Dynamical Evolution of White Dwarfs in Triples in the Era of Gaia

Cheyanne Shariat; Smadar Naoz; Bradley M. S. Hansen; Isabel Angelo; Erez Michaely; Alexander P. Stephan

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/acf76b

The Astrophysical Journal Letters (Jan 2023)

Dynamical Evolution of White Dwarfs in Triples in the Era of Gaia

Cheyanne Shariat,
Smadar Naoz,
Bradley M. S. Hansen,
Isabel Angelo,
Erez Michaely,
Alexander P. Stephan

Affiliations

Cheyanne Shariat: ORCiD; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA ; [email protected]; Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California , Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Smadar Naoz: ORCiD; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA ; [email protected]; Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California , Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Bradley M. S. Hansen: ORCiD; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA ; [email protected]; Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California , Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Isabel Angelo: ORCiD; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA ; [email protected]; Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California , Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Erez Michaely: ORCiD; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA ; [email protected]; Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California , Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Alexander P. Stephan: ORCiD; Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University , 4055 McPherson Laboratory, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics, The Ohio State University , Columbus, OH 43210, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/acf76b
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 955, no. 1
p. L14

Abstract

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The Gaia mission has detected many white dwarfs (WDs) in binary and triple configurations, and while observations suggest that triple-stellar systems are common in our Galaxy, not much attention was devoted to WDs in triples. For stability reasons, these triples must have hierarchical configurations, i.e., two stars are on a tight orbit (the inner binary), with the third companion on a wider orbit about the inner binary. In such a system, the two orbits torque each other via the eccentric Kozai–Lidov mechanism, which can alter the orbital configuration of the inner binary. We simulate thousands of triple-stellar systems for over 10 Gyr, tracking gravitational interactions, tides, general relativity, and stellar evolution up to their WD fate. As demonstrated here, three-body dynamics coupled with stellar evolution is a critical channel to form tight WD binaries or merge a WD binary. Among these triples, we explore their manifestations as cataclysmic variables, Type Ia supernovae, and gravitational-wave events. The simulated systems are then compared to a sample of WD triples selected from the Gaia catalog. We find that including the effect of mass-loss-induced kicks is crucial for producing a distribution of the inner binary–tertiary separations that is consistent with Gaia observations. Lastly, we leverage this consistency to estimate that, at minimum, 30% of solar-type stars in the local 200 pc were born in triples.

Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters

ISSN: 2041-8205 (Print); 2041-8213 (Online)
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Astronomy: Astrophysics
Website: https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/2041-8205

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