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P. P. Eggleton

Publications and source records attributed to P. P. Eggleton.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

The nature of the eccentric doubled-lined eclipsing binary system KIC 2306740 with Kepler space photometry

We present a detailed study of KIC 2306740, an eccentric double-lined eclipsing binary system. Kepler satellite data were combined with spectroscopic data obtained with the 4.2 m William Herschel Telescope (WHT). This allowed us to determine precise orbital and physical parameters of this relatively long period (P=10.3 d) and slightly eccentric, ($e=0.3$) binary system. The physical parameters have been determined as $M_1 = 1.194\pm0.008$ M$_{\odot}$, $M_2 = 1.078\pm0.007$ M$_{\odot}$, $R_1 = 1.682\pm0.004$ R$_{\odot}$, $R_2 = 1.226\pm0.005$ R$_{\odot}$, $L_1 = 2.8\pm0.4$ L$_{\odot}$, $L_2 = 1.8\pm0.2$ L$_{\odot}$ and orbital seperation $a = 26.20\pm0.04$ R$_{\odot}$ through simultaneous solutions of Kepler light curves and of the WHT radial velocity data. Binarity effects were extracted from the light curve in order to study intrinsic variations in the residuals. Five significant and more than 100~combination frequencies were detected. We modeled the binary system assuming non-conservative evolution models with the Cambridge STARS (TWIN) code and we show evolutionary tracks of the components in the $\log L - \log T$ plane, the $\log R - \log M$ plane and the $\log P - \rm age$ plane for both spin and orbital periods together with eccentricity $e$ and $\log R_1$. The model of the non-conservative processes in the code led the system to evolve to the observed system parameters in roughly $5.1 $ Gyr.

astro-ph.SR

A Turnoff Detached Binary Star V568 Lyr in the Kepler Field of the Oldest Open Cluster (NGC 6791) in the Galaxy

We present the Kepler photometric light-variation analysis of the late-type double-lined binary system V568 Lyr that is in the field of the high metallicity old open cluster NGC 6791. The radial velocity and the high-quality short-cadence light curve of the system are analysed simultaneously. The masses, radii and luminosities of the component stars are $M_1 = 1.0886\pm0.0031\, M{\odot}$, $M_2 = 0.8292 \pm 0.0026\, M{\odot}$, $R_1 = 1.4203\pm 0.0058\, R{\odot}$, $R_2 = 0.7997 \pm 0.0015\, R{\odot}$, $L_1 = 1.85\pm 0.15\, L{\odot}$, $L_2 = 0.292 \pm 0.018\, L{\odot}$ and their separation is $a = 31.060 \pm 0.002\, R{\odot}$. The distance to NGC 6791 is determined to be $4.260\pm 0.290\,$kpc by analysis of this binary system. We fit the components of this well-detached binary system with evolution models made with the Cambridge STARS and TWIN codes to test low-mass binary star evolution. We find a good fit with a metallicity of $Z = 0.04$ and an age of $7.704\,$Gyr. The standard tidal dissipation, included in TWIN is insufficient to arrive at the observed circular orbit unless it formed rather circular to begin with.

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X-Ray Sources in Multiple Stars

Luminous X-ray stars are very often found in visual double or multiple stars. Binaries with periods of a few days possess the highest degree of coronal X-ray activity among regular, non-relativistic stars because of their fast, tidally driven rotation. But the orbital periods in visual double stars are too large for any direct interaction between the companions to take place. We suggest that most of the strongest X-ray components in resolved binaries are yet-undiscovered short-period binaries, and that a few are merged remnants of such binaries. The omnipresence of short-period active stars, e.g. of BY-Dra-type binaries, in multiple systems is explained via the dynamical evolution of triple stars with large mutual inclinations. The dynamical perturbation on the inner pair pumps up the eccentricity in a cyclic manner, a phenomenon known as Kozai cycling. At times of close periapsis, tidal friction reduces the angular momentum of the binary, causing it to shrink. When the orbital period of the inner pair drops to a few days, fast surface rotation of the companions is driven by tidal forces, boosting activity by a few orders of magnitude. If the period drops still further, a merger may take place leaving a rapidly-rotating active dwarf with only a distant companion.

astro-ph.SR

Towards Multiple-Star Population Synthesis

The multiplicities of stars, and some other properties, were collected recently by Eggleton & Tokovinin, for the set of 4559 stars with Hipparcos magnitude brighter than 6.0 (4558 excluding the Sun). In this paper I give a numerical recipe for constructing, by a Monte Carlo technique, a theoretical ensemble of multiple stars that resembles the observed sample. Only multiplicities up to 8 are allowed; the observed set contains only multiplicities up to 7. In addition, recipes are suggested for dealing with the selection effects and observational uncertainties that attend the determination of multiplicity. These recipes imply, for example, that to achieve the observed average multiplicity of 1.53, it would be necessary to suppose that the real population has an average multiplicity slightly over 2.0. This numerical model may be useful for (a) comparison with the results of star and star cluster formation theory, (b) population synthesis that does not ignore multiplicity above 2, and (c) initial conditions for dynamical cluster simulations.

