arXiv subjects

Yunlang Guo

Publications and source records attributed to Yunlang Guo.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Deep Adaptive Optics Imaging Rules Out a Helium Star Companion to PSR J1928+1815

PSR J1928+1815 is a 10.55 ms millisecond pulsar in a 3.6 hr orbit with a massive ($1.0$-$1.6\,M_{\odot}$) companion that produces extended radio eclipses. The companion, proposed to be a stripped helium star, is undetected in optical and infrared surveys. We present deep near-infrared imaging using Keck/NIRC2 with laser guide star adaptive optics. No source is detected at the pulsar position down to a $5\sigma$ limit of $K_s \approx 21.3$. Using stripped-star atmosphere models and conservative extinction estimates, we show that any plausible helium star companion would have been detected, ruling out this interpretation. A massive white dwarf (WD) companion remains consistent with the non-detection. We consider two possible origins for the eclipses: (1) absorption in a wind driven by a young, hot WD, and (2) material ablated from the WD by the pulsar. The former can naturally arise following Case BB mass transfer, which produces $\sim 1.2\,M_\odot$ WDs capable of sustaining winds of $\dot{M} \gtrsim 10^{-12}$-$10^{-13}\,M_\odot\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$ for $\sim 10^4$-$10^5$ yr, sufficient to obscure the pulsar at GHz frequencies. The latter requires efficient coupling of the pulsar's spin-down luminosity to the companion to drive the needed mass loss, which may be difficult to achieve. If the eclipse is powered by a WD wind, the system is likely observed in a short-lived phase; alternatively, if the companion is an older WD, the origin of the eclipsing material remains unclear. The apparent uniqueness of PSR J1928+1815 is consistent with a short detectability lifetime, though formation rate estimates remain uncertain.

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arXiv2026

Formation of black holes from He stars

Massive He stars are potential candidates of type Ib/c supernova (SN) progenitors. Understanding their final fates remains a key issue in astrophysics. In this work, we investigate the evolution of He stars with initial masses from 5 $M_\odot$ to 65 $M_\odot$, focusing on the presupernova (pre-SN) core structures to assess their explodability. Our simulations indicate that the final core structure is determined by the CO core mass and the central 12C mass fraction at the end of core He burning, affecting the properties of central C-burning and the locations of convective shells. The location of the last convective C-burning shell sets the mass of the C-free core, constraining the iron core mass and compactness. We found that the final compactness and iron core mass exhibit non-monotonic behavior with initial mass, suggesting that the boundary between neutron star and black hole formation is not a simple mass threshold. This is due to core C/Ne burning becoming neutrino dominated. This process drives stronger core contraction, ultimately increasing the iron core mass and the final compactness. In contrast, earlier core Ne/O/Si ignition and shell mergers inhibit core contraction, reducing both the iron core mass and final compactness. We also discuss the effects of metallicity and overshooting on the pre-SN core structure. These factors potentially affect the explodability of progenitors.

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arXiv2026

Ultra-compact X-ray Binaries: A Review

Ultra-compact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) are a subclass of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) characterized by ultra-short orbital periods, typically less than $60-80\,$min. They consist of a compact mass-accretor and a hydrogen-poor mass-donor, in which the mass-accretor could be a neuron star (NS) or even a black hole (BH). UCXBs play an important role in multiple areas of astrophysics. In particular, they are considered strong, continuous gravitational wave (GW) sources in the low-frequency band, making them key targets for future space-based GW observatories such as LISA, TianQin and Taiji. As the most compact binaries, the formation and evolution of UCXBs remain highly uncertain. In this article, we review four classic formation channels: the white dwarf donor channel, the He star donor channel, the evolved main-sequence donor channel, and the accretion-induced collapse channel. We also discuss recent progress in these channels, covering evolutionary scenarios, the initial parameter space for UCXB formation, and associated objects. A comparison between observed UCXBs and theoretical expectations is provided, along with a discussion on the observed BH-UCXB candidates. The origin of UCXBs can be constrained by the chemical composition of mass-donors and their locations in diagrams of mass-transfer rate and X-ray luminosity versus orbital period. We also examine the implications of UCXBs for several astrophysical fields, including GW astronomy, multi-messenger astronomy, binary evolution, and NS physics under extreme conditions. Further progress will depend on multi-wavelength observations, the discovery of more UCXB samples, and more detailed theoretical simulations.

