Population synthesis for low and intermediate mass binaries

A review of the basic principles of the population synthesis for binary stars is presented. We discuss the break-up of low and intermediate mass close binaries over different evolutionary scenarios and, as an example, briefly consider results of the population synthesis for SN Ia.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, to appear in INTERACTING BINARIES: Accretion, Evolution and Outcomes, AIP, Eds: L. A. Antonelli, L. Burderi, F. D'Antona, T. Di Salvo, G.L. Israel, L. Piersanti, O. Straniero, A. Tornambe

Type Ia Supernovae and Supersoft X-ray Sources

The rates of SN Ia for double-degenerate and single-degenerate scenario are computed for the models of spiral and elliptical galaxies. The number of nuclearly burning white dwarfs (NBWD) is traced. The data favours double-degenerate scenario and suggests lower number of NBWD per unit mass in ellipticals and their lower average mass as one of the reasons for the difference in the number of supersoft X-ray sources observed in the galaxies of different types.Comment: Submitted to Proceedings of IAU Symp. 281 "Binary Paths to Type Ia Supernovae Explosions", 4 pp., 3 fig

Type Ia Supernovae in semi-detached binary systems

We have considered scenarios for the evolution of close binaries resulting in the formation of semi-detached systems in which a white dwarf can accumulate Chandrasekhar mass by accretion from a main-sequence or subgiant companion with $M\sim 2 M_\odot$. These white dwarfs, probably, explode as type Ia supernovae or collapse with formation of neutron stars. We have carried out a population synthesis study for these systems and have estimated the occurrence rate of such events in the Galaxy, depending on the parameter of common envelopes, mass-exchange rate in the binary, reaction of the main-sequence component on accretion of helium in the intervening phase of evolution. We have found that the model occurrence rate of SNe Ia in semi-detached systems is $\simeq 0.2 \times 10^{-3}$ yr$^{-1}$, i. e., it does not exceed $\sim 10$ of the observational estimate of the Galactic occurrence rate of SNe Ia.Comment: Astronomy Letters, 2003, vol.29, no.12, in press. 22 pages, including 2 tables, 5 figure

Statistical analysis of a comprehensive list of visual binaries

Visual binary stars are the most abundant class of observed binaries. The most comprehensive list of data on visual binaries compiled recently by cross-matching the largest catalogues of visual binaries allowed a statistical investigation of observational parameters of these systems. The dataset was cleaned by correcting uncertainties and misclassifications, and supplemented with available parallax data. The refined dataset is free from technical biases and contains 3676 presumably physical visual pairs of luminosity class V with known angular separations, magnitudes of the components, spectral types, and parallaxes. We also compiled a restricted sample of 998 pairs free from observational biases due to the probability of binary discovery. Certain distributions of observational and physical parameters of stars of our dataset are discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure

Next generation population synthesis of accreting white dwarfs: I. Hybrid calculations using BSE + MESA

Accreting, nuclear-burning white dwarfs have been deemed to be candidate progenitors of type Ia supernovae, and to account for supersoft X-ray sources, novae, etc. depending on their accretion rates. We have carried out a binary population synthesis study of their populations using two algorithms. In the first, we use the binary population synthesis code \textsf{BSE} as a baseline for the "rapid" approach commonly used in such studies. In the second, we employ a "hybrid" approach, in which we use \textsf{BSE} to generate a population of white dwarfs (WD) with non-degenerate companions on the verge of filling their Roche lobes. We then follow their mass transfer phase using the detailed stellar evolution code \textsf{MESA}. We investigate the evolution of the number of rapidly accreting white dwarfs (RAWDs) and stably nuclear-burning white dwarfs (SNBWDs), and estimate the type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) rate produced by "single-degenerate" systems (SD). We find significant differences between the two algorithms in the predicted numbers of SNBWDs at early times, and also in the delay time distribution (DTD) of SD SNe Ia. Such differences in the treatment of mass transfer may partially account for differences in the SNe Ia rate and DTD found by different groups. Adopting 100\% efficiency for helium burning, the rate of SNe Ia produced by the SD-channel in a Milky-way-like galaxy in our calculations is $2.0\times10^{-4}\rm{yr}^{-1}$, more than an order of magnitude below the observationally inferred value. In agreement with previous studies, our calculated SD DTD is inconsistent with observations.Comment: 13 pages,11 figures, accepted by MNRA

Fun for Two

We performed populations synthesis calculations of single stars and binaries and show that binary evolution is extremely important for Galactic astronomy. We review several binary evolution models and conclude that they give quite different results. These differences can be understood from the assumptions related to how mass is transfered in the binary systems. Most important are 1) the fraction of mass that is accreted by the companion star during mass transfer, 2) the amount of specific angular momentum which is carried away with the mass that leaves the binary system.Comment: 7 pages, 0 figures to appear in the proceeding of the IAU Symposium 200, "The Formation of Binary Stars" eds. H. Zinnecker and R. Mathie

A young contracting white dwarf in the peculiar binary HD 49798/RX J0648.0--4418?

HD 49798/RX J0648.0--4418 is a peculiar X-ray binary with a hot subdwarf (sdO) mass donor. The nature of the accreting compact object is not known, but its spin period $P=13.2$~s and $\dot P =-2.15 \times 10^{-15}$s~s$^{-1}$, prove that it can be only either a white dwarf or a neutron star. The spin-up has been very stable for more than 20 years. We demonstrate that the continuous stable spin-up of the compact companion of HD 49798 can be best explained by contraction of a young white dwarf with an age $\sim 2$~Myrs. This allows us to interpret all the basic parameters of the system in the framework of an accreting white dwarf. We present examples of binary evolution which result in such systems. If correct, this is the first direct evidence for a white dwarf contraction on early evolutionary stages.Comment: 9 pages, accepted to MNRA