Related papers: The White Dwarf Pareto: Tracing Mass Loss in Binar…
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…
We present a method to characterize statistically the parameters of a detached binary sample - binary fraction, separation distribution, and mass ratio distribution - using noisy radial-velocity data with as few as two, randomly spaced,…
Observations of main sequence stars conducted over the last several decades have clearly shown that something like 50 per cent of stars of spectral types G and F occur in multiple systems. For earlier spectral types, the incidence of…
We present an initial-final mass relation derived from the spectroscopically-complete volume-limited 40 pc sample of white dwarfs. The relation is modelled using population synthesis methods to derive an initial stellar population which can…
White dwarfs are often found in close binaries with stellar or even substellar companions. It is generally thought that these compact binaries form via common envelope evolution, triggered by the progenitor of the white dwarf expanding…
Close white dwarf binaries play an important role across a range of astrophysics, including thermonuclear supernovae, the Galactic low-frequency gravitational wave signal, and the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. Progress in developing a…
White dwarfs with a F, G or K type companion represent the last common ancestor for a plethora of exotic systems throughout the galaxy, though to this point very few of them have been fully characterised in terms of orbital period and…
Masses are one of the most difficult stellar properties to measure. In the case of the white-dwarf companions of Barium stars, the situation is worse. These stars are dim, cool, and difficult to observe via direct methods. However, Ba stars…
The presence of a close, low-mass companion is thought to play a substantial and perhaps necessary role in shaping post-Asymptotic Giant Branch and Planetary Nebula outflows. During post-main-sequence evolution, radial expansion of the…
We present Chandra and Swift X-ray observations of four extremely low-mass (ELM) white dwarfs with massive companions. We place stringent limits on X-ray emission from all four systems, indicating that neutron star companions are extremely…
Measuring the masses of companions to single-line spectroscopic binary stars is (in general) not possible because of the unknown orbital plane inclination. Even when the mass of the visible star can be measured, only a lower limit can be…
We present the discovery of 15 extremely low mass (5 < log{g} < 7) white dwarf candidates, 9 of which are in ultra-compact double-degenerate binaries. Our targeted ELM Survey sample now includes 76 binaries. The sample has a lognormal…
The planet-hosting and Sirius-type binary system epsilon Reticulum (HD 27442) is examined from the perspective of its more evolved white dwarf secondary. The stellar parameters are determined from a combination of Balmer line spectroscopy,…
Mass transfer stability is an essential issue in binary evolution. Ge et al. studied critical mass ratios for dynamically stable mass transfer by establishing adiabatic mass loss model and found that the donor stars on the giant branches…
I demonstrate that an effect similar to the Roemer delay, familiar from timing radio pulsars, should be detectable in the first eclipsing double white dwarf (WD) binary, NLTT 11748. By measuring the difference of the time between the…
The initial-final mass relationship connects the mass of a white dwarf with the mass of its progenitor in the main-sequence. Although this function is of fundamental importance to several fields in modern astrophysics, it is not well…
We revisit the properties and astrophysical implications of the field white dwarf mass distribution in preparation of Gaia applications. Our study is based on the two samples with the best established completeness and most precise…
We present FUSE H Lyman series spectroscopy of the hot white dwarf companion to the 4th magnitude A1III star Beta Crateris, which shows that is has an unusually low mass, 0.43Msun, and has almost certainly evolved through binary…
Gravitational waves from merging binary black holes can be used to shed light on poorly understood aspects of massive binary stellar evolution, such as the evolution of massive stars (including their mass-loss rates), the common envelope…
We describe an astrometric and spectroscopic campaign to confirm the youth and association of a complete sample of candidate wide companions in Taurus and Upper Sco. Our survey found fifteen new binary systems (3 in Taurus and 12 in Upper…