard; Stark, M. A.; Walentosky, M. J.

2010-12-01

Observations to date preferentially find Galactic hot subdwarf (sdB/sdO) stars in binaries when the subdwarfs are more luminous than their relatively faint companions (G/K/M dwarfs, white dwarfs). As suggested by Han et al. [1], this selection bias may distort our perspective of the evolutionary channels that form hot subdwarfs in the galactic disk. A predicted and possibly more numerous population of binaries features a lower-mass, lower-luminosity, longer-lived hot subdwarf hiding in the glare from its companion: the subdwarf+A/early F binaries. Such systems may arise when mass transfer is initiated in the Hertzsprung gap; the A/F companion in some cases was ``created'' from a lower-mass star (i.e., it would be a blue straggler if seen in a cluster). A survey is underway at Penn State to identify hot subdwarfs paired with F stars, determine their properties, and establish their space density. The project makes use of ground and space archival data to identify these systems (from their UV excesses) and new spectroscopic observations to determine their orbital periods and other properties. Successful characterization of this group of close binaries should help to challenge, calibrate, or refine models of binary star evolution that are used in population synthesis studies, including the relative importance of the RLOF and common-envelope channels for the formation of hot subdwarfs. The motivation, methodology, and status of this search for hidden hot subdwarfs are presented in this contribution.

Eclipsing Binaries with Possible Tertiary Components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snyder, LeRoy F.

2013-05-01

Many eclipsing binary star systems (EBS) show long-term variations in their orbital periods which are evident in their O-C (observed minus calculated period) diagrams. This research carried out an analysis of 324 eclipsing binary systems taken from the systems analyzed in the Bob Nelson's O-C Files database. Of these 18 systems displayed evidence of periodic variations of the arrival times of the eclipses. These rates of period changes are sinusoidal variations. The sinusoidal character of these variations is suggestive of Keplerian motion caused by an orbiting companion. The reason for these changes is unknown, but mass loss, apsidal motion, magnetic activity and the presence of a third body have been proposed. This paper has assumed light time effect as the cause of the sinusoidal variations caused by the gravitational pull of a tertiary companion orbiting around the eclipsing binary systems. An observed minus calculated (O-C) diagram of the 324 systems was plotted using a quadratic ephemeris to determine if the system displayed a sinusoidal trend in theO-C residuals. After analysis of the 18 systems, seven systems, AW UMa, BB PEG, OO Aql, V508 Oph, VW Cep, WCrv and YY ERI met the benchmark of the criteria of a possible orbiting companion. The other 11 systems displayed a sinusoidal variation in the O-C residuals of the primary eclipses but these systems in the Bob Nelson's O-C Files did not contain times of minimum (Tmin) of the secondary eclipses and therefore not conclusive in determining the presents of the effects of a tertiary companion. An analysis of the residuals of the seven systems yields a light-time semi-amplitude, orbital period, eccentricity and mass of the tertiary companion as the amplitude of the variation is proportional to the mass, period and inclination of the 3rd orbiting body. Knowing the low mass of the tertiary body in the seven cases the possibility of five of these tertiary companions being brown dwarfs is discussed.

Testing the Binary Black Hole Nature of a Compact Binary Coalescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishnendu, N. V.; Arun, K. G.; Mishra, Chandra Kant

2017-09-01

We propose a novel method to test the binary black hole nature of compact binaries detectable by gravitational wave (GW) interferometers and, hence, constrain the parameter space of other exotic compact objects. The spirit of the test lies in the "no-hair" conjecture for black holes where all properties of a Kerr black hole are characterized by its mass and spin. The method relies on observationally measuring the quadrupole moments of the compact binary constituents induced due to their spins. If the compact object is a Kerr black hole (BH), its quadrupole moment is expressible solely in terms of its mass and spin. Otherwise, the quadrupole moment can depend on additional parameters (such as the equation of state of the object). The higher order spin effects in phase and amplitude of a gravitational waveform, which explicitly contains the spin-induced quadrupole moments of compact objects, hence, uniquely encode the nature of the compact binary. Thus, we argue that an independent measurement of the spin-induced quadrupole moment of the compact binaries from GW observations can provide a unique way to distinguish binary BH systems from binaries consisting of exotic compact objects.

