Triple Evolution Pathways to Black Hole Low-mass X-Ray Binaries: Insights from V404 Cygni
A recent discovery shows that V404 Cygni, a prototypical black hole low-mass X-ray binary (BH-LMXB) is a hierarchical triple: the BH and donor star are orbited by a 1.2 M _⊙ tertiary at a distance of at least 3500 au. Motivated by this system, we evolve a grid of ∼50,000 triple star systems, spannin...
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2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adbf01 |
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| author | Cheyanne Shariat Smadar Naoz Kareem El-Badry Kyle Akira Rocha Vicky Kalogera Alexander P. Stephan Kevin B. Burdge Isabel Angelo |
| author_facet | Cheyanne Shariat Smadar Naoz Kareem El-Badry Kyle Akira Rocha Vicky Kalogera Alexander P. Stephan Kevin B. Burdge Isabel Angelo |
| author_sort | Cheyanne Shariat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A recent discovery shows that V404 Cygni, a prototypical black hole low-mass X-ray binary (BH-LMXB) is a hierarchical triple: the BH and donor star are orbited by a 1.2 M _⊙ tertiary at a distance of at least 3500 au. Motivated by this system, we evolve a grid of ∼50,000 triple star systems, spanning a broad range of initial orbits. Our calculations employ MESA stellar evolution models, using POSYDON , and self-consistently track the effects of eccentric Kozai–Lidov (EKL) oscillations, mass loss, tides, and BH natal kicks. In our simulations, the progenitors of V404 Cygni-like systems have initial outer separations of 1000–10,000 au and inner separations of ∼100 au, such that they avoid Roche lobe overflow most of the time. Later on, EKL oscillations drive the inner binary to high eccentricities until tides shrink the orbit and mass transfer begins. Notably, such systems only form in simulations with very weak black hole natal kicks (≲5 km s ^−1 ) because stronger kicks unbind the tertiaries. Our simulations also predict a population of BH-LMXB triples that form via the classical common-envelope channel, when the BH progenitor does overflow its Roche lobe. The formation rate for this channel is also higher in triples than in isolated binaries because early EKL oscillations cause inner binaries with a wider range of initial separations to enter and survive a common envelope. Our calculations demonstrate that at least some stellar BHs form with extremely weak kicks, and that triple evolution is a significant formation channel for BH-LMXBs. |
| format | Article |
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| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-e60b48e364684c6fa160dd43d31dbb412025-08-20T02:16:06ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-01983211510.3847/1538-4357/adbf01Triple Evolution Pathways to Black Hole Low-mass X-Ray Binaries: Insights from V404 CygniCheyanne Shariat0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1247-9349Smadar Naoz1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9802-9279Kareem El-Badry2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6871-1752Kyle Akira Rocha3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4474-6528Vicky Kalogera4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9236-5469Alexander P. Stephan5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8220-0548Kevin B. Burdge6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7226-836XIsabel Angelo7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9751-2664Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology , 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA ; cshariat@caltech.edu; Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA , Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics, UCLA , Los Angeles, CA 90095, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA , Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics, UCLA , Los Angeles, CA 90095, USADepartment of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology , 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA ; cshariat@caltech.eduDepartment of Physics & Astronomy, Northwestern University , 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) , 1800 Sherman, Evanston, IL 60201, USADepartment of Physics & Astronomy, Northwestern University , 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) , 1800 Sherman, Evanston, IL 60201, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University , 1221 Stevenson Center Lane, Nashville, TN 37240, USADepartment of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 7 Cambridge, MA 02139, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA , Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics, UCLA , Los Angeles, CA 90095, USAA recent discovery shows that V404 Cygni, a prototypical black hole low-mass X-ray binary (BH-LMXB) is a hierarchical triple: the BH and donor star are orbited by a 1.2 M _⊙ tertiary at a distance of at least 3500 au. Motivated by this system, we evolve a grid of ∼50,000 triple star systems, spanning a broad range of initial orbits. Our calculations employ MESA stellar evolution models, using POSYDON , and self-consistently track the effects of eccentric Kozai–Lidov (EKL) oscillations, mass loss, tides, and BH natal kicks. In our simulations, the progenitors of V404 Cygni-like systems have initial outer separations of 1000–10,000 au and inner separations of ∼100 au, such that they avoid Roche lobe overflow most of the time. Later on, EKL oscillations drive the inner binary to high eccentricities until tides shrink the orbit and mass transfer begins. Notably, such systems only form in simulations with very weak black hole natal kicks (≲5 km s ^−1 ) because stronger kicks unbind the tertiaries. Our simulations also predict a population of BH-LMXB triples that form via the classical common-envelope channel, when the BH progenitor does overflow its Roche lobe. The formation rate for this channel is also higher in triples than in isolated binaries because early EKL oscillations cause inner binaries with a wider range of initial separations to enter and survive a common envelope. Our calculations demonstrate that at least some stellar BHs form with extremely weak kicks, and that triple evolution is a significant formation channel for BH-LMXBs.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adbf01Black holesBinary starsTrinary stars |
| spellingShingle | Cheyanne Shariat Smadar Naoz Kareem El-Badry Kyle Akira Rocha Vicky Kalogera Alexander P. Stephan Kevin B. Burdge Isabel Angelo Triple Evolution Pathways to Black Hole Low-mass X-Ray Binaries: Insights from V404 Cygni The Astrophysical Journal Black holes Binary stars Trinary stars |
| title | Triple Evolution Pathways to Black Hole Low-mass X-Ray Binaries: Insights from V404 Cygni |
| title_full | Triple Evolution Pathways to Black Hole Low-mass X-Ray Binaries: Insights from V404 Cygni |
| title_fullStr | Triple Evolution Pathways to Black Hole Low-mass X-Ray Binaries: Insights from V404 Cygni |
| title_full_unstemmed | Triple Evolution Pathways to Black Hole Low-mass X-Ray Binaries: Insights from V404 Cygni |
| title_short | Triple Evolution Pathways to Black Hole Low-mass X-Ray Binaries: Insights from V404 Cygni |
| title_sort | triple evolution pathways to black hole low mass x ray binaries insights from v404 cygni |
| topic | Black holes Binary stars Trinary stars |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adbf01 |
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