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The white dwarf (WD) mass distribution of cataclysmic variables (CVs) has recently been found to dramatically disagree with the predictions of the standard CV formation model. The high mean WD mass among CVs is not imprinted in the…
We describe the evolution of double degenerate binary systems, consisting of components obeying the zero temperature mass radius relationship for white dwarf stars, from the onset of mass transfer to one of several possible outcomes…
We present a systematic study of the evolution of low- and intermediate-mass X-ray binaries (L/IMXBs) consisting of a $1.4\,M_{\odot}$ neutron star (NS) and a donor star of mass $1-8\,M_{\odot}$. Using grids of detailed MESA simulations, we…
The discovery of wide, eccentric Gaia neutron stars (NSs) in binaries with still evolving (likely main sequence) companions offers a new probe of mass transfer and pulsar recycling beyond the compact-binary regime. We model their origins…
The evolution of binaries consisting of evolved main sequence stars (1 < M_d/Msun < 3.5) with white dwarf companions (0.7 < M_wd/Msun < 1.2) is investigated through the thermal mass transfer phase. Taking into account the stabilizing effect…
Interacting binaries in which a white dwarf accretes material from a companion - cataclysmic variables (CVs) in which the mass donor is a Roche-lobe filling star on or near the main sequence, and symbiotic stars in which the mass donor is a…
Strong selection effects are present in observational samples of cataclysmic variables (CVs), complicating comparisons to theoretical predictions. The selection criteria used to define most CV samples discriminate heavily against the…
Cataclysmic Variables (CVs) are a distinct class of X-ray binaries transferring mass from a donor star to a compact star accretor, a white dwarf. They constitute a laboratory for accretion physics, mechanisms and disk theory together with…
I present brief status reports on three large observational projects that are designed to test our current understanding of the evolution of cataclysmic variables (CVs): The spectroscopic selection of new CVs in the Hamburg Quasar Survey,…
Outbursts in two classes of interacting binary systems, the symbiotic stars (SSs) and the cataclysmic variables (CVs), show a number of similarities in spite of very different orbital periods. Typical values for SSs are in the order of…
While highly evolved cataclysmic variables (CVs) with brown dwarf donors, often called "period bouncers", are predicted to make up $\simeq40-70$ % of the Galactic CV population, only a handful of such systems are currently known. The…
To understand the chemistry of sulphur (S) in the interstellar medium, models need to be tested by observations of S-bearing molecules in different physical conditions. We analyse observations obtained with the IRAM 30m telescope towards 15…
The mass-loss rate of donor stars in cataclysmic variables (CVs) is of paramount importance in the evolution of short-period CVs. Observed donors are oversized in comparison with those of isolated single stars of the same mass, which is…
The predicted and observed space density of cataclysmic variables (CVs) have been for a long time discrepant by at least an order of magnitude. The standard model of CV evolution predicts that the vast majority of CVs should be period…
The theoretical and observed populations of pre-cataclysmic variables (pre-CVs) are dominated by systems with low-mass white dwarfs (WDs), while the WD masses in CVs are typically high. In addition, the space density of CVs is found to be…
Helium accretion induced explosions in CO white dwarfs (WDs) are considered promising candidates for a number of observed types of stellar transients, including supernovae (SNe) of Type Ia and Type Iax. However, a clear favorite outcome has…
A large number of white dwarf and donor masses in cataclysmic variables have been found via modelling the primary eclipse, a method that relies on untested assumptions. Recent measurements of the mass of the white dwarf in the cataclysmic…
AM Canum Venaticorum (AM CVn) stars are ultra-compact binary systems composed of a white dwarf (WD) primary accreting from a H-deficient donor. They are important as potential progenitors of Type Ia supernovae and laboratories for…
Angular momentum loss through magnetic braking drives the spin-down of low-mass stars and the orbital evolution of various close binary systems. Current theories for magnetic braking, often calibrated for specific types of systems, predict…
Nine metal-polluted white dwarfs are observed with medium-resolution optical spectroscopy,where photospheric abundances are determined and interpreted through comparison against solar system objects. An improved method of making such…