astro-ph.SR

A Catalog of Multiplicity among Bright Stellar Systems

We consider the multiplicity of stellar systems with (combined) magnitude brighter than 6.00 in Hipparcos magnitudes. We identify 4559 such bright systems (including the Sun), and the frequencies of multiplicities 1, 2,..., 7 are found to be 2718, 1437, 285, 86, 20, 11 and 2. We discuss the uncertainties, which are substantial. We also consider the distributions of periods of orbits and sub-orbits. We note that for the even more restricted set of 478 systems with V_H <= 4.00 the proportions of higher multiples up to sextuple are progressively larger (213, 179, 54, 19, 8, 5), suggesting substantial incompleteness in even the reasonably well-studied larger sample. This sample can be seen as relatively thoroughly studied for multiplicity, and reasonably representative of stars more massive than the Sun. But the restriction to V_H <= 6 means that our sample contains hardly any systems where all components are low-mass main-sequence stars (K or M). Data on multiplicity is important as a constraint on (a) the star-formation problem, (b) the problem of the evolution of the Galactic stellar population, and (c) the interaction of dynamics and evolution through the effect of Kozai cycles. We discuss these topics briefly.

astro-ph

The Destruction of 3He by Rayleigh-Taylor Instability on the First Giant Branch

Low-mass stars, ~1-2 solar masses, near the Main Sequence are efficient at producing 3He, which they mix into the convective envelope on the giant branch and distribute into the Galaxy by way of envelope loss. This process is so efficient that it is difficult to reconcile the observed cosmic abundance of 3He with the predictions of Big Bang nucleosynthesis. In this paper we find, by modeling a red giant with a fully three-dimensional hydrodynamic code and a full nucleosynthetic network, that mixing arises in the supposedly stable and radiative zone between the hydrogen-burning shell and the base of the convective envelope. This mixing is due to Rayleigh-Taylor instability within a zone just above the hydrogen-burning shell. In this zone the burning of the 3He left behind by the retreating convective envelope is predominantly by the reaction 3He + 3He -> 4He + 2p, a reaction which, untypically for stellar nuclear reactions, {\it lowers} the mean molecular weight, leading to a local minimum. This local minimum leads to Rayleigh-Taylor instability, and turbulent motion is generated which will continue ultimately up into the normal convective envelope. Consequently material from the envelope is dragged down sufficiently close to the burning shell that the 3He in it is progressively destroyed. Thus we are able to remove the threat that 3He production in low-mass stars poses to the Big Bang nucleosynthesis of 3He. Some slow mixing mechanism has long been suspected, that connects the convective envelope of a red giant to the burning shell. It appears to be necessary to account for progressive changes in the 12C/13C and 14N/12C ratios on the First Giant Branch. We suggest that these phenomena are also due to the Rayleigh-Taylor-unstable character of the 3He-burning region.

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Djehuty, a Code for Modeling Stars in Three Dimensions

Current practice in stellar evolution is to employ one-dimensional calculations that quantitatively apply only to a minority of the observed stars (single non-rotating stars, or well detached binaries). Even in these systems, astrophysicists are dependent on approximations to handle complex three-dimensional processes like convection. Understanding the structure of binary stars, like those that lead to the Type Ia supernovae used to measure the expansion of the universe, are grossly non-spherical and await a 3D treatment. To approach very large problems like multi-dimensional modeling of stars, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has invested in massively parallel computers and invested even more in developing the algorithms to utilize them on complex physics problems. We have leveraged skills from across the lab to develop a 3D stellar evolution code, Djehuty (after the Egyptian god for writing and calculation) that operates efficiently on platforms with thousands of nodes, with the best available physical data (opacities, EOS, etc.). Djehuty has incorporated all basic physics for modeling stars including an accurate equation of state, radiation transport by diffusion, thermonuclear reaction rates, and hydrodynamics, and we have begun testing it in a number of applications.

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Hierarchical Systems in Open Clusters

In this paper we study the formation, evolution and disruption of hierarchical systems in open clusters. With this purpose, N-body simulations of star clusters containing an initial population of binaries have been carried out using Aarseth's NBODY4 and NBODY5 codes. Stable triples may form from strong interactions of two binaries in which the widest pair is disrupted. The most frequent type of hierarchical systems found in the cluster models are triples in which the outer star is single, but in some cases the outer body is also a binary, giving a hierarchical quadruple. Many triple systems are non-coplanar and the presence of even a very distant and small outer companion may affect the orbital parameters of the inner binary, including a possible mechanism of significant shrinkage if the binary experiences a weak tidal dissipation. The main features of these systems are analyzed in order to derive general properties which can be checked by observations. The formation of exotic objects, such as blue stragglers and white dwarf binaries, inside hierarchical triple systems is particularly interesting.

astro-ph

Stellar and dynamical evolution within triple systems

About 5-15% of stellar systems are at least triple. About 1% of systems with a primary of $\tgs 1 \Mscun$ are triple with a {\it longer} peri od that is less than 30y, and so may in principle be capable of Roche-lobe overflow in both the inner and the outer orbits, at different times. We discuss possible evolutionary paths for these systems, some of which may lead to objects that are difficult to understand in the context of purely binary evolution. An example is OW Gem, a binary containing two supergiants (spectral types F and G) with masses that difffer by a factor of 1.5. There is also a triple-star pathway which could lead rather naturally to low-mass X-ray binaries; whereas binary pathways often appear rather contrived. We also discuss some dynamical pr ocesses involved in the 3-body problem. A number of triple stars are found in clusters. Similar systems can be created by gravitational capture during N-body simulations of Galactic clusters, especially if there is a n assumed primordial binary population. We discuss the properties of these triples , and note that many can be quite long-lived.

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Approximate input physics for stellar modelling

We present a simple and efficient, yet reasonably accurate, equation of state, which at the moderately low temperatures and high densities found in the interiors of stars less massive than the Sun is substantially more accurate than its predecessor by Eggleton, Faulkner & Flannery. Along with the most recently available values in tabular form of opacities, neutrino loss rates, and nuclear reaction rates for a selection of the most important reactions, this provides a convenient package of input physics for stellar modelling. We briefly discuss a few results obtained with the updated stellar evolution code.

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