Testing the Binary Black Hole Nature of a Compact Binary Coalescence.

PubMed

Krishnendu, N V; Arun, K G; Mishra, Chandra Kant

2017-09-01

We propose a novel method to test the binary black hole nature of compact binaries detectable by gravitational wave (GW) interferometers and, hence, constrain the parameter space of other exotic compact objects. The spirit of the test lies in the "no-hair" conjecture for black holes where all properties of a Kerr black hole are characterized by its mass and spin. The method relies on observationally measuring the quadrupole moments of the compact binary constituents induced due to their spins. If the compact object is a Kerr black hole (BH), its quadrupole moment is expressible solely in terms of its mass and spin. Otherwise, the quadrupole moment can depend on additional parameters (such as the equation of state of the object). The higher order spin effects in phase and amplitude of a gravitational waveform, which explicitly contains the spin-induced quadrupole moments of compact objects, hence, uniquely encode the nature of the compact binary. Thus, we argue that an independent measurement of the spin-induced quadrupole moment of the compact binaries from GW observations can provide a unique way to distinguish binary BH systems from binaries consisting of exotic compact objects.

The end of the MACHO era, revisited: New limits on MACHO masses from halo wide binaries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Monroy-Rodríguez, Miguel A.; Allen, Christine, E-mail: chris@astro.unam.mx

2014-08-01

In order to determine an upper bound for the mass of the massive compact halo objects (MACHOs), we use the halo binaries contained in a recent catalog by Allen and Monroy-Rodríguez. To dynamically model their interactions with massive perturbers, a Monte Carlo simulation is conducted, using an impulsive approximation method and assuming a galactic halo constituted by massive particles of a characteristic mass. The results of such simulations are compared with several subsamples of our improved catalog of candidate halo wide binaries. In accordance with Quinn et al., we also find our results to be very sensitive to the widestmore » binaries. However, our larger sample, together with the fact that we can obtain galactic orbits for 150 of our systems, allows a more reliable estimate of the maximum MACHO mass than that obtained previously. If we employ the entire sample of 211 candidate halo stars we, obtain an upper limit of 112 M{sub ☉}. However, using the 150 binaries in our catalog with computed galactic orbits, we are able to refine our fitting criteria. Thus, for the 100 most halo-like binaries we obtain a maximum MACHO mass of 21-68 M{sub ☉}. Furthermore, we can estimate the dynamical effects of the galactic disk using binary samples that spend progressively shorter times within the disk. By extrapolating the limits obtained for our most reliable—albeit smallest—sample, we find that as the time spent within the disk tends to zero, the upper bound of the MACHO mass tends to less than 5 M{sub ☉}. The non-uniform density of the halo has also been taken into account, but the limit obtained, less than 5 M{sub ☉}, does not differ much from the previous one. Together with microlensing studies that provide lower limits on the MACHO mass, our results essentially exclude the existence of such objects in the galactic halo.« less

Massive binary stars as a probe of massive star formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiminki, Daniel C.

2010-10-01

Massive stars are among the largest and most influential objects we know of on a sub-galactic scale. Binary systems, composed of at least one of these stars, may be responsible for several types of phenomena, including type Ib/c supernovae, short and long gamma ray bursts, high-velocity runaway O and B-type stars, and the density of the parent star clusters. Our understanding of these stars has met with limited success, especially in the area of their formation. Current formation theories rely on the accumulated statistics of massive binary systems that are limited because of their sample size or the inhomogeneous environments from which the statistics are collected. The purpose of this work is to provide a higher-level analysis of close massive binary characteristics using the radial velocity information of 113 massive stars (B3 and earlier) and binary orbital properties for the 19 known close massive binaries in the Cygnus OB2 Association. This work provides an analysis using the largest amount of massive star and binary information ever compiled for an O-star rich cluster like Cygnus OB2, and compliments other O-star binary studies such as NGC 6231, NGC 2244, and NGC 6611. I first report the discovery of 73 new O or B-type stars and 13 new massive binaries by this survey. This work involved the use of 75 successful nights of spectroscopic observation at the Wyoming Infrared Observatory in addition to observations obtained using the Hydra multi-object spectrograph at WIYN, the HIRES echelle spectrograph at KECK, and the Hamilton spectrograph at LICK. I use these data to estimate the spectrophotometric distance to the cluster and to measure the mean systemic velocity and the one-sided velocity dispersion of the cluster. Finally, I compare these data to a series of Monte Carlo models, the results of which indicate that the binary fraction of the cluster is 57 +/- 5% and that the indices for the power law distributions, describing the log of the periods, mass-ratios, and eccentricities, are --0.2 +/- 0.3, 0.3 +/- 0.3, and --0.8 +/- 0.3 respectively (or not consistent with a simple power law distribution). The observed distributions indicate a preference for short period systems with nearly circular orbits and companions that are not likely drawn from a standard initial mass function, as would be expected from random pairing. An interesting and unexpected result is that the period distribution is inconsistent with a standard power-law slope stemming mainly from an excess of periods between 3 and 5 days and an absence of periods between 7 and 14 days. One possible explanation of this phenomenon is that the binary systems with periods from 7--14 days are migrating to periods of 3--5 days. In addition, the binary distribution here is not consistent with previous suggestions in the literature that 45% of OB binaries are members of twin systems (mass ratio near 1).

