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Zwicky Transient Facility and Globular Clusters: the Period–Luminosity and Period–Luminosity–Color Relations for Late-type Contact Binaries

In this work, we aimed to derive the gri-band period–luminosity (PL) and period–luminosity–color (PLC) relations for late-type contact binaries, for the first time, located in globular clusters, using the homogeneous light curves collected by the Zwicky Transient Factory (ZTF). We started with 79 contact binaries in 15 globular clusters, and retained 30 contact binaries in 10 globular clusters that have adequate numbers of data points in the ZTF light curves and are unaffected by blending. Magnitudes at mean and maximum light of these contact binaries were determined using a fourth-order Fourier expansion, while extinction corrections were done using the Bayerstar2019 3D reddening map together with adopting the homogeneous distances to their host globular clusters. After removing early-type and “anomaly” contact binaries, our derived gri-band PL and period–Wesenheit (PW) relations exhibited a much larger dispersion with large errors on the fitted coefficients. Nevertheless, the gr-band PL and PW relations based on this small sample of contact binaries in globular clusters were consistent with those based on a larger sample of nearby contact binaries. Good agreements of the PL and PW relations suggested both samples of contact binaries in the local Solar neighborhood and in the distant globular clusters can be combined and used to derive and calibrate the PL, PW, and PLC relations. The final derived gr-band PL, PW, and PLC relations were much improved over those based on the limited sample of contact binaries in the globular clusters.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

The Santa Barbara Binary-disk Code Comparison

We have performed numerical calculations of a binary interacting with a gas disk, using 11 different numerical methods and a standard binary-disk setup. The goal of this study is to determine whether all codes agree on a numerically converged solution and to determine the necessary resolution for convergence and the number of binary orbits that must be computed to reach an agreed-upon relaxed state of the binary-disk system. We find that all codes can agree on a converged solution (depending on the diagnostic being measured). The zone spacing required for most codes to reach a converged measurement of the torques applied to the binary by the disk is roughly 1% of the binary separation in the vicinity of the binary components. For our disk model to reach a relaxed state, codes must be run for at least 200 binary orbits, corresponding to about a viscous time for our parameters, 0.2(a 2 Ω B /v) is the kinematic viscosity. The largest discrepancies between codes resulted from the dimensionality of the setup (3D vs. 2D disks). We find good agreement in the total torque on the binary between codes, although the partition of this torque between the gravitational torque, orbital accretion torque, and spin accretion torque depends sensitively on the sink prescriptions employed. In agreement with previous studies, we find a modest difference in torques and accretion variability between 2D and 3D disk models. We find cavity precession rates to be appreciably faster in 3D than in 2D.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Binary Analysis with Architecture and Code Section Detection using Supervised Machine Learning

When presented with an unknown binary, which may or may not be complete, having the ability to determine information about it is critical to future reverse engineering, particularly in discovering the binary’s intended use and potentially malicious nature. This paper details techniques to both identify the machine architecture of the binary, as well as to locate the important code segments within the file. This identification of unknown binaries makes use of a technique called byte histogram in addition to various machine learning (ML) techniques, which we call “What is it Binary” or WiiBin. Benefits of byte histograms reflect the simplicity of calculation and do not rely on file headers or metadata, allowing for acceptable results when only a small portion of the original file is available. Utilizing WiiBin, we were able to accurately (>80%) determine the architecture of test binaries with as little as a 20% contagious portion of the file present. We were also able to determine the location of code sections within a binary by utilizing the WiiBin framework. Ultimately, the more information that can be gleaned from a binary file, the easier it is to successfully reverse engineer.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Magnetic braking saturates: evidence from the orbital period distribution of low-mass detached eclipsing binaries from ZTF

ABSTRACT We constrain the orbital period (Porb) distribution of low-mass detached main-sequence eclipsing binaries (EBs) with light-curves from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), which provides a well-understood selection function and sensitivity to faint stars. At short periods (Porb ≲ 2 d), binaries are predicted to evolