Orbital evolution of close binary systems: comparing viscous and wind-driven circumbinary disc models

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Turpin, George, Nelson, Richard
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866909077372665856
author Turpin, George
Nelson, Richard
author_facet Turpin, George
Nelson, Richard
contents Previous work has shown that interactions between a central binary system and a circumbinary disc (CBD) can lead to the binary orbit either shrinking or expanding, depending on the properties of the disc. In this work, we perform two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of CBDs surrounding equal mass binary systems that are on fixed circular orbits, using the Athena++ code in Cartesian coordinates. Previous studies have focused on discs where viscosity drives angular momentum transport. The aim of this work is to examine how the evolution of a binary system changes when angular momentum is extracted from the disc by a magnetised wind. In this proof-of-concept study, we mimic the effects of a magnetic field by applying an external torque that results in a prescribed radial mass flux through the disc. For three different values of the radial mass flux, we compare how the binary system evolves when the disc is either viscous or wind-driven. In all cases considered, our simulations predict that the binary orbit should shrink faster by a factor of a few when surrounded by a wind-driven circumbinary disc compared to a corresponding viscous circumbinary disc. In-spiral timescales of $\sim 10^6$-$10^7$yr are obtained for circular binaries surrounded by CBDs with masses typical of protoplanetary discs, indicating that significant orbital shrinkage can occur through binary-disc interactions during Class I/II pre-main sequence phases.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2401_10808
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Orbital evolution of close binary systems: comparing viscous and wind-driven circumbinary disc models
Turpin, George
Nelson, Richard
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Previous work has shown that interactions between a central binary system and a circumbinary disc (CBD) can lead to the binary orbit either shrinking or expanding, depending on the properties of the disc. In this work, we perform two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of CBDs surrounding equal mass binary systems that are on fixed circular orbits, using the Athena++ code in Cartesian coordinates. Previous studies have focused on discs where viscosity drives angular momentum transport. The aim of this work is to examine how the evolution of a binary system changes when angular momentum is extracted from the disc by a magnetised wind. In this proof-of-concept study, we mimic the effects of a magnetic field by applying an external torque that results in a prescribed radial mass flux through the disc. For three different values of the radial mass flux, we compare how the binary system evolves when the disc is either viscous or wind-driven. In all cases considered, our simulations predict that the binary orbit should shrink faster by a factor of a few when surrounded by a wind-driven circumbinary disc compared to a corresponding viscous circumbinary disc. In-spiral timescales of $\sim 10^6$-$10^7$yr are obtained for circular binaries surrounded by CBDs with masses typical of protoplanetary discs, indicating that significant orbital shrinkage can occur through binary-disc interactions during Class I/II pre-main sequence phases.
title Orbital evolution of close binary systems: comparing viscous and wind-driven circumbinary disc models
topic Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.10808