Related papers: The Pseudosynchronization of Binary Stars Undergoi…
Over half of all observed hot subdwarf B (sdB) stars are found in binaries, and over half of these are found in close configurations with orbital periods of 10$ \,\rm{d}$ or less. In order to estimate the companion masses in these…
Periastron brightening events, also known as the heartbeat phenomenon, are a clear manifestation of interaction effects in binary systems. We explore the role of tidal shear energy dissipation in stars undergoing periastron brightening…
Extrasolar planets on eccentric short-period orbits provide a laboratory in which to study radiative and tidal interactions between a planet and its host star under extreme forcing conditions. Studying such systems probes how the planet's…
The prevalence of binary stars at close separations implies that many of these systems will interact or merge during the binary's lifetime. This paper presents hydrodynamic simulations of the scenario of binary coalescence through unstable…
Binary systems anchor many of the fundamental relations relied upon in asteroseismology. Masses and radii are rarely constrained better than when measured via orbital dynamics and eclipse depths. Pulsating binaries have much to offer. They…
Over time, tides synchronize the rotation periods of stars in a binary system to the orbital period. However, if the star exhibits differential rotation then only a portion of it can rotate at the orbital period, so the rotation period at…
Highly eccentric binary systems appear in many astrophysical contexts, ranging from tidal capture in dense star clusters, precursors of stellar disruption by massive black holes, to high-eccentricity migration of giant planets. In a highly…
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…
We present a method for finding binaries among pulsating stars that were observed by the Kepler Mission. We use entire four-year light curves to accurately measure the frequencies of the strongest pulsation modes, then track the pulsation…
The orbital decay of binaries containing a primary sub-giant or red giant star and a stellar or substellar companion is investigated. The tide raised in the primary by the companion leads to an exchange of angular momentum between the orbit…
Evolution of binary objects under the influence of tides drastically affects the expected observational properties of the system. With the discovery of a large number of close-in hot Jupiter systems and eclipsing binaries from missions such…
In a search of proper motion catalogs for common proper motion stars in the field of the Kepler spacecraft I identified 93 likely binary systems. A comparison of their rotation periods is a test of the gyrochronology concept. To find their…
Binary stars are places of complex stellar interactions. While all binaries are in principle converging towards a state of circularization, many eccentric systems are found even in advanced stellar phases. In this work we discuss the sample…
Asynchronous rotation in binary stars produces non-radial oscillations that are known to cause observable variability on orbital timescales. The horizontal perturbations of the surface velocity fields are referred to as "tidal flows". In…
This paper summarizes our recent results on tidal interaction in high mass X-ray binaries and symbiotic stars. We demonstrate that the giant in symbiotic stars with orbital periods <1200 d are co-rotating (synchronized). The symbiotics MWC…
Rotation contributes to internal mixing processes and observed variability in massive stars. A significant number of binary stars are not in strict synchronous rotation, including all eccentric systems. This leads to a tidally induced and…
Tidal interactions influence the orbital motions of binary star systems and extrasolar planets alike. Tides also affect stellar and planetary rotation rates. We demonstrate that in addition to altering spin synchronization and…
Heartbeat stars (HBSs) are ideal astrophysical laboratories to study the formation and evolution of binary stars in eccentric orbits and the internal structural changes of their components under strong tidal action. We discover 23 new HBSs…
Tidal interactions in close binaries play a key role in the long-term rotational and orbital evolution. The distributions of circularization across open clusters (OCs) place strong observational constraints on tidal dissipation in binaries.…
Stellar binaries in galactic centers are relevant to several observable phenomena, including hypervelocity stars, X-ray binaries, and mergers of stars and compact objects; however, we know little about the properties of these binaries. Past…