Publication Date:
2019-07-12
Description:
The evolution of an ultracompact binary wherein mass transfer is driven by the emission of gravitational radiation is calculated, emphasizing the systematic study of how the rate of change in orbital period depends on the various system parameters. Analytic scaling laws are derived describing how the mass of the secondary, the mass transfer rate, and the rate of change of period depend on the binary system parameters, and these simple relations are applied to the 4U 1820-30 system. Detailed numerical evolutionary calculations are performed utilizing Zapolsky-Salpeter (1969) models for cold stars, but allowing for the possibility that the secondary has not yet reached a completely degenerate configuration. The results are used to set significant constraints on the deviation from a completely degenerate configuration of the secondary, the systemic mass-loss parameters, and the mass of the neutron star in the 4U 1820-30 system.
Keywords:
ASTROPHYSICS
Type:
Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X); 322; 842-851
Format:
text
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