Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userThe White Dwarf Deficit in Open Clusters: Dynamical Processes
233
0
0.0
(
0
)
Authors
M. Fellhauer
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
In Galactic open clusters, there is an apparent paucity of white dwarfs compared to the number expected assuming a reasonable initial mass function and that main-sequence stars with initial mass <= 8 M_sun become white dwarfs. We suggest that this lack of white dwarfs is due at least in part to dynamical processes. Non-spherically symmetric mass loss during the post-main-sequence evolution would lead to a few km/s isotropic recoil speed for the white dwarf remnant. This recoil speed can cause a substantial fraction of the white dwarfs formed in a cluster to leave the system. We investigate this dynamical process by carrying out high-precision N-body simulations of intermediate-mass open clusters, where we apply an isotropic recoil speed to the white dwarf remnants. Our models suggest that almost all white dwarfs would be lost from the cluster if the average recoil speed exceeds twice the velocity dispersion of the cluster.
rate research
Read More
Recent observations of the white dwarf (WD) populations in the Galactic globular cluster NGC 6397 suggest that WDs receive a kick of a few km/s shortly before they are born. Using our Monte Carlo cluster evolution code, which includes accurate treatments of all relevant physical processes operating in globular clusters, we study the effects of the kicks on their host cluster and on the WD population itself. We find that in clusters whose velocity dispersion is comparable to the kick speed, WD kicks are a significant energy source for the cluster, prolonging the initial cluster core contraction phase significantly so that at late times the cluster core to half-mass radius ratio is a factor of up to ~ 10 larger than in the no-kick case. WD kicks thus represent a possible resolution of the large discrepancy between observed and theoretically predicted values of this key structural parameter. Our modeling also reproduces the observed trend for younger WDs to be more extended in their radial distribution in the cluster than older WDs.
Globular clusters are among the most congested stellar systems in the Universe. Internal dynamical evolution drives them toward states of high central density, while simultaneously concentrating the most massive stars and binary systems in their cores. As a result, these clusters are expected to be sites of frequent close encounters and physical collisions between stars and binaries, making them efficient factories for the production of interesting and observable astrophysical exotica. I describe some elements of the competition among stellar dynamics, stellar evolution, and other processes that control globular cluster dynamics, with particular emphasis on pathways that may lead to the formation of blue stragglers.
We present the results of multiple simulations of open clusters, modelling the dynamics of a population of brown dwarf members. We consider the effects of a large range of primordial binary populations, including the possibilities of having brown dwarf members contained within a binary system. We also examine the effects of various cluster diameters and masses. Our examination of a population of wide binary systems containing brown dwarfs, reveals evidence for exchange reactions whereby the brown dwarf is ejected from the system and replaced by a heavier main-sequence star. We find that there exists the possibility of hiding a large fraction of the brown dwarfs contained within the primordial binary population. We conclude that it is probable that the majority of brown dwarfs are contained within primordial binary systems which then hides a large proportion of them from detection.
According to the fossil-field hypothesis magnetic fields are remnants of the previous stages of evolution. However, population synthesis calculations are unable to reproduce the magnetic white dwarf (MWD) sample without binary interaction or inclusion of a population of progenitor with unobservable small-scale fields. One necessary ingredient in population synthesis is the initial-to-final-mass relation (IFMR) which describes the mass-loss processes during the stellar evolution. When white dwarfs are members of open clusters, their evolutionary histories can be assessed through the use of cluster properties. In this work, we assess the cluster membership by correlating the proper-motion of MWDs with the cluster proper-motion and by analyzing the candidates spectroscopically with our magnetic model spectra in order to estimate the effective temperature and radii. We identified SDSS J085523.87+164059.0 to be a proper-motion member of Praesepe. We also included the data of the formerly identified cluster members NGC 6819-8, WD 0836+201 and estimated the mass, cooling age and the progenitor masses of the three probable MWD members of open clusters. According to our analysis, the newly identified cluster member SDSS J085523.87+164059.0 is an ultra-massive MWD of mass 1.12 $pm$ 0.11 Msolar. We increase the sample of MWDs with known progenitor masses to ten, with the rest of the data coming from the common proper motion binaries. Our investigations show that, when effects of the magnetic fields are included in the diagnostics, the estimated properties of these cluster MWDs do not show evidence for deviations from the IFMR. Furthermore, we estimate the precision of the magnetic diagnostics which would be necessary to determine quantitatively whether magnetism has any effect on the mass-loss.
Numerical and observational evidence suggests that massive white dwarfs dominate the innermost regions of core-collapsed globular clusters by both number and total mass. Using NGC 6397 as a test case, we constrain the features of white dwarf populations in core-collapsed clusters, both at present day and throughout their lifetimes. The dynamics of these white dwarf subsystems have a number of astrophysical implications. We demonstrate that the collapse of globular cluster cores is ultimately halted by the dynamical burning of white dwarf binaries. We predict core-collapsed clusters in the local universe yield a white dwarf merger rate of $mathcal{O}(10rm{),Gpc}^{-3},rm{yr}^{-1}$, roughly $0.1-1%$ of the observed Type Ia supernova rate. We show that prior to merger, inspiraling white dwarf binaries will be observable as gravitational wave sources at milli- and decihertz frequencies. Over $90%$ of these mergers have a total mass greater than the Chandrasekhar limit. If the merger/collision remnants are not destroyed completely in an explosive transient, we argue the remnants may be observed in core-collapsed clusters as either young neutron stars/pulsars/magnetars (in the event of accretion-induced collapse) or as young massive white dwarfs offset from the standard white dwarf cooling sequence. Finally, we show collisions between white dwarfs and main sequence stars, which may be detectable as bright transients, occur at a rate of $mathcal{O}(100rm{),Gpc}^{-3},rm{yr}^{-1}$ in the local universe. We find that these collisions lead to depletion of blue straggler stars and main sequence star binaries in the centers of core-collapsed clusters.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
