Identification of the Long-Sought Common-Envelope Events

Common-envelope events (CEEs), during which two stars temporarily orbit within a shared envelope, are believed to be vital for the formation of a wide range of close binaries. For decades, the only evidence that CEEs actually occur has been indirect, based on the existence of systems that could not...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2013-01, Vol.339 (6118), p.433-435
Main Authors: Ivanova, N., Justham, S., Nandez, J. L. Avendano, Lombardi, J. C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astrophysics
Binary stars
Companion stars
Ejecta
Explosions
Light curves
Luminosity
Novae
Orbital decay
Outbursts
Physics
Primary stars
Sand sheets
Stars
Stars & galaxies
Stellar evolution
Stellar luminosities
Stellar masses
Stellar system evolution
Supernovae
Velocity
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Summary:Common-envelope events (CEEs), during which two stars temporarily orbit within a shared envelope, are believed to be vital for the formation of a wide range of close binaries. For decades, the only evidence that CEEs actually occur has been indirect, based on the existence of systems that could not be otherwise explained. Here we propose a direct observational signature of CEEs arising from a physical model where emission from matter ejected in a CEE is controlled by a recombination front as the matter cools. The natural range of time scales and energies from this model, as well as the expected colors, light-curve shapes, ejection velocities, and event rate, match those of a recently recognized class of red transient outbursts.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1225540