Detailed models of the binary pulsars J1141-6545 and B2303+46
Author
Summary, in English
We have modelled the formation of the eccentric double-degenerate binaries J1141-6545 and B2303+46 using the Henyey-type full stellar evolution code STARS and the population synthesis code BSE. We find that the outcome depends strongly on the common envelope (CE) evolution efficiency parameter alpha(CE) and show that both systems can be modelled with a single value of alpha(CE). The final orbit of the system depends critically on the order of Roche lobe filling events. The phase space of progenitors and the different evolutionary pathways followed by binary stars that form eccentric double-degenerate binaries in the two codes are compared. We show that the pathways are similar between the codes and that the distribution of progenitors in mass and separation phase space is qualitatively the same, thus validating the use of BSE-like population synthesis for simulations of this type. The phase space of initial parameters is very different to that obtained using ad hoc arguments about the evolution, which shows that such arguments are insufficient to model evolutionary pathways of this complexity. There are some differences associated with the prescription adopted for CE evolution but these are not qualitatively significant. We investigate the dependence of the formation mechanism on wind mass loss and the CE efficiency parameter alpha(CE), showing that it depends strongly on the latter but rather less on the former.
Department/s
Publishing year
2006
Language
English
Pages
715-727
Publication/Series
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume
372
Issue
2
Links
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Topic
- Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
Keywords
- pulsars : individual
- binaries : close
- stars : evolution
- pulsars : individual : B2303+46
- J1141-6545
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1365-2966