Related papers: A brown dwarf mass donor in an accreting binary
BeppoSAX has revealed a population of faint neutron star X-ray transients in the Galactic bulge. King conjectured that these neutron stars are accreting from brown dwarfs (BD) with a time-averaged mass transfer rate <\dot M>\approx 10^{-11}…
There is a striking and unexplained dearth of brown dwarf companions in close orbits (< 3AU) around stars more massive than the Sun, in stark contrast to the frequency of stellar and planetary companions. Although rare and relatively…
We calculate the stellar evolution of both white dwarfs (WDs) in AM CVn binaries with orbital periods of $P_{\mathrm{orb}} \approx 5-70$ minutes. We focus on the cases where the donor starts as a $M_{\mathrm{He}} < 0.2 \, M_{\odot}$ Helium…
We present a simple model for the evolutionary states of neutron stars in pre-low-mass X-ray binaries during the main sequence stage of donor stars. It is shown that for typical parameters some of the neutron stars in these systems can not…
Recent observations of nearby star forming regions have offered evidence that young brown dwarfs undergo a period of mass accretion analogous to the T Tauri phase observed in young stars. Brown dwarf analogs to stellar protostars, however,…
Generic scalar-tensor theories of gravity predict deviations from Newtonian physics inside astrophysical bodies. In this paper, we point out that low mass stellar objects, red and brown dwarf stars, are excellent probes of these theories.…
Substellar objects such as brown dwarfs and planets are generally expected to remain detached from their main-sequence host stars unless orbital decay or stellar expansion brings them into contact, leading to rapid engulfment and…
After decades of brown dwarf discovery and follow-up, we can now infer the functional form of the mass distribution within 20 parsecs, which serves as a constraint on star formation theory at the lowest masses. Unlike objects on the main…
We have performed detailed numerical calculations of the non-conservative evolution of close X-ray binary systems with intermediate-mass (2.0-6.0 M_sun) donor stars and a 1.3 M_sun accreting neutron star. We calculated the thermal response…
In recent years, the number of pulsars with secure mass measurements has increased to a level that allows us to probe the underlying neutron star mass distribution in detail. We critically review radio pulsar mass measurements and present a…
With the prevalence of wide-field, time-domain photometric sky surveys, the number of eclipsing white dwarf systems being discovered is increasing dramatically. An efficient method to follow these up will be key to determining any…
Eclipsing binary stars provide highly accurate measurements of the fundamental physical properties of stars. They therefore serve as stringent tests of the predictions of evolutionary models upon which most stellar age determinations are…
We present 594 radial velocity measurements for 71 white dwarfs obtained during our search for binary white dwarfs and not reported elsewhere. We identify three excellent candidate binaries, which require further observations to confirm our…
Most stars in our Galaxy with photospheric C/O>1 (carbon stars) are not giants but dwarfs. The newly-recognized class of dwarf carbon (dC) stars joins the growing family of stars with peculiar abundances that are now recognized as products…
We study the formation of neon-enriched donor stars in ultracompact X-ray binaries (orbital periods P<80 min) and show that their progenitors have to be low-mass (0.3 - 0.4 solar mass) ``hybrid'' white dwarfs (with CO cores and thick helium…
Some white dwarfs accreting from non-degenerate companions show anomalous carbon and nitrogen abundances in the photospheres of their stellar components which have been postulated to be descendants of supersoft X-ray binaries. Therefore 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…
The atmospheres of a large proportion of white dwarf stars are polluted by heavy elements that are expected to sink out of visible layers on short timescales. This has been interpreted as a signature of ongoing accretion of debris from…
Stellar evolutionary models predict that most of the early type subdwarf stars in close binary systems have white dwarf companions. More massive companions, such as neutron stars or black holes, are also expected in some cases. The presence…
Studying the earliest stages in the birth of stars is crucial for understanding how they form. Brown dwarfs with masses between that of stars and planets are not massive enough to maintain stable hydrogen-burning fusion reactions during…