First frequency analysis for three new members of the group of eclipsing binaries with a pulsating component

We present the first light curves and pulsation analysis results for V729 Aql and two newly discovered eclipsing binaries, namely USNO-A2.0 0975-17281677 and USNO-A2.0 1200-03937339. Frequency search was applied on the residuals of their light curves and the results showed that their primary components pulsate in multiperiodic modes and lie well inside the frequency and temperature range of δ Scuti stars. Moreover, for USNO-A2.0 1200-03937339 two frequencies inside the γ Dor frequency range were also detected, but their origin is discussed. The photometric models of USNO-A2.0 1200-03937339 and V729 Aql are also presented, while their absolute parameters as well as the evolutionary status of their components were roughly estimated.     

Companions to sdB binaries−degenerate or non-degenerate?

We report the results of an on-going programme to collect lightcurves for EHB binaries with orbital periods P ? 1 d. Degenerate and non-degenerate companions are clearly distinguished by the presence or absence of a reflection effect in these binaries. The amplitude of the reflection effect can be combined with other data to provide an estimate of the mass of the companion star. We find that the fraction of sdB binaries in our sample which have non-degenerate companions is 0.08±0.06 (1?σ error). These non-degenerate companions have very low masses (? 0.1M⊙). This property is not predicted by existing population synthesis models.     

The frequency of wide binaries among the southern barium stars

Summary All of the barium and marginal barium stars in the 1972 MacConnell, Frey, and Upgren (1972: MFU) list of such objects which are located south of the celestial equator were examined for visual duplicity. Over 200 objects were observed, and a total of six possible candidates for wide pair visual binaries were found. Of these, four are most likely optical in nature. These data suggest that the incidence of wide binaries among barium stars is of the order of 1%.     

Near-contact binaries among short-period Algols: the case of BF Velorum with a pulsating component

A photometric analysis of the short-period Algol eclipsing binary system BF Velorum based for the first time on complete BVRI CCD light curves is presented. The new photometric solution obtained with the Wilson-Devinney program reveals that BF Vel is a near-contact semi-detached system with its secondary component filling its Roche lobe. Moreover, we discovered pulsations of one member of the binary system, the analysis of which shows main frequencies of 44.9386 and 33.6731 cycles/day. Absolute elements of the system were calculated, and the evolutionary status of its members was estimated.      

The flow of an infinite compressible fluid past a rigid,gravitating sphere and interacting degenerate star-red giant binaries

We compute two examples of the flow structure of an infinite medium flowing hypersonically past a non-accreting, gravitating, rigid sphere. The resulting flow depends strongly on the ratioA of kinetic energy at infinity to potential energy on the sphere's surface per unit mass.A=0.25 yields a flow rather like that past a hard, gravitationless sphere upstream, but with a closed shock downstream.A=0.028 yields a circulating eddy flow downstream of the sphere which causes the isodensity contours to be extended upstream. Application to a compact object immersed in a binary companion is discussed. We pictorially illustrate the fluid flow past a degenerate star starting to spiral into its giant companion. The accretion rates onto hard gravitating objects can be many orders of magnitude less than the classical Hoyle-Lyttleton-Bondi rates unless cooling dominates the flow.     

The structure of close binaries

A method for calculating the structure of a close binary component is presented. It is seen that the effect of binary distortion is to shift the zero age main sequence to the right. Attempts to construct contact systems with these models confirm the results of earlier workers that this is not possible.     

The youngest X-ray binaries

Several X-ray binaries(XRBs) have been identified to be associated with supernova remnants(SNRs). Because of the short lifetimes of SNRs, this leaves them to be the youngest known XRBs.This small group of binaries provides valuable information on the formation of compact stars under the framework of massive binary evolution. In this paper we review the observational characteristics of these youngest XRBs and discuss their possible implications on the initial conditions of compact stars and their interaction with the companion stars.     

On the evolutionary time scale of the accreting component in massive close binaries

The remaining core hydrogen burning lifetime after mass exchange is computed for the mass gaining component in massive close binary systems. Results are obtained for various modes of mass accretion, for a wide range of initial masses and mass ratios, and for different values of mass loss from the system. The effect of mass loss by stellar wind is included. By use of general properties of massive close binary evolution, the position in time of four events is determined: the end of core hydrogen burning of the primary and the secondary, and the occurrence of the supernova of the primary and the secondary. It is found that the two supernova event occur rather close in time, compared to the Main Sequence time scales of the components.This research is supported by the National Foundation of Collective Fundamental Research of Belgium (FKFO) under No. 2.9009.79.     

The evolution of massive close binaries

The results of evolutionary computations for massive binary systems (initial masses of the primary 10M ) with mass ratios between 0.3 and 0.8 are summarized and compared with observations in order to verify how far one can go with the conservative assumption of mass exchange. It is found that conservative mass exchange leads to acceptable first-order models of W-R and massive X-ray binaries. However, the comparison between this theory and observation reveals that for the observed systems (W-R and X-ray binaries) a preference exists for low intial mass ratios; moreover, the X-ray luminosities of the theoretical models are systematically too low, though this may be due to the adopted wind model. In addition, the influences of several parameters (distance between the components, chemical composition, primary mass, mass ratio and atmosphere) are examined. These parameters influence the remnant mass and any further evolution only marginally. Attention is also given to the effect on the system parameters of a supernova explosion of the remnant of the mass-losing component. For a large range of systems a disruption probability smaller than 25% is found.     

The optical fraction of a hipparcos sample of wide binaries

Summary Considerations on the optical fraction of our sample. Presented by D. Sinachopoulos.     