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arXiv2025

Irradiation-Driven Formation of Supersoft X-ray Sources Following Classical Novae

Supersoft X-ray sources (SSSs) are characterized by persistent thermonuclear burning on the surfaces of white dwarfs (WDs).The standard model requires high mass transfer rates of $\sim 10^{-7}\, {\rm M_{\odot}}\,yr^{-1}$ from massive companions, presenting a theoretical impediment to the observed short-period SSSs, whose orbital periods imply low-mass donors theoretically incapable of sustaining such accretion.To resolve this paradox,we propose and demonstrate through detailed simulations that irradiative feedback following a classical nova (CN) eruption provides a natural formation channel.Through detailed binary evolution simulations with MESA, we reveal that sustained WD irradiation initially from the outburst and subsequently from accretion luminosity triggers significant and stable expansion of the low mass companion.This,in turn,drives mass-transfer rates into the stable hydrogen-burning regime and sustains it beyond $10^4$ years after the initiation of hydrogen burning.This mechanism robustly explains the observed population of short-period SSSs. Moreover,when irradiation-driven mass transfer rate drops below the stable accretion rate,it may lead to the rapid accumulation of sufficient material on shorter time scales to trigger a recurrent nova outburst instead of SSS, thereby also offering an explanation for the origin of short-period recurrent novae.

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arXiv2025

The Formation of Electron-capture Supernovae: A Review

It is generally believed that the electron-capture reactions happen when the oxygen-neon (ONe) cores grow in masses close to the Chandrasekhar limit, leading to the formation of neutron stars (NSs) via electron-capture supernovae (EC-SNe). EC-SNe are predicted to be the most likely short-lived and faint optical transients, and a small ejecta mass is expected during the collapse. This kind of SNe provide an alternative channel for producing isolated NSs and NS systems, especially for the formation of X-ray binaries and double NSs. Although EC-SNe were proposed ~45 yr ago, there are still some uncertainties for the origin of EC-SNe. In this article, we review recent studies on the two classic progenitor channels of EC-SNe, i.e., the single star channel and the binary star channel. In the single star channel, EC-SNe can happen in super asymptotic giant branch stars or He stars, whereas in the binary star channel EC-SNe can occur in He stars in binaries (involving He star+MS systems and NS+He star systems) or accretion-induced collapse in white dwarf binaries (involving the single-degenerate scenario and the double-degenerate scenario). Recent progress on the two progenitor channels is discussed, including the initial parameter range for EC-SNe, the evolutionary paths to EC-SNe, related objects and some observational constraints, etc. We also make some discussions on the possible candidates for EC-SNe in this article, and the impacts of EC-SNe on some research fields, e.g., the properties of NSs, double NS population and chemical products, etc. We also discuss the differences between EC-SNe and ultra-stripped SNe in this article. Research on EC-SNe is at a pivotal stage, with key theoretical uncertainties and observational challenges requiring integrated modeling and multi-wavelength observations for robust identification.

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arXiv2025

Eclipsing millisecond pulsars with He star companions

Eclipsing millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are a type of pulsar binaries with close orbits ($\lesssim1.0\,$d). They are important objects for studying the accretion history of neutron stars (NSs), pulsar winds, and the origin of isolated MSPs, etc. Recently, a new eclipsing MSP, PSR J$1928+1815$, was discovered by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope. It is the first known pulsar with a He star companion, as suggested in Yang et al. The system features a short orbital period of $\sim0.15\,$d and a relatively massive companion $\gtrsim1.0\,M_\odot$. However, the origin of PSR J$1928+1815$ remains highly uncertain. In this paper, we investigated the formation of the new subclass of eclipsing MSPs containing (evolved) He star companions through NS + He star channel. We found that if a NS binary undergoes subsequent mass-transfer phases following Case BA or Case BB, it may appear as an eclipsing MSP during the detached phase. Additionally, we obtained the initial parameter space for producing eclipsing MSPs with He star companions. Using binary population synthesis approach, we estimated their birth rate to be $\sim2.1-4.7\times10^{-4}\rm\,yr^{-1}$, corresponding to a total number of $\sim55-150$ systems in the Galaxy. Moreover, we concluded that PSR J$1928+1815$ may originate from the evolution of an NS+He star system with an initial orbital period of $\sim0.1\,$d, which can undergo the Case BB mass transfer.

