Abstract
From a search through the literature 174 close binaries with known absolute dimensions have been sampled. Distinction is made between systems before and after mass exchange. Mass, period and mass ratio distributions and relations of the group of ‘unevolved’ binaries (i.e., prior to mass exchange) are transformed into corresponding distributions and relations of evolved binaries. The transformations are based upon theM 1f=g(M 1f) relation derived from an extended set of published theoretical computations of the evolution of close binaries. From this relation the following characteristics of the system after mass exchange are computed:M 1f,M 2f (andq f),P f. Five different modes of mass transfer were applied for the computation of the values ofP f andM 2f. The variation of the period was calculated using the formalism given by Vanbeverenet al. (1979). The results are compared to the observations of binary systems after mass exchange, and are discussed together with an analysis of the effect of several selection effects present in the distributions. The main conclusion is that, during mass exchange in close binaries, more than 50% of the mass is lost to the system in the process of transfer, removing a large amount of angular momentum.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abt, H. A. and Levy, S. G.: 1976,Astrophys. J. Suppl. 30, 273.
Abt, H. A. and Levy, S. G.: 1978,Astrophys. J. Suppl. 36, 241.
Aitken, R. G.: 1964, inThe Binary Stars, Dover Publ., New York, ch. 5.
Batten, A. H.: 1970,Publ. Astron. Soc. Pacific 82, 574.
de Grève, J. P.: 1976, Ph. D. Thesis, V.U.B., Brussels.
de Grève, J. P., de Loore, C. and van Dessel, E. L., 1978,Astrophys. Space Sci. 53, 105.
Flower, J.: 1977,Astron. Astrophys. 54, 31.
Horn, J., Kříž, S. and Plavec, M.: 1969,Bull. Astron. Inst. Czech. 20, 193.
Iben, I.: 1967,Astrophys. J. 147, 650.
Lang, R.: 1974,Astrophysical Formulae, Springer Verlag, Berlin, p. 563.
Lequeux, J.: 1979,Astron. Astrophys. 71, 1.
Paczynski, B.: 1966,Acta Astron. 16, 231.
Paczynski, B.: 1971,Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 9, 183.
Pédoussant, A. and Ginestet, N.: 1971,Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. 4, 253.
Pédoussant, A. and Carquillat, J. M.: 1973,Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. 10, 105.
Pédoussant, A. and Nadal, R.: 1977,Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. 27, 55.
Plavec, M.: 1968,Astrophys. Space Sci. 1, 239.
Plavec, M.: 1973, in A. H. Batten (ed.),Extended Atmospheres and Circumstellar Matter in Spectroscopic Binary Systems, D. Reidel Publishing Co., Dordrecht, p. 216.
Thomas, H. C.: 1977,Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 15, 127.
Trimble, V.: 1974,Astron. J. 79, 967.
Trimble, V.: 1978,Observatory 98, 163.
van den Heuvel, E. P. J.: 1976 in P. Eggleton, S. Mitton and J. Whelan (eds.),Structure and Evolution of Close Binary Systems, D. Reidel Publishing Co., Dordrecht, p. 303.
Vanbeveren, D., de Grève, J. P., van Dessel, E. L. and de Loore, C.: 1979,Astron. Astrophys. 73, 19.
Vanbeveren, D. and de Grève, J. P.: 1979,Astron. Astrophys. 77, 295.
Vanbeveren, D. and de Loore, C.: 1979,Astron. Astrophys. (in press).
Webbink, R. F.: 1975, Ph. D. Thesis, Cambridge, England.
Ziolkowski, J.: 1970,Acta Astron. 20, 213.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research is supported by the National Foundation of Collective Fundamental Research of Belgium (F.K.F.O.) under No. 2.9009.79.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
De Grève, J.P., Vanbeveren, D. Close binary systems before and after mass transfer: A comparison of observations and theory. Astrophys Space Sci 68, 433–457 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00639709
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00639709