The Energy Sharing Timescale in an Analytic Framework for Common Envelope Hydrodynamics

We propose a new predictive theory for the analysis of common envelope (CE) events that incorporates the effects of relevant hydrodynamical processes into a simple analytical framework. We introduce the ejection and dynamical parameters ξ and β , which define whether envelope ejection is energetical...

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Main Authors: Rosa Wallace Everson, Morgan MacLeod, Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ada0ae
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author Rosa Wallace Everson
Morgan MacLeod
Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz
author_facet Rosa Wallace Everson
Morgan MacLeod
Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz
author_sort Rosa Wallace Everson
collection DOAJ
description We propose a new predictive theory for the analysis of common envelope (CE) events that incorporates the effects of relevant hydrodynamical processes into a simple analytical framework. We introduce the ejection and dynamical parameters ξ and β , which define whether envelope ejection is energetically or hydrodynamically favorable, respectively, during CE inspiral. When combined, these parameters offer a detailed narrative of how inspiral begins, proceeds, and ends that is consistent with preliminary comparisons to 3D hydrodynamical models. This physically motivated framework impacts predictions for CE outcomes, especially for systems that have energy excess, and offers promise as a potential alternative for the treatment of CEs in binary population synthesis.
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series The Astrophysical Journal Letters
spelling doaj-art-11e18adc6b214a698e16e6fa2d9497a22025-08-20T01:54:07ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052025-01-019791L1110.3847/2041-8213/ada0aeThe Energy Sharing Timescale in an Analytic Framework for Common Envelope HydrodynamicsRosa Wallace Everson0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5256-3620Morgan MacLeod1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1417-8024Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2558-3102Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics , University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA95064, USA ; rosa@ucsc.edu; Department of Physics and Astronomy , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 120 E. Cameron Ave., Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USAInstitute for Theory & Computation , Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA 02138, USADepartment of Astronomy & Astrophysics , University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA95064, USA ; rosa@ucsc.eduWe propose a new predictive theory for the analysis of common envelope (CE) events that incorporates the effects of relevant hydrodynamical processes into a simple analytical framework. We introduce the ejection and dynamical parameters ξ and β , which define whether envelope ejection is energetically or hydrodynamically favorable, respectively, during CE inspiral. When combined, these parameters offer a detailed narrative of how inspiral begins, proceeds, and ends that is consistent with preliminary comparisons to 3D hydrodynamical models. This physically motivated framework impacts predictions for CE outcomes, especially for systems that have energy excess, and offers promise as a potential alternative for the treatment of CEs in binary population synthesis.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ada0aeCommon envelope evolutionCommon envelope binary starsBinary starsInteracting binary starsStellar evolutionStellar mergers
spellingShingle Rosa Wallace Everson
Morgan MacLeod
Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz
The Energy Sharing Timescale in an Analytic Framework for Common Envelope Hydrodynamics
The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Common envelope evolution
Common envelope binary stars
Binary stars
Interacting binary stars
Stellar evolution
Stellar mergers
title The Energy Sharing Timescale in an Analytic Framework for Common Envelope Hydrodynamics
title_full The Energy Sharing Timescale in an Analytic Framework for Common Envelope Hydrodynamics
title_fullStr The Energy Sharing Timescale in an Analytic Framework for Common Envelope Hydrodynamics
title_full_unstemmed The Energy Sharing Timescale in an Analytic Framework for Common Envelope Hydrodynamics
title_short The Energy Sharing Timescale in an Analytic Framework for Common Envelope Hydrodynamics
title_sort energy sharing timescale in an analytic framework for common envelope hydrodynamics
topic Common envelope evolution
Common envelope binary stars
Binary stars
Interacting binary stars
Stellar evolution
Stellar mergers
url https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ada0ae
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