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arXiv2024

Ultraluminous X-ray sources with He star companions

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are non-nuclear point-like objects observed with extremely high X-ray luminosity that exceeds the Eddington limit of a $\rm10\,M_\odot$ black hole. A fraction of ULXs has been confirmed to contain neutron star (NS) accretors due to the discovery of their X-ray pulsations. The donors detected in NS ULXs are usually luminous massive stars because of the observational biases. Recently, the He donor star in NGC 247 ULX-1 has been identified, which is the first evidence of a He donor star in ULXs. In this paper, we employed the stellar evolution code MESA to investigate the formation of ULXs through the NS+He star channel, in which a He star transfers its He-rich material onto the surface of a NS via Roche-lobe overflow. We evolved a large number of NS+He star systems and provided the parameter space for the production of ULXs. We found that the initial NS+He star systems should have $\rm\sim 0.7-2.6 \, M_\odot$ He star and $\rm \sim 0.1-2500\, d$ orbital period for producing ULXs, eventually evolving into intermediate-mass binary pulsars. According to binary population synthesis calculations, we estimated that the Galactic rate of NS ULXs with He donor stars is in the range of $\sim1.6-4.0\times10^{-4}\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$, and that there exist $\sim7-20$ detectable NS ULXs with He donor stars in the Galaxy.

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arXiv2024

Formation of millisecond pulsars with wide orbits

Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are a kind of radio pulsars with short spin periods, playing a key role in many aspects of stellar astrophysics. In recent years, some more MSPs with wide orbits ($>30\,\rm d$) have been discovered, but their origin is still highly unclear. In the present work, according to an adiabatic power-law assumption for the mass-transfer process, we carried out a large number of complete binary evolution computations for the formation of MSPs with wide orbits through the iron core-collapse supernova (CCSN) channel, in which a neutron star (NS) originating from a CCSN accretes matter from a red-giant (RG) star and spun up to millisecond periods. We found that this channel can form the observed MSPs with wide orbits in the range of $30-1200\,{\rm d}$, in which the WD companions have masses in the range of $0.28-0.55\,\rm M_{\odot}$. We also found that almost all the observed MSPs can be reproduced by this channel in the WD companion mass versus orbital period diagram. We estimate that the Galactic numbers of the resulting MSPs from the CCSN channel are in the range of $\sim 4.8-8.5\times10^{5}$. Compared with the accretion-induced collapse channel, the CCSN channel provides a main way to produce MSPs with wide orbits.

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arXiv2023

The He star donor channel towards the black widow PSR J1953+1844

Black widows (BWs) are a type of eclipsing millisecond pulsars (MSPs) with low companion masses ($\lesssim0.05\,\rm M_\odot$) and tight orbits ($<1\,$d). PSR J1953+1844 is a BW with the shortest orbital period ($\sim53$ minutes) ever discovered, which was recently detected by Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope. Its companion mass is $\sim0.01\,\rm M_\odot$ according to its mass function, indicating that the companion may be a hydrogen-deficient star. However, the origin of PSR J1953+1844 is highly unclear. In this paper, we explored the origin of PSR J1953+1844 through the neutron star+He star channel, in which the system can experience ultracompact X-ray binary phase. We found that the He star donor channel can reproduce the characteristics of PSR J1953+1844, indicating that this work provides an alternative formation channel for this source. Meanwhile, the minimum orbital period of BWs formed by this channel is $\sim28$ minutes, corresponding to the companion mass of $0.058\,\rm M_\odot$. In addition, we note that even though PSR J1953+1844 has a short orbital period, it cannot be detected by the gravitational wave (GW) observatories like Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, TaiJi and TianQin. However, we still expect that the BWs with extremely tight orbit produced by this channel are the potential sources of future space-based GW observatories. Moreover, our simulations show that PSR J1953+1844 may eventually evolve into an isolated MSP.

