No Arabic abstract
A number of binary systems present evidence of enhanced activity around periastron passage, suggesting a connection between tidal interactions and these periastron effects. The aim of this investigation is to study the time-dependent response of a stars surface as it is perturbed by a binary companion. We derive expressions for the rate of dissipation, $dot{E}$, of the kinetic energy by the viscous flows driven by tidal interactions on the surface layer. The method is tested by comparing the results from a grid of model calculations with the analytical predictions of Hut (1981) and the synchronization timescales of Zahn (1977, 2008). Our results for the orbital cycle averaged energy dissipation on orbital separation are consistent with those of Hut for model binaries with orbital separations at periastron >8 stellar radii. The model also reproduces the predicted pseudo-synchronization angular velocity for moderate eccentricities and the same scaling of synchronization timescales for circular orbits with separation as given by Zahn. The computations gives the distribution of $dot{E}$ over the stellar surface, and show that it is generally concentrated at the equatorial latitude, with maxima generally located around four clearly defined longitudes, corresponding to the fastest azimuthal velocity perturbations. Maximum amplitudes occur around periastron passage or slightly thereafter for supersynchronously rotating stars. In very eccentric binaries, the distribution of $dot{E}$ over the surface changes significantly as a function of orbital phase, with small spatial structures appearing after periastron. An exploratory calculation for the highly eccentric binary system delta Sco suggests that the sudden and large amplitude variations in surface properties around periastron may contribute toward the activity observed around this orbital phase.
Although not nearly as numerous as binaries with two white dwarfs, eccentric neutron star-white dwarf (NS-WD) binaries are important gravitational-wave (GW) sources for the next generation of space-based detectors sensitive to low frequency waves. Here we investigate periastron precession in these sources as a result of general relativistic, tidal, and rotational effects; such precession is expected to be detectable for at least some of the detected binaries of this type. Currently, two eccentric NS-WD binaries are known in the galactic field, PSR J1141-6545 and PSR B2303+46, both of which have orbits too wide to be relevant in their current state to GW observations. However, population synthesis studies predict the existence of a significant Galactic population of such systems. Though small in most of these systems, we find that tidally induced periastron precession becomes important when tides contribute to more than 3% of the total precession rate. For these systems, accounting for tides when analyzing periastron precession rate measurements can improve estimates of the WD component mass inferred and, in some cases, will prevent us from misclassifying the object. However, such systems are rare due to rapid orbital decay. To aid the inclusion of tidal effects when using periastron precession as a mass measurement tool, we derive a function that relates the WD radius and periastron precession constant to the WD mass.
Modelling ellipsoidal variables with known distances can lead to exact determination of the masses of both components, even in the absence of eclipses. We present such modelling using light and radial velocity curves of ellipsoidal red giant binaries in the LMC, where they are also known as sequence E stars. Stars were selected as likely eccentric systems on the basis of light curve shape alone. We have confirmed their eccentric nature and obtained system parameters using the Wilson-Devinney code. Most stars in our sample exhibit unequal light maxima as well as minima, a phenomenon not observed in sequence E variables with circular orbits. We find evidence that the shape of the red giant changes throughout the orbit due to the high eccentricity and the varying influence of the companion. Brief intervals of pulsation are apparent in two of the red giants. We determine pulsation modes and comment on their placement in the period-luminosity plane. Defining the parameters of these systems paves the way for modelling to determine by what mechanism eccentricity is maintained in evolved binaries.
We have discovered a class of eccentric binary systems within the Kepler data archive that have dynamic tidal distortions and tidally-induced pulsations. Each has a uniquely shaped light curve that is characterized by periodic brightening or variability at time scales of 4-20 days, frequently accompanied by shorter period oscillations. We can explain the dominant features of the entire class with orbitally-varying tidal forces that occur in close, eccentric binary systems. The large variety of light curve shapes arises from viewing systems at different angles. This hypothesis is supported by spectroscopic radial velocity measurements for five systems, each showing evidence of being in an eccentric binary system. Prior to the discovery of these 17 new systems, only four stars, where KOI-54 is the best example, were known to have evidence of these dynamic tides and tidally-induced oscillations. We perform preliminary fits to the light curves and radial velocity data, present the overall properties of this class and discuss the work required to accurately model these systems.
Binary stars that are on close orbits around massive black holes (MBH) such as Sgr A* in the center of the Milky Way are liable to undergo tidal disruption and eject a hypervelocity star. We study the interaction between such a MBH and circular binaries for general binary orientations and penetration depths (i.e. binaries penetrate into the tidal radius around the BH). We show that for very deep penetrators, all binaries are disrupted when the binary rotation axis is roughly oriented toward the BH or it is in the opposite direction. The surviving chance becomes significant when the angle between the binary rotation axis and the BH direction is between pi /4 and 3 pi /4. The surviving chance is as high as $sim$ 20$%$ when the binary rotation axis is perpendicular to the BH direction. The angular dependence is opposite for very shallow penetrators where coplanar prograde orbits have the lowest surviving chance (or equivalently most vulnerable). We provide numerical fits to the disruption probability and energy gain at the the BH encounter as a function of the penetration depth. The latter can be simply rescaled in terms of binary masses, their initial separation and the binary-to-BH mass ratio to evaluate the ejection velocity of a binary members in various systems. We also investigate the disruption of coplanar, eccentric binaries by a MBH. It is shown that for highly eccentric binaries retrograde orbits have a significantly increased disruption probability and ejection velocities compared to the circular binaries.
We report the very first analysis of 27 eclipsing binary systems with high eccentricities that sometimes reach up to 0.8. The orbital periods for these systems range from 1.4 to 37 days, and the median of the sample is 10.3 days. Star CzeV3392 (= UCAC4 623 022784), for example, currently is the eclipsing system with the highest eccentricity (e = 0.22) of stars with a period shorter than 1.5 days. We analysed the light curves of all 27 systems and obtained the physical parameters of both components, such as relative radii, inclinations, or relative luminosities. The most important parameters appear to be the derived periods and eccentricities. They allow constructing the period-eccentricity diagram. This eccentricity distribution is used to study the tidal circularisation theories. Many systems have detected third-light contributions, which means that the Kozai-Lidov cycles might also be responsible for the high eccentricities in some of the binaries.