Secular dynamics of binaries in stellar clusters -- III. Doubly-averaged dynamics in the presence of general relativistic precession

Abstract

Secular evolution of binaries driven by an external (tidal) potential is a classic astrophysical problem. Tidal perturbations can arise due to an external point mass, as in the Lidov-Kozai (LK) theory of hierarchical triples, or due to an extended stellar system (e.g. galaxy or globular cluster) in which the binary resides. For many applications, general-relativistic (GR) apsidal precession is important, and has been accounted for in some LK calculations. Here we generalise and extend these studies by exploring in detail the effect of GR precession on (quadrupole-level) tidal evolution of binaries orbiting in arbitrary axisymmetric potentials (which includes LK theory as a special case). We study the (doubly-averaged) orbital dynamics for arbitrary strengths of GR and binary initial conditions and uncover entirely new phase space morphologies with important implications for the binary orbital evolution. We also explore how GR precession affects secular evolution of binary orbital elements when the binary reaches high eccentricity ($e\to 1$) and delineate several different dynamical regimes. Our results are applicable to a variety of astrophysical systems. In particular, they can be used to understand the high-eccentricity behaviour of (cluster) tide-driven compact object mergers -- i.e. LIGO/Virgo gravitational wave sources -- for which GR effects are crucial.

Final version, accepted for publication in MNRAS

References in corpus (3)

• Lidov-Kozai Cycles with Gravitational Radiation: Merging Black Holes in Isolated Triple Systems
• Suppression of extreme orbital evolution in triple systems with short range forces
• Eccentricity and Spin-Orbit Misalignment in Short-Period Stellar Binaries as a Signpost of Hidden Tertiary Companions

Cited by in corpus (8)

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• A radial limit on polar circumbinary orbits from general relativity
• On the pollution of white dwarfs by exo-Oort cloud comets
• Binary mergers in the centers of galaxies: synergy between stellar flybys and tidal fields
• The evolution of a supermassive binary black hole in an non-spherical nuclear star cluster
• Short-Range Forces Can Catalyze Extreme Orbital Evolution in Hierarchical Triples
• Anatomy of a slow merger: dissecting secularly-driven inspirals of LIGO/Virgo gravitational wave sources