Merger of a White Dwarf-Neutron Star Binary to $10^{29}$ Carat Diamonds: Origin of the Pulsar Planets

Ben Margalit, Brian D. Metzger

We show that the merger and tidal disruption of a C/O white dwarf (WD) by a neutron star (NS) binary companion provides a natural formation scenario for the PSR B1257+12 planetary…