scholarly journals WD 1856 b: a close giant planet around a white dwarf that could have survived a common envelope phase

2020 ◽  
Vol 501 (1) ◽  
pp. 676-682
Author(s):  
F Lagos ◽  
M R Schreiber ◽  
M Zorotovic ◽  
B T Gänsicke ◽  
M P Ronco ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The discovery of a giant planet candidate orbiting the white dwarf WD 1856+534 with an orbital period of 1.4 d poses the questions of how the planet reached its current position. We here reconstruct the evolutionary history of the system assuming common envelope evolution as the main mechanism that brought the planet to its current position. We find that common envelope evolution can explain the present configuration if it was initiated when the host star was on the asymptotic giant branch, the separation of the planet at the onset of mass transfer was in the range 1.69–2.35 au, and if in addition to the orbital energy of the surviving planet either recombination energy stored in the envelope or another source of additional energy contributed to expelling the envelope. We also discuss the evolution of the planet prior to and following common envelope evolution. Finally, we find that if the system formed through common envelope evolution, its total age is in agreement with its membership to the Galactic thin disc. We therefore conclude that common envelope evolution is at least as likely as alternative formation scenarios previously suggested such as planet–planet scattering or Kozai–Lidov oscillations.

2020 ◽  
Vol 501 (2) ◽  
pp. 1677-1689
Author(s):  
M S Hernandez ◽  
M R Schreiber ◽  
S G Parsons ◽  
B T Gänsicke ◽  
F Lagos ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Constraints from surveys of post-common envelope binaries (PCEBs) consisting of a white dwarf plus an M-dwarf companion have led to significant progress in our understanding of the formation of close white dwarf binary stars with low-mass companions. The white dwarf binary pathways project aims at extending these previous surveys to larger secondary masses, i.e. secondary stars of spectral-type AFGK. Here, we present the discovery and observational characterization of three PCEBs with G-type secondary stars and orbital periods between 1.2 and 2.5 d. Using our own tools as well as MESA, we estimate the evolutionary history of the binary stars and predict their future. We find a large range of possible evolutionary histories for all three systems and identify no indications for differences in common envelope evolution compared to PCEBs with lower mass secondary stars. Despite their similarities in orbital period and secondary spectral type, we estimate that the future of the three systems is very different: TYC 4962-1205-1 is a progenitor of a cataclysmic variable system with an evolved donor star, TYC 4700-815-1 will run into dynamically unstable mass transfer that will cause the two stars to merge, and TYC 1380-957-1 may appear as supersoft source before becoming a rather typical cataclysmic variable star.


2020 ◽  
Vol 492 (4) ◽  
pp. 6059-6066 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitri Veras ◽  
Jim Fuller

ABSTRACT Robust evidence of an ice giant planet shedding its atmosphere around the white dwarf WD J0914+1914 represents a milestone in exoplanetary science, allowing us to finally supplement our knowledge of white dwarf metal pollution, debris discs, and minor planets with the presence of a major planet. Here, we discuss the possible dynamical origins of this planet, WD J0914+1914 b. The very young cooling age of the host white dwarf (13 Myr) combined with the currently estimated planet–star separation of about 0.07 au imposes particularly intriguing and restrictive coupled constraints on its current orbit and its tidal dissipation characteristics. The planet must have been scattered from a distance of at least a few au to its current location, requiring the current or former presence of at least one more major planet in the system in the absence of a hidden binary companion. We show that WD J0914+1914 b could not have subsequently shrunk its orbit through chaotic f-mode tidal excitation (characteristic of such highly eccentric orbits) unless the planet was or is highly inflated and possibly had partially thermally self-disrupted from mode-based energy release. We also demonstrate that if the planet is currently assumed to reside on a near-circular orbit at 0.07 au, then non-chaotic equilibrium tides impose unrealistic values for the planet’s tidal quality factor. We conclude that WD J0914+1914 b either (i) actually resides interior to 0.07 au, (ii) resembles a disrupted ‘Super-Puff’ whose remains reside on a circular orbit, or (iii) resembles a larger or denser ice giant on a currently eccentric orbit. Distinguishing these three possibilities strongly motivates follow-up observations.


