Ealeal Bear

Transient outburst events from tidally disrupted asteroids near white dwarfs

Abstract We discuss the possibility of observing the transient formation event of an accretion disk from the tidal destruction process of an asteroid near a white dwarf (WD). This scenario is commonly proposed as the explanation for dusty disks around WDs. We find that the initial formation phase lasts for about a month and material that ends in a close orbit near the WD forms a gaseous disk rather than a dusty disk. The mass and size of this gaseous accretion disk is very similar to that of Dwarf Novae (DNe) in quiescence. The bolometric luminosity of the event at maximum is estimated to be ∼ 0.001 – 0.1 L ⊙ . Based on the similarity with DNe we expect that transient outburst events such as discussed here will be observed at wavelengths ranging from visible to the X-ray, and be detected by present and future surveys.

A tidally destructed massive planet as the progenitor of the two light planets around the sdB star KIC 05807616

We propose that the two newly detected Earth-size planets around the hot B subdwarf star KIC 05807616 are remnant of the tidally destructed metallic core of a massive planet. A single massive gas-giant planet was spiralling-in inside the envelope of the red giant branch star progenitor of the extreme horizontal branch (EHB) star KIC 05807616. The released gravitational energy unbound most of the stellar envelope, turning it into an EHB star. The massive planet reached the tidal-destruction radius of ~1 R ? from the core, where the planets gaseous envelope was tidally removed. In our scenario, the metallic core of the massive planet was tidally destructed into several Earth-like bodies immediately after the gaseous envelope of the planet was removed. Two, and possibly more, Earth-size fragments survived at orbital separations of 1 R ? within the gaseous disk. The bodies interact with the disk and among themselves, and migrated to reach orbits close to a 3:2 resonance. These observed planets can have a planetary magnetic field about 10 times as strong as that of Earth. This strong magnetic field can substantially reduce the evaporation rate from the planets and explain their survivability against the strong UV radiation of the EHB star.

First- versus second-generation planet formation in post-common envelope binary (PCEB) planetary systems

We examine planets orbiting post-common envelope binaries (PCEBs) from the perspective of angular momentum evolution, and conclude that the planets are more likely to be first generation (FG) planets than second generation (SG) planets. FG planets were born together with the parent stars, while SG planets form later from a SG proto-planetary disk formed by mass-loss from the evolved primary star during its red giant branch (RGB) phase or asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. We find that in some systems the SG scenario requires that more than twenty percent of the SG proto-planetary disk mass ends in planets. Although we cannot rule out SG planet formation in these systems, this fraction of mass that ends in planets is much higher than the value commonly used in planet formation theories. On the other hand, we find that for each of the systems we can build a progenitor system composed of a main-sequence binary system orbited by the appropriate planets. This can be done if the secondary star was in a resonance with the inner planet. To account for the progenitor properties we suggest that in cases where the secondary star has a mass of ~ 0.1-0.2Msun, it was formed in the same way planets are formed, i.e., from a disk.

Connecting planets around horizontal branch stars with known exoplanets

We study the distribution of exoplanets around main-sequence stars and apply our results to the binary model for the formation of extreme horizontal branch (EHB; sdO; sdB; hot subdwarfs) stars. By binary model we refer both to stellar and substellar companions that enhance the mass-loss rate, where substellar companions stand for both massive planets and brown dwarfs. We conclude that sdB (EHB) stars are prime targets for planet searches. We reach this conclusion by noticing that the bimodal distribution of planets around stars with respect to the parameter M p a 2 is most prominent for stars in the mass range 1 M ⊙ ≲ M star ≲ 1.5 M ⊙ , where a is the orbital separation, M star is the stellar mass and M p the planet mass. This is also the mass range of the progenitors of EHB stars that are formed through the interaction of their progenitors with planets (assuming the EHB formation mechanism is the binary model). In the binary model for the formation of EHB stars interaction with a binary companion or a substellar object (a planet or a brown dwarf), causes the progenitor to lose most of its envelope mass during its red giant branch (RGB) phase. As a result of that the descendant HB star is hot, i.e. an EHB (sdB) star. The bimodal distribution suggests that even if the close-in planet that formed the EHB star did not survive its RGB common envelope evolution, one planet or more might survive at a ≳ 1 au. Also, if a planet or more are observed at a ≳ 1 au, it is possible that a closer massive planet did survive the common envelope phase, and it is orbiting the EHB with an orbital period of hours to days.

Mergerburst transients of brown dwarfs with exoplanets

We explore the properties of an optical transient event formed by the destruction of a planet by a brown dwarf (BD) – a BD–planet mergerburst. When a massive planet approaches a BD towards a merging process it will be tidally destroyed and will form an accretion disc around the BD. The viscosity in the disc sets the characteristic time for the event – several days. We suggest that BD–planet mergerburst events have light curves resembling those of other intermediate luminosity optical transient events, such as V838 Mon, but at shorter time-scales and lower luminosities. With the high percentage coverage of the sky, we expect that such events will be detected in the near future.