Discovery of wide low and very low-mass binary systems using Virtual Observatory tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gálvez-Ortiz, M. C.; Solano, E.; Lodieu, N.; Aberasturi, M.

2017-04-01

The frequency of multiple systems and their properties are key constraints of stellar formation and evolution. Formation mechanisms of very low-mass (VLM) objects are still under considerable debate, and an accurate assessment of their multiplicity and orbital properties is essential for constraining current theoretical models. Taking advantage of the virtual observatory capabilities, we looked for comoving low and VLM binary (or multiple) systems using the Large Area Survey of the UKIDSS LAS DR10, SDSS DR9 and the 2MASS Catalogues. Other catalogues (WISE, GLIMPSE, SuperCosmos, etc.) were used to derive the physical parameters of the systems. We report the identification of 36 low and VLM (˜M0-L0 spectral types) candidates to binary/multiple system (separations between 200 and 92 000 au), whose physical association is confirmed through common proper motion, distance and low probability of chance alignment. This new system list notably increases the previous sampling in their mass-separation parameter space (˜100). We have also found 50 low-mass objects that we can classify as ˜L0-T2 according to their photometric information. Only one of these objects presents a common proper motion high-mass companion. Although we could not constrain the age of the majority of the candidates, probably most of them are still bound except four that may be under disruption processes. We suggest that our sample could be divided in two populations: one tightly bound wide VLM systems that are expected to last more than 10 Gyr, and other formed by weak bound wide VLM systems that will dissipate within a few Gyr.

The First Simultaneous X-Ray/Radio Detection of the First Be/BH System MWC 656

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ribó, M.; Paredes, J. M.; Marcote, B.

2017-02-01

MWC 656 is the first known Be/black hole (BH) binary system. Be/BH binaries are important in the context of binary system evolution and sources of detectable gravitational waves because they are possible precursors of coalescing neutron star/BH binaries. X-ray observations conducted in 2013 revealed that MWC 656 is a quiescent high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB), opening the possibility to explore X-ray/radio correlations and the accretion/ejection coupling down to low luminosities for BH HMXBs. Here we report on a deep joint Chandra /VLA observation of MWC 656 (and contemporaneous optical data) conducted in 2015 July that has allowed us to unambiguously identifymore » the X-ray counterpart of the source. The X-ray spectrum can be fitted with a power law with Γ ∼ 2, providing a flux of ≃4 × 10{sup −15} erg cm{sup −2} s{sup −1} in the 0.5–8 keV energy range and a luminosity of L {sub X} ≃ 3 × 10{sup 30} erg s{sup −1} at a 2.6 kpc distance. For a 5 M{sub ⊙} BH this translates into ≃5 × 10{sup −9} L {sub Edd}. These results imply that MWC 656 is about 7 times fainter in X-rays than it was two years before and reaches the faintest X-ray luminosities ever detected in stellar-mass BHs. The radio data provide a detection with a peak flux density of 3.5 ± 1.1 μ Jy beam{sup −1}. The obtained X-ray/radio luminosities for this quiescent BH HMXB are fully compatible with those of the X-ray/radio correlations derived from quiescent BH low-mass X-ray binaries. These results show that the accretion/ejection coupling in stellar-mass BHs is independent of the nature of the donor star.« less

Low mass companions to nearby stars: Spectral classification and its relation to the stellar/substellar break

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Mccarthy, Donald W., Jr.

