Rotational mixing in close binaries

Abstract

Rotational mixing is a very important but uncertain process in the evolution of massive stars. We propose to use close binaries to test its efficiency. Based on rotating single stellar models we predict nitrogen surface enhancements for tidally locked binaries. Furthermore we demonstrate the possibility of a new evolutionary scenario for very massive (M > 40 solar mass) close (P < 3 days) binaries: Case M, in which mixing is so efficient that the stars evolve quasi-chemically homogeneously, stay compact and avoid any Roche-lobe overflow, leading to very close (double) WR binaries.

5 pages, 5 figures: to appear in the proceedings of IAU 252 "The Art of Modelling Stars in the 21st Century", April 6-11, 2008, Sanya, China

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• The Science of the Einstein Telescope
• Clues on the Origin and Evolution of Massive Contact Binaries: Atmosphere Analysis of VFTS 352
• Exploring the evolution of gravitational-wave emitters with efficient emulation: Constraining the origins of binary black holes using normalising flows
• An Argument for Weakly-Magnetized, Slowly-Rotating Progenitors of Long Gamma-Ray Bursts