The evolution of massive close binaries

The final state of the primaries of binary systems with initial massesM _1i=10M to 15M is derived from the mass of their C/O-cores. The possibility of a second stage of mass transfer towards the secondary is considered. It turns out that the critical mass for the bifurcation is about 14M : stars with larger masses in this range are the progenitors of neutron stars, while the lower mass stars are the ancestors of white dwarfs.Research supported by the National Foundation of Collective Fundamental Research of Belgium (F.K.F.O.) under No. 10303.     

The optical polarization of X-ray binaries

Polarimetric observations of close binaries may reveal the presence of a black-hole secondary. The Einstein photometric effect will introduce a characteristic, time-varying signature upon the interstellar polarization. For several reasons, it is concluded that the short time-scale variability in the polarization in HDE 226868 is caused by Rayleigh scattering from gas streams known to exist in the system. X Persei may have a variable polarization consistent with the predicted effect.     

The angular momentum of eclipsing binaries

The angular momentum-mass relationship for 1048 eclipsing binaries is presented.     

The correlated colors of transneptunian binaries

We report resolved photometry of the primary and secondary components of 23 transneptunian binaries obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. V-I colors of the components range from 0.7 to 1.5 with a median uncertainty of 0.06 magnitudes. The colors of the primaries and secondaries are correlated with a Spearman rank correlation probability of 99.99991%, 5 sigma for a normal distribution. Fits to the primary vs. secondary colors are identical to within measurement uncertainties. The color range of binaries as a group is indistinguishable from that of the larger population of apparently single transneptunian objects. Whatever mechanism produced the colors of apparently single TNOs acted equally on binary systems. The most likely explanation is that the colors of transneptunian objects and binaries alike are primordial and indicative of their origin in a locally homogeneous, globally heterogeneous protoplanetary disk.     

The evolution of massive close binaries

The influence of tidal, interaction on the periods of massive X-ray binaries during the postsupernova evolution is investigated. It is assumed that after a certain time the orbit has become circular and synchronous. The tidal effects of subsequent evolutionary changes in the moment of inertia of the massive component are calculated. It is shown that, as is already suggested by Sparks and Stecher (1974), for small mass ratios and short binary periods a tidal instability may occur resulting in an accelerating inward spiral motion. Before the onset of the instability the tidal forces maintain a nearly synchronous orbit. Possibly the orbits of Cen X-3 and 3 U 1700-37 are already unstable at present.     

The spectroscopic study of astrometric binaries

The spectroscopic observations of several astrometric binaries, obtained by the author during the past 20 years, are described. Main emphasis is placed on the determination of orbital elements of visual binaries, and the detection of unseen companions.Communication presented at the International Conference on Astrometric Binaries, held on 13–15 June, 1984, at the Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, Germany, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel (1784–1846).     

The round chroms of contact binaries

It is shown that the formation of a roundchrom, i.e. a common chromosphere,in W UMa type contact binaries is inevitable. The geometrical forms of roundchroms for ten contact binaries are obtained. For contact binaries the round-chroms of open type are predicted along with a possibility of outflow of round-chrom's gaseous matter from the outer Lagrangian point L₂. The main parameters of roundchroms, the electron concentration n _e, efficient emission volume V, power of emission in magnesium doublet 2800 MgII etc. are obtained for the ten contact binaries. The decrease of the mean electron concentration in roundchrom n _e with the increase of the intercomponent distance a is discovered: n _e ∼ a ^-1. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The formation and evolution of low-mass close binaries with compact components

We discuss the formation and evolution of interacting low-mass close binaries with a He-1CO- or ONe-dwarf neutron star or a black hole as a compact component. Mass exchange leads to cataclysmic events in such systems. The rate of semidetached low-mass close binary formation is 5×10^–3 yr^–1 if the accreting component is a He degenerate dwarf, 5×10^–3 yr^–1 if it is a CO-dwarf and 3×10^–8 yr^–1 if it is a neutron star. Systems with compact accretors arise as the result of the common envelope phase of close binary evolution or due to collisions of single neutron stars or dwarfs with low-mass single stars in dense stellar clusters. Evolution of LMCB to the contact phase in semi-detached stages is determined mainly by the angular momentum losses by a magnetic stellar wind and radiation of gravitational waves. Numerical computations of evolution with momentum loss explain observed mass exchange rates in such systems, the absence of cataclysmic variables with orbital periods 2^h–3^h, the low number and the evolutionary status of systems with orbital periods shorter than 80^m. In conclusion we list unsolved problems related to magnetic stellar wind, the distribution of young close binaries over main initial parameters, stability of mass exchange.Paper presented at the IAU Colloquium No. 93 on Cataclysmic Variables. Recent Multi-Frequency Observations and Theoretical Developments, held at Dr. Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, F.R.G., 16–19 June, 1986.     

The orbital period distribution of subdwarf-B binaries

We present the results of a 3.5 year long campaign to measure orbital periods of subdwarf-B (sdB) star binaries. We directly compare our observed orbital period distribution with that predicted by using binary population synthesis. Up to now, most of our systems seem to have been formed through two of the formation channels discussed by Han et al. (2003, MNRAS 341, p. 669), i.e. the first and the second common envelope ejection (CE) channels. At this point, thanks to the long baseline of our observations, we are starting to detect also very long orbital period systems. These have probably come from a complete different formation path, the first stable Roche Lobe overflow (RLOF) channel in which the first mass transfer phase is stable. This channel is expected to lead to the formation of very wide binaries with typical orbital periods ranging from 1 month to 1 year.