SearcharxivSearch

arXiv · 2103.01884

Orbital Evolution of Neutron-Star -- White-Dwarf Binaries by Roche-Lobe Overflow and Gravitational Wave Radiation

Abstract

We investigate the effects of mass transfer and gravitational wave (GW) radiation on the orbital evolution of contact neutron-star-white-dwarf (NS-WD) binaries, and the detectability of these binaries by space GW detectors (e.g., Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, LISA; Taiji; Tianqin). A NS-WD binary becomes contact when the WD component fills its Roche lobe, at which the GW frequency ranges from ~0.0023 to 0.72 Hz for WD with masses ~0.05-1.4 Msun. We find that some high-mass NS-WD binaries may undergo direct coalescence after unstable mass transfer. However, the majority of NS-WD binaries can avoid direct coalescence because mass transfer after contact can lead to a reversal of the orbital evolution. Our model can well interpret the orbital evolution of the ultra-compact X-ray source 4U 1820--30. For a 4-year observation of 4U 1820--30, the expected signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) in GW characteristic strain is ~11.0/10.4/2.2 (LISA/Taiji/Tianqin). The evolution of GW frequencies of NS-WD binaries depends on the WD masses. NS-WD binaries with masses larger than 4U 1820--30 are expected to be detected with significantly larger SNRs. For a (1.4+0.5) Msun NS-WD binary close to contact, the expected SNR for a one week observation is ~27/40/28 (LISA/Taiji/Tianqin). For NS-WD binaries with masses of (1.4+>~1.1) Msun, the significant change of GW frequencies and amplitudes can be measured, and thus it is possible to determine the binary evolution stage. At distances up to the edge of the Galaxy (~100 kpc), high-mass NS-WD binaries will be still detectable with SNR>~1.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Shenghua Yu, Youjun Lu, C. Simon Jeffery. 2021-03-02. Orbital Evolution of Neutron-Star -- White-Dwarf Binaries by Roche-Lobe Overflow and Gravitational Wave Radiation. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras%2Fstab626

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

IceCube neutrino point-source searches in the direction of the KM3NeT ultra-high-energy event

While still under construction, the KM3NeT Astroparticle Research with Cosmics in the Abyss (ARCA) detector recorded a $\sim$200 PeV neutrino on February 13th, 2023. This event is the highest-energy neutrino reported. IceCube, a cubic kilometer neutrino detector located at the geographic South Pole, has previously detected neutrinos up to approximately 10 PeV. We search for high-energy neutrinos from the location of the KM3NeT event using 15 years of IceCube data and considering three temporal hypotheses: steady or flaring in time coincidence, or at an arbitrary time. We find no evidence for neutrino emission for any of the studies performed. Correspondingly, we set upper limits on the neutrino flux from a point source in the direction of KM3-230213A. We compare these limits to KM3NeT's estimated flux and show that an astrophysical explanation of this event is strongly constrained for a variety of spectral assumptions for a steady or transient point source with the flux inferred from the single KM3NeT ultra-high-energy event assuming a spectral index of 2.0.

astro-ph.HE

Evidence for the binary nature of the long-period radio transient ASKAP/DART J1832-0911

Long-period transients are a class of periodic pulsed radio source repeating on the minute to hour timescale. Recently, an increasing number of them are being identified as binary systems, specifically white dwarfs with low-mass main-sequence companions. In this work we analyse the most luminous long-period transient discovered to date, ASKAP/DART J1832-0911, with two years of radio data, and propose that it, too, may be a white dwarf system, although in a far more compact orbit than the aforementioned. The pulses are composed of quasi-periodic components which evolve in a systematic way over days and months. The source is highly linearly or elliptically polarised and its brightness enabled very high signal-to-noise measurement of the time-resolved Faraday rotation measure, which was found to vary across pulse phase. The linear polarisation position angle, circular polarised fraction, and spectral index also varied systematically in ways not typical of pulsars and magnetars. We show that an ultra-compact asynchronous polar explains much of the phenomenology of ASKAP/DART J1832-0911, in particular the evolution of the pulse morphology, rotation measure variation, and periodic X-ray emission, although we cannot conclusively prove a binary nature. However, our model makes testable predictions.

astro-ph.HE

Nonbirefringent model of orthogonal polarization modes in radio pulsars - New view on S swing and mode structure in pulsar beam

Two orthogonal polarization modes observed in radio pulsar signals have long been attributed to proper modes of wave oscillation in strongly magnetized plasma. Yet it has been shown recently that they show up readily for extended emission regions that produce incoherently-superposed polarization signal. In this paper we present a two-dimensional polarization model based on incoherent superposition of radio signals. The model involves a single proper mode, say the O mode, but leads to the appearance of two orthogonal polarization tracks and naturally produces the triple form of polarization mode segregation in averaged profiles (central mode flanked on boths sides by another mode), as well as the displacement of modes in latitude, previously inferred from beam mapping. In the case of conal emission regions, the modelled polarization tends to mimic general polarization properties of the rotating vector model (RVM). However, the reason for this is the symmetry of the emission region - not the usual projection of dipolar magnetic azimuths. Thus the emerging RVM parameters reveal geometry of the emission region, not of the dipolar magnetic field. The results strongly support the vital role of nonbirefringent modal effects in radio pulsar profiles. Two proper modes may not be needed to explain observations of two orthogonal polarization tracks.

astro-ph.HE