Spinning-up the envelope before entering a common envelope phase

Abstract We calculate the orbital evolution of binary systems where the primary star is an evolved red giant branch (RGB) star, while the secondary star is a low-mass main sequence (MS) star or a brown dwarf. The evolution starts with a tidal interaction that causes the secondary to spiral-in. Than either a common envelope (CE) is formed in a very short time, or alternatively the system reaches synchronization and the spiraling-in process substantially slows down. Some of the latter systems later enter a CE phase. We find that for a large range of system parameters, binary systems reach stable synchronized orbits before the onset of a CE phase. Such stable synchronized orbits allow the RGB star to lose mass prior to the onset of the CE phase. Even after the secondary enters the giant envelope, the rotational velocity is high enough to cause an enhanced mass-loss rate. Our results imply that it is crucial to include the pre-CE evolution when studying the outcome of the CE phase. We find that many more systems survive the CE phase than would be the case if these preceding spin-up and mass-loss phases had not been taken into account. Although we have made the calculations for RGB stars, the results have implications for other evolved stars that interact with close companions.

Planetary influences on photometric variations of the extreme helium subdwarf KIC 10449976

We propose that the unstable 3.9days photometric periodicity of the hot subdwarf (sdO) KIC10449976 results from a tidally locked planet that is heated to 5000K by the UV radiation from the hot sdO star. Although the bolometric radiation from the planet is very small relative to that of the star, in the visible band the planet contributes 0.07% of the light, sufficient to explain the observed periodic behavior. In our proposed scenario the stochastic variations in period and light amplitude are attributed to weather on the planet. Namely, streams on the surface and thermal variations in the planets atmosphere that are driven by the heating and by the planet rotation lead to stochastic changes in the amount of radiation emitted by the planets. We predict that a careful monitoring will reveal a gas giant planet at an orbital separation of 8.3Rsun from KIC10449976.

Neutron Star Natal Kick and Jets in Core Collapse Supernovae

We measure the angle between the neutron star (NS) natal kick direction and the inferred direction of jets according to the morphology of 12 core collapse supernova remnants (SNR), and find that the distribution is almost random, but missing small angles. The 12 SNRs are those for which we could both identify morphological features that we can attribute to jets and for which the direction of the NS natal kick is given in the literature. Unlike some claims for spin-kick alignment, here we rule out jet-kick alignment. We discuss the cumulative distribution function of the jet-kick angles under the assumption that dense clumps that are ejected by the explosion accelerate the NS by the gravitational attraction, and suggest that the jet feedback explosion mechanism might in principle account for the distribution of jet-kick angles.

Explaining the morphology of supernova remnant (SNR) 1987A with the jittering jets explosion mechanism

We find that the remnant of supernova (SN) 1987A share some morphological features with four supernova remnants (SNRs) that have signatures of shaping by jets, and from that we strengthen the claim that jets played a crucial role in the explosion of SN 1987A. Some of the morphological features appear also in planetary nebulae where jets are observed. The clumpy ejecta bring us to support the claim that the jittering jets explosion mechanism can account for the structure of the remnant of SN 1987A, i.e., SNR 1987A. We conduct a preliminary attempt to quantify the fluctuations in the angular momentum of the mass that is accreted on to the newly born neutron star via an accretion disk or belt. The accretion disk/belt launches the jets that explode core collapse supernovae (CCSNe). The relaxation time of the accretion disk/belt is comparable to the duration of a typical jet-launching episode in the jittering jets explosion mechanism, and hence the disk/belt has no time to relax. We suggest that this might explain unequal two opposite jets that later lead to unequal sides of the elongated structures in SNR of CCSNe. We reiterate our earlier call for a paradigm shift from neutrino-driven explosion to a jet-driven explosion of CCSNe.

Forming H-shaped and barrel-shaped nebulae with interacting jets

We conduct three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of two opposite jets launched from a binary stellar system into a previously ejected shell and show that the interaction can form barrel-like and H-like shapes in the descendant nebula. Such features are observed in planetary nebulae and supernova remnants. Under our assumption the dense shell is formed by a short instability phase of the giant star as it interacts with a stellar companion, and the jets are then launched by the companion as it accretes mass through an accretion disk from the giant star. We find that the H-shaped and barrel-shaped morphological features that the jets form evolve with time, and that there are complicated flow patterns, such as vortices, instabilities, and caps moving ahead along the symmetry axis. We compare our numerical results with images of 12 planetary nebulae, and show that jet-shell interaction that we simulate can account for the barrel-like or H-like morphologies that are observed in these PNe.