Sign on

SAO/NASA ADS Astronomy Abstract Service

· Find Similar Abstracts (with default settings below)
· Full Refereed Journal Article (PDF/Postscript)
· Full Refereed Scanned Article (GIF)
· arXiv e-print (arXiv:astro-ph/0212403)
· References in the article
· Citations to the Article (173) (Citation History)
· Refereed Citations to the Article
· Also-Read Articles (Reads History)
· HEP/Spires Information
·
· Translate This Page
Title:
The formation of close binary systems by dynamical interactions and orbital decay
Authors:
Bate, Matthew R.; Bonnell, Ian A.; Bromm, Volker
Affiliation:
AA(School of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL; Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OHA), AB(School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS), AC(Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA; Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA)
Publication:
Monthly Notice of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 336, Issue 3, pp. 705-713. (MNRAS Homepage)
Publication Date:
11/2002
Origin:
MNRAS
Astronomy Keywords:
accretion, accretion discs, hydrodynamics, binaries: close, binaries: spectroscopic, circumstellar matter, stars: formation
DOI:
10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05775.x
Bibliographic Code:
2002MNRAS.336..705B

Abstract

We present results from the first hydrodynamical star formation calculation to demonstrate that close binary stellar systems (separations <~ 10 au) need not be formed directly by fragmentation. Instead, a high frequency of close binaries can be produced through a combination of dynamical interactions in unstable multiple systems and the orbital decay of initially wider binaries. Orbital decay may occur as a result of gas accretion and/or the interaction of a binary with its circumbinary disc. These three mechanisms avoid the problems associated with the fragmentation of optically thick gas to form close systems directly. They also result in a preference for close binaries to have roughly equal-mass components because dynamical exchange interactions and the accretion of gas with high specific angular momentum drive mass ratios towards unity. Furthermore, because of the importance of dynamical interactions, we find that stars with greater masses ought to have a higher frequency of close companions, and that many close binaries ought to have wide companions. These properties are in good agreement with the results of observational surveys.

Printing Options

Send high resolution image to Level 2 Postscript Printer
Send low resolution image to Level 2 Postscript Printer
Send low resolution image to Level 1 Postscript Printer
Get high resolution PDF image
Get low resolution PDF
Send 300 dpi image to PCL Printer
Send 150 dpi image to PCL Printer

More Article Retrieval Options

HELP for Article Retrieval
Bibtex entry for this abstract   Preferred format for this abstract (see Preferences)
  New!

Find Similar Abstracts:

Use: Authors
Title
Keywords (in text query field)
Abstract Text
Return: Query Results Return    items starting with number
Query Form
Database: Astronomy
Physics
arXiv e-prints