Gravitational Wave Emission by Cataclysmic Variables: numerical models of semi-detached binaries

Abstract

Gravitational wave emission is considered to be the driving force for the evolution of short-period cataclysmic binary stars, making them a potential test for the validity of General Relativity. In spite of continuous refinements of the physical description, a 10% mismatch exists between the theoretical minimum period ($P_{\mathrm{turn}}\simeq 70$ min) and the short-period cut-off ($P_{\min }\simeq 80$ min) observed in the period distribution for cataclysmic variable binaries. A possible explanation for this mismatch was associated with the use of the Roche model. We here present a systematic comparison between self-consistent, numerically constructed sequences of hydrostatic models of binary stars and Roche models of semi-detached binaries. On the basis of our approach, we also derive a value for the minimum period of cataclysmic variable binaries. The results obtained through the comparison indicate that the Roche model is indeed very good, with deviations from the numerical solution which are of a few percent at most. Our results therefore suggest that additional sources of angular momentum loss or alternative explanations need to be considered in order to justify the mismatch.

7pages, 4figures. To appear in MNRAS

References in corpus (4)

• Brown Dwarfs and the Cataclysmic Variable Period Minimum
• Newtonian models for black hole-gaseous star close binary systems
• Gravitational waves emitted by solar-type stars excited by orbiting planets
• Incompressible fluid binary systems with internal flows -- models of close binary neutron star systems with spin

Cited by in corpus (6)

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• The Effect of Neutron Star Binding Energy on Gravitational-Radiation-Driven Mass-Transfer Binaries
• A Semi-empirical Mass-loss Rate in Short-period Cataclysmic Variables
• The binding energy produced within the framework of the accretion of millisecond pulsars