1994-01-01

The relationship between mass and spectral class for main-sequence stars has never been obtained for dwarfs cooler than M6; currently, the true nature of objects classified as M7, M8, M9, or later (be they stellar or substellar) is not known. In this paper, spectral types for the components in five low mass binary systems are estimated based on previously published infrared speckle measurements, red/infrared photometry, and parallax data, together with newly acquired high signal-to-noise composite spectra of the systems and revised magnitude difference relations for M dwarfs. For two of these binaries, the secondary has a smaller mass (less than 0.09 solar mass) than any object having a dynamically measured mass and a known spectral type, thus extending the spectral class/mass relation to lower masses than has previously been possible. Data from the higher mass components (0.09 solar mass less than M less than 0.40 solar mass) are consistent with earlier results; the two lowest mass objects -- though having mass errors which could place them on either side of the M dwarf/brown dwarf dividing line (Mass is about 0.08 solar mass) -- are found to have spectral types no cooler than M6.5 V. An extrapolation of the updated spectral class/mass relation to the hydrogen-burning limit suggests that objects of type M7 and later may be substellar. Direct confirmation of this awaits the discovery of a close, very late-type binary for which dynamical masses can be measured.

Observing Mergers of Non-Spinning Black-Hole Binaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McWilliams, Sean T.; Boggs, William D.; Baker, John G.; Kelly, Bernard J.

2010-01-01

Advances in the field of numerical relativity now make it possible to calculate the final, most powerful merger phase of binary black-hole coalescence for generic binaries. The state of the art has advanced well beyond the equal-mass case into the unequal-mass and spinning regions of parameter space. We present a study of the nonspinning portion of parameter space, primarily using an analytic waveform model tuned to available numerical data, with an emphasis on observational implications. We investigate the impact of varied m8BS ratio on merger signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) for several detectors, and compare our results with expectations from the test-mass limit. We note a striking similarity of the waveform phasing of the merger waveform across the available mass ratios. Motivated by this, we calculate the match between our equal-mass and 4:1 mass-ratio waveforms during the merger as a function of location on the source sky, using a new formalism for the match that accounts for higher harmonics. This is an indicator of the amount of degeneracy in mass ratio for mergers of moderate mass ratio systems.

Observations and light curve solutions of a selection of middle-contact W UMa binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kjurkchieva, Diana Petrova; Popov, Velimir Angelov; Lyubenova Vasileva, Doroteya; Petrov, Nikola Ivanov

2018-04-01

Photometric observations in Sloan g‧ and i‧ bands of W UMa binaries NSVS 4340949, T-Dra0–00959, GSC 03950–00707, NSVS 4665041, NSVS 4803568, MM Peg, MM Com and NSVS 4751449 are presented. The light curve solutions revealed that the components of each target are of G and K spectral types. The binaries of the sample have middle-contact configurations whose fillout factors are within the range 0.2–0.4. The only exception is NSVS 4751449 which is in deeper contact (fillout factor of 0.55). It precisely obeys the relation between mass ratio and fillout factor for deep, low mass ratio overcontact binaries. One of the eclipses of almost all targets (except MM Peg) is an occultation and their photometric mass ratios and solutions could be accepted with confidence. We found that the target components have almost equal temperatures but differ considerably in size and mass. The components of the partially-eclipsed MM Peg have close parameters. Our solutions reveal that NSVS 4340949, T-Dra0–00959, NSVS 4803568 and MM Com are of W subtype while GSC 03950–00707, NSVS 4665041, MM Peg and NSVS 4751449 are of A subtype. This subclassification is well-determined for all totally-eclipsed binaries. The targets confirm the trends in which W-subtype systems have smaller periods and lower temperatures than A subtype binaries.

The Quadruple-lined, Doubly Eclipsing System V482 Persei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres, Guillermo; Sandberg Lacy, Claud H.; Fekel, Francis C.; Wolf, Marek; Muterspaugh, Matthew W.

2017-09-01

We report spectroscopic and differential photometric observations of the A-type system V482 Per, which reveal it to be a rare hierarchical quadruple system containing two eclipsing binaries. One binary has the previously known orbital period of 2.4 days and a circular orbit, and the other a period of 6 days, a slightly eccentric orbit (e = 0.11), and shallow eclipses only 2.3% deep. The two binaries revolve around their common center of mass in a highly elongated orbit (e = 0.85) with a period of 16.67 yr. Radial velocities are measured for all components from our quadruple-lined spectra and are combined with the light curves and measurements of times of minimum light for the 2.4 day binary to solve for the elements of the inner and outer orbits simultaneously. The line-of-sight inclination angles of the three orbits are similar, suggesting they may be close to coplanar. The available observations appear to indicate that the 6 day binary experiences significant retrograde apsidal motion in the amount of about 60 deg per century. We derive absolute masses for the four stars good to better than 1.5%, along with radii with formal errors of 1.1% and 3.5% for the 2.4 day binary and ˜9% for the 6 day binary. A comparison of these and other physical properties with current stellar evolution models gives excellent agreement for a metallicity of [{Fe}/{{H}}]=-0.15 and an age of 360 Myr.

Dynamics of rotationally fissioned asteroids: Source of observed small asteroid systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobson, Seth A.; Scheeres, Daniel J.

2011-07-01

We present a model of near-Earth asteroid (NEA) rotational fission and ensuing dynamics that describes the creation of synchronous binaries and all other observed NEA systems including: doubly synchronous binaries, high- e binaries, ternary systems, and contact binaries. Our model only presupposes the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack (YORP) effect, "rubble pile" asteroid geophysics, and gravitational interactions. The YORP effect torques a "rubble pile" asteroid until the asteroid reaches its fission spin limit and the components enter orbit about each other (Scheeres, D.J. [2007]. Icarus 189, 370-385). Non-spherical gravitational potentials couple the spin states to the orbit state and chaotically drive the system towards the observed asteroid classes along two evolutionary tracks primarily distinguished by mass ratio. Related to this is a new binary process termed secondary fission - the secondary asteroid of the binary system is rotationally accelerated via gravitational torques until it fissions, thus creating a chaotic ternary system. The initially chaotic binary can be stabilized to create a synchronous binary by components of the fissioned secondary asteroid impacting the primary asteroid, solar gravitational perturbations, and mutual body tides. These results emphasize the importance of the initial component size distribution and configuration within the parent asteroid. NEAs may go through multiple binary cycles and many YORP-induced rotational fissions during their approximately 10 Myr lifetime in the inner Solar System. Rotational fission and the ensuing dynamics are responsible for all NEA systems including the most commonly observed synchronous binaries.

The mass of the black hole in the X-ray binary LMC X-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abubekerov, M. K.; Antokhina, E. A.; Gostev, N. Yu.; Cherepashchuk, A. M.; Shimansky, V. V.

2016-12-01

A dynamical estimate of the mass of the black hole in the LMC X-1 binary system is obtained in the framework of a Roche model for the optical star, based on fitting of the He I 4471 Å and He II 4200 Å absorption lines assuming LTE. The mass of the black hole derived from the radial-velocity curve for the He II 4200 Å line is m x = 10.55 M ⊙, close to the value found earlier based on a model with two point bodies [1].

Evolution Models of Helium White Dwarf–Main-sequence Star Merger Remnants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Xianfei; Bi, Shaolan; Hall, Philip D.

It is predicted that orbital decay by gravitational-wave radiation and tidal interaction will cause some close binary stars to merge within a Hubble time. The merger of a helium-core white dwarf with a main-sequence (MS) star can produce a red giant branch star that has a low-mass hydrogen envelope when helium is ignited and thus become a hot subdwarf. Because detailed calculations have not been made, we compute post-merger models with a stellar evolution code. We find the evolutionary paths available to merger remnants and find the pre-merger conditions that lead to the formation of hot subdwarfs. We find thatmore » some such mergers result in the formation of stars with intermediate helium-rich surfaces. These stars later develop helium-poor surfaces owing to diffusion. Combining our results with a model population and comparing to observed stars, we find that some observed intermediate helium-rich hot subdwarfs can be explained as the remnants of the mergers of helium-core white dwarfs with low-mass MS stars.« less