2003 ◽  
Vol 209 ◽  
pp. 101-108
Author(s):  
T. Blöcker

The structure and evolution of central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPNe) is reviewed. CSPNe represent the rapid transitional stage between the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) and the white-dwarf domain. It is shown that the whole evolution off the AGB through the central-star regime depends on the evolutionary history. The detailed evolution into a white dwarf is controlled by the internal stellar structure which, in turn, is determined by the duration of the preceding AGB evolution and therefore by the AGB mass-loss history. The evolution of hydrogen-deficient central stars has been a matter of debate since many years. Convective overshoot appears to be a key ingredient to model these objects. Various thermal-pulse scenarios with inclusion of overshoot are discussed, leading to surface abundances in general agreement with those observed for Wolf-Rayet central stars.


2020 ◽  
Vol 644 ◽  
pp. A60
Author(s):  
Christian Sand ◽  
Sebastian T. Ohlmann ◽  
Fabian R. N. Schneider ◽  
Rüdiger Pakmor ◽  
Friedrich K. Röpke

Common-envelope phases are decisive for the evolution of many binary systems. Cases with asymptotic giant branch (AGB) primary stars are of particular interest because they are thought to be progenitors of various astrophysical transients. In three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations with the moving-mesh code AREPO, we study the common-envelope evolution of a 1.0 M⊙ early-AGB star with companions of different masses. Although the stellar envelope of an AGB star is less tightly bound than that of a red giant, we find that the release of orbital energy of the core binary is insufficient to eject more than about twenty percent of the envelope mass. Ionization energy that is released in the expanding envelope, however, can lead to complete envelope ejection. Because recombination proceeds largely at high optical depths in our simulations, it is likely that this effect indeed plays a significant role in the considered systems. The efficiency of mass loss and the final orbital separation of the core binary system depend on the mass ratio between the companion and the primary star. Our results suggest a linear relation between the ratio of final to initial orbital separation and this parameter.


2004 ◽  
Vol 194 ◽  
pp. 30-32
Author(s):  
Noam Soker

AbstractI consider three processes which enhance mass loss rate from a common envelope of a giant star with a main sequence or a white dwarf companion spiraling-in inside its envelope. I consider deposition of orbital energy and orbital angular momentum to the giant's envelope, and the formation of jets by an accreting companion and their propagation in the envelope. I find that in many cases the deposition of orbital angular momentum to the envelope may be more important to the mass loss process than the deposition of orbital energy. Jets blown by an accreting companion, in particular a white dwarf, orbiting inside the outer regions of the giant's envelope may also dominate over orbital energy deposition at early stage of the common envelope evolution. These imply that, studies which ignore the deposition of angular momentum to the envelope and the effects of the accreting companion may reach wrong conclusions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 568 ◽  
pp. A68 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Zorotovic ◽  
M. R. Schreiber ◽  
E. García-Berro ◽  
J. Camacho ◽  
S. Torres ◽  
...  

1976 ◽  
Vol 73 ◽  
pp. 141-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Nelson ◽  
A. Young

From spectroscopic and photoelectric data BD +16° 516 (V 471 Tau) is inferred to consist of a white dwarf of mass 0.72M⊙ and radius 0.012R⊙, with a detached K2V companion of mass 0.70R⊙ and radius 0.78R⊙; the separation of the two components is 3.02R⊙. The evolutionary history of the system is discussed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (S329) ◽  
pp. 199-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Ivanova

AbstractWe review the fundamentals and the recent developments in understanding of common envelope physics. We report specifically on the progress that was made by the consideration of the recombination energy. This energy is found to be responsible for the complete envelope ejection in the case of a prompt binary formation, for the delayed dynamical ejections in the case of a self-regulated spiral-in, and for the steady recombination outflows during the transition between the plunge-in and the self-regulated spiral-in. Due to different ways how the recombination affects the common envelope during fast and slow spiral-ins, the apparent efficiency of the orbital energy use can be different between the two types of spiral-ins by a factor of ten. We also discuss the observational signatures of the common envelope events, their link a new class of astronomical transients, Luminous Red Novae, and to a plausible class of very luminous irregular variables.


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Arceneaux

AbstractIntuitions guide decision-making, and looking to the evolutionary history of humans illuminates why some behavioral responses are more intuitive than others. Yet a place remains for cognitive processes to second-guess intuitive responses – that is, to be reflective – and individual differences abound in automatic, intuitive processing as well.


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