Related papers: Evidence for reduced magnetic braking in polars fr…
Detached WD+MS PCEBs are perhaps the most suitable objects for testing predictions of close-compact binary-star evolution theories, in particular, CE evolution. The population of WD+MS PCEBs has been simulated by several authors in the past…
The complexity of the common envelope phase and of magnetic stellar wind braking currently limits our understanding of close binary evolution. Because of their intrinsically simple structure, observational population studies of white dwarf…
I measure and collect timings of phase markers (like eclipse times) for the orbits of 25 X-ray binaries (XRBs) so as to calculate the steady evolutionary period change ($\dot{P}$). I combine these with my observed $\dot{P}$ measures from 52…
The magnetic braking (MB) plays an important role in driving the evolution of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). The modified MB prescription, convection and rotation boosted (CARB) model, is very successful in reproducing the detected…
We examine how tides, stellar evolution, and magnetic braking shape the rotation period (P$_{rot}$) evolution of low-mass stellar binaries up to orbital periods (P$_{orb}$) of 100 d across a wide range tidal dissipation parameters using two…
We present the discovery of a magnetic field on the white dwarf component in the detached post common envelope binary (PCEB) CC Cet. Magnetic white dwarfs in detached PCEBs are extremely rare, in contrast to the high incidence of magnetism…
We present a systematic survey for mass-transferring and recently-detached cataclysmic variables (CVs) with evolved secondaries, which are progenitors of extremely low-mass white dwarfs (ELM WDs), AM CVn systems, and detached ultracompact…
We measure the mass distribution of main-sequence (MS) companions to hot subdwarf B stars (sdBs) in post-common envelope binaries (PCEBs). We carried out a spectroscopic survey of 14 eclipsing systems ("HW Vir binaries") with orbital…
Current scenarios for the evolution of interacting close binaries - such as cataclysmic variables (CVs) - rely mainly on our understanding of low-mass star angular momentum loss (AML) mechanisms. The coupling of stellar wind with its…
The increasing number of synoptic surveys made by small robotic telescopes, such as the photometric Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey (CRTS), represents a unique opportunity for the discovery of variable sources and improves the…
Extremely low-mass white dwarfs (ELM WDs) are the result of binary evolution in which a low-mass donor star is stripped by its companion leaving behind a helium-core white dwarf. We explore the formation of ELM WDs in binary systems…
The evolution of low-mass contact binaries is influenced by angular-momentum loss, mass and energy transfer, and the nuclear evolution of the components. They have periods shorter than one day, and we expect their period evolution to be…
Context: Studies of the Galactic population of double white dwarfs (DWDs) that would be detectable in gravitational waves by LISA have found differences in the number of predicted detectable DWDs of more than an order of magnitude,…
Many of the current problems related to the evolution of cataclysmic variables revolve around the magnetic nature of the main sequence secondary. It is known that magnetic fields alter the structure of low mass stars. In particular, they…
Accreting white dwarfs in close binary systems, commonly known as cataclysmic variables (CVs), with orbital periods below the canonical period minimum ($\approx$ 80 minutes) are rare. Such short periods can only be reached if the donor star…
The hard X-ray spectrum of magnetic cataclysmic variables can be modelled to provide a measurement of white dwarf mass. This method is complementary to radial velocity measurements, which depend on the (typically rather uncertain) binary…
Close white dwarf binaries make up a wide variety of objects such as double white dwarf binaries, which are possible SN Ia progenitors, cataclysmic variables, super soft sources, or AM CVn stars. The evolution and formation of close white…
White dwarfs (WDs) are the most abundant compact objects, and recent surveys have suggested that over a third of WDs in accreting binaries host a strong (B $\gtrsim$ 1 MG) magnetic field. However, the origin and evolution of WD magnetism…
We present multi-wavelength temporal and spectral characteristics of a magnetic cataclysmic variable (MCV) Swift J0503.7-2819, using far ultraviolet (FUV) and X-ray data from AstroSat, supplemented with optical data from the Southern…
Magnetars are usually interpreted as highly magnetized neutron stars, yet a small subset of low spin-down sources has motivated alternative scenarios involving highly magnetized white dwarfs. We test whether the observed magnetar sample is…