Masses of the Planetary Nebula Central Stars in the Galactic Globular Cluster System from HST Imaging and Spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jacoby, George H.; Marco, Orsola De; Davies, James

The globular cluster (GC) system of our Galaxy contains four planetary nebulae (PNe): K 648 (or Ps 1) in M15, IRAS 18333-2357 in M22, JaFu 1 in Pal 6, and JaFu 2 in NGC 6441. Because single-star evolution at the low stellar mass of present-epoch GCs was considered incapable of producing visible PNe, their origin presented a puzzle. We imaged the PN JaFu 1 with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to obtain photometry of its central star (CS) and high-resolution morphological information. We imaged IRAS 18333-2357 with better depth and resolution, and we analyzed its archival HST spectra to constrainmore » its CS temperature and luminosity. All PNe in Galactic GCs now have quality HST data, allowing us to improve CS mass estimates. We find reasonably consistent masses between 0.53 and 0.58 M {sub ⊙} for all four objects, though estimates vary when adopting different stellar evolutionary calculations. The CS mass of IRAS 18333-2357, though, depends strongly on its temperature, which remains elusive due to reddening uncertainties. For all four objects, we consider their CS and nebula masses, their morphologies, and other incongruities to assess the likelihood that these objects formed from binary stars. Although generally limited by uncertainties (∼0.02 M {sub ⊙}) in post-AGB tracks and core mass versus luminosity relations, the high-mass CS in K 648 indicates a binary origin. The CS of JaFu 1 exhibits compact, bright [O iii] and H α emission, like EGB 6, suggesting a binary companion or disk. Evidence is weaker for a binary origin of JaFu 2.« less

Hidden slow pulsars in binaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tavani, Marco; Brookshaw, Leigh

1993-01-01

The recent discovery of the binary containing the slow pulsar PSR 1718-19 orbiting around a low-mass companion star adds new light on the characteristics of binary pulsars. The properties of the radio eclipses of PSR 1718-19 are the most striking observational characteristics of this system. The surface of the companion star produces a mass outflow which leaves only a small 'window' in orbital phase for the detection of PSR 1718-19 around 400 MHz. At this observing frequency, PSR 1718-19 is clearly observable only for about 1 hr out of the total 6.2 hr orbital period. The aim of this Letter is twofold: (1) to model the hydrodynamical behavior of the eclipsing material from the companion star of PSR 1718-19 and (2) to argue that a population of binary slow pulsars might have escaped detection in pulsar surveys carried out at 400 MHz. The possible existence of a population of partially or totally hidden slow pulsars in binaries will have a strong impact on current theories of binary evolution of neutron stars.

Search for Gravitational Waves from Compact Binary Coalescence in LIGO and Virgo Data from S5 and VSR1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adhikari, R.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Allen, G.;

ON THE DYNAMICS AND TIDAL DISSIPATION RATE OF THE WHITE DWARF IN 4U 1820-30

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Prodan, Snezana; Murray, Norman, E-mail: sprodan@cita.utoronto.ca

It has been suggested that the 170 day period in the light curve of the low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1820-30 arises from the presence of a third body with a large inclination to the binary orbit. We show that this long-period motion arises if the system is librating around the stable fixed point in a Kozai resonance. We demonstrate that mass transfer drives the system toward this fixed point and calculate, both analytically and via numerical integrations, that the period of libration is of order 170 days when the mutual inclination is near the Kozai critical value. The non-zero eccentricitymore » of the binary, combined with tidal dissipation, implies that the rate of change of the binary period would be slower than, or even of opposite sign to, that implied by standard mass transfer models. If the 170 day period results from libration, then, contrary to appearances, the orbital period of the inner binary is increasing with time; in that case, (e/0.009){sup 2} Q/k{sub 2} {approx}> 2.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9}, where k{sub 2} Almost-Equal-To 0.01 is the tidal Love number and e = 0.009 is the fiducial eccentricity of the inner binary. It appears unlikely that the observed negative period derivative results from the smaller than expected (but positive) value of P-dot combined with the previously suggested acceleration of the system in the gravitational field of the host globular cluster NGC 6624. The discrepancy between the observed and the expected period derivative requires further investigation.« less