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arXiv2023

Evolution of the post merger remnants from the coalescence of oxygen-neon and carbon-oxygen white dwarf pairs

Although multidimensional simulations have investigated the processes of double WD mergers, post-merger evolution only focused on the carbon-oxygen (CO) WD or helium (He) WD merger remnants. In this work, we investigate for the first time the evolution of the remnants stemmed from the merger of oxygen-neon (ONe) WDs with CO WDs. Our simulation results indicate that the merger remnants can evolve to hydrogen- and helium-deficient giants with maximum radius of about 300Rsun. Our models show evidence that merger remnants more massive than 1.95Msun can ignite Ne before significant mass-loss ensues, and they thus would become electron-capture supernovae (ECSNe). However, remnants with initial masses less than 1.90Msun will experience further core contraction and longer evolutionary time before reaching at the conditions for Ne-burning. Therefore their fates are more dependent on mass-loss rates due to stellar winds, and thus more uncertain. Relatively high mass-loss rates would cause such remnants to end their lives as ONe WDs. Our evolutionary models can naturally explain the observational properties of the double WD merger remnant IRAS 00500+6713 (J005311). As previously suggested in the literature, we propose and justify that J005311 may be the remnant from the coalescence of an ONe WD and an CO WD. We deduce that the final outcome of J005311 would be a massive ONe WD rather than a supernova explosion. Our investigations may be able to provide possible constraints on the wind mass-loss properties of the giants which have CO-dominant envelopes.

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arXiv2022

Formation of black widows through ultra-compact X-ray binaries with He star companions

Black widows (BWs) are a type of eclipsing millisecond pulsars (MSPs) with companion masses $M_2$ $\lesssim 0.05\,\rm M_\odot$, which can be used to study the accretion history and the radiation of pulsars, as well as the origin of isolated MSPs. Recent observations indicate that there are two sub-types of BWs. One is the BWs with $M_2$ $\sim$ $0.01-0.05\,\rm M_\odot$, whereas another with $M_2$ $\lesssim 0.01\,\rm M_\odot$. However, the origin of the latter is still highly uncertain. In this paper, we investigated the formation of BWs with $M_2$ $\lesssim 0.01\,\rm M_\odot$ through ultra-compact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) with He star companions, in which a neutron star (NS) accretes material from a He star through Roche-lobe overflow. By considering different He star masses and evaporation efficiencies with the stellar evolution code Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA), we evolved a series of NS+He star systems that can undergo UCXB stage. We found that this channel can explain the formation of BWs with $M_2$ $\lesssim 0.01\,\rm M_\odot$ within the Hubble time, especially three widely studied BWs, i.e. PSRs J1719-1438, J2322-2650 and J1311-3430. We also found that X-ray irradiation feedback does not affect the evolutionary tracks of evaporation process. Our simulations indicate that the UCXB channel with He star companions are the potential progenitors of isolated MSPs, and that the origin of BWs with $M_2$ $\lesssim 0.01\,\rm M_\odot$ is different with another sub-type of BWs. In addition, the present work suggests that the BWs with $M_2$ $\lesssim 0.01\,\rm M_\odot$ may not be produced by redback systems.

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arXiv2022

Mixing fraction in classical novae

Context. Classical novae are powered by thermonuclear runaways occurring on the surface of accreting white dwarfs (WDs). In the observations, the enrichments of heavy elements in nova ejecta have been detected, indicating a mixing process between the accreted matter and the matter from the outer layers of the underlying WDs prior to nova outbursts. However, the mixing fraction in classical novae is still uncertain. Aims. The purpose of this article is to investigate some elemental abundance ratios during nova outbursts that can be used to estimate the WD mixing fraction in classical novae. Methods. By considering different WD mixing fractions with the stellar evolution code Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA), we carried out a series of simulations of nova outbursts, in which the initial CO WD masses range from $0.7-1.0\,M_\odot$. Results. We identified four elemental abundance ratios (i.e. $\rm (H+He)/\sum CNO$, $\rm (H+He)/Ne$, $\rm \sum CNO/Mg,$ and $\rm \sum CNO/Si$) that satisfy the conditions for determining the WD mixing fraction, in which $\rm (H+He)/\sum CNO$ is the most suitable mixing meter. We also estimated the WD mixing fraction in some representative classical novae. Additionally, we found that a higher metallicity (i.e. higher WD mixing fraction) is preferentially accompanied by a longer $t_{\rm 2}$ (the time of decline by two magnitudes from peak luminosity) during nova outbursts. Our results can be used to constrain the mixing process in classical novae.

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arXiv2021

Ultra-compact X-ray binaries with He star companions

Ultra-compact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) are low-mass X-ray binaries with hydrogen-deficient mass-donors and ultra-short orbital periods. They have been suggested to be the potential Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) sources in the low-frequency region. Several channels for the formation of UCXBs have been proposed so far. In this article, we carried out a systematic study on the He star donor channel, in which a neutron star (NS) accretes matter from a He main-sequence star through Roche-lobe overflow, where the mass-transfer is driven by gravitational wave radiation. Firstly, we followed the long-term evolution of the NS+He main-sequence star binaries by employing the stellar evolution code Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics, and thereby obtained the initial parameter spaces for the production of UCXBs. We then used these results to perform a detailed binary population synthesis approach to obtain the Galactic rates of UCXBs through this channel. We estimate the Galactic rates of UCXBs appearing as LISA sources to be $\sim3.1-11.9\, \rm Myr^{-1}$ through this channel, and the number of such UCXB-LISA sources in the Galaxy can reach about $1-26$ calibrated by observations. The present work indicates that the He star donor channel may contribute significantly to the Galactic UCXB formation rate. We found that the evolutionary tracks of UCXBs through this channel can account for the location of the five transient sources with relatively long orbital periods quite well. We also found that such UCXBs can be identified by their locations in the mass-transfer rate versus the orbital period diagram.

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arXiv2021

Helium enrichment during classical nova outbursts

Nova outbursts play an important role in the chemical evolution of galaxies, especially they are the main source of synthetic $^{13}\rm C$, $^{15}\rm N$, $^{17}\rm O$ and some radioactive isotopes like $^{22}\rm Na$ and $^{26}\rm Al$. The enrichment of He in nova ejecta indicates that the accreted material may mix with the He-shell (He-mixing). The purpose of this work is to investigate how the He-mixing affects the nova outbursts in a systematic way. We evolved a series of accreting WD models, and found that the mass fraction of H and He in nova ejecta can be influenced by different He-mixing fractions significantly. We also found that both the nova cycle duration and ejected mass increase with the He-mixing fractions. Meanwhile, the nuclear energy production from $p$-$p$ chains decreases with the He-mixing fraction during the nova outbursts, whereas the CNO-cycle increases. The present work can reproduce the chemical abundances in the ejecta of some novae, such as GQ Mus, ASASSN-18fv, HR Del, T Aur and V443 Sct. This implies that the He-mixing process cannot be neglected when studying nova outbursts. This study also develops a He-mixing meter (i.e. $\rm He/H$) that can be used to estimate the He-mixing fraction in classical nova systems.

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arXiv2020

He-shell flashes on the surface of oxygen-neon white dwarfs

Accretion induced collapse (AIC) may be responsible for the formation of some interesting neutron star binaries, e.g., millisecond pulsars, intermediate-mass binary pulsars, etc. It has been suggested that oxygen-neon white dwarfs (ONe WDs) can increase their mass to the Chandrasekhar limit by multiple He-shell flashes, leading to AIC events. However, the properties of He-shell flashes on the surface of ONe WDs are still not well understood. In this article, we aim to study He-shell flashes on the surface of ONe WDs in a systematic approach. We investigated the long-term evolution of ONe WDs accreting He-rich material with various constant mass-accretion rates by time-dependent calculations with the stellar evolution code Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA), in which the initial ONe WD masses range from 1.1 to 1.35 M . We found that the mass-retention efficiency increases with the ONe WD mass and the mass-accretion rate, whereas both the nova cycle duration and the ignition mass decrease with the ONe WD mass and the mass-accretion rate. We also present the nuclear products in different accretion scenarios. The results presented in this article can be used in the future binary population synthesis studies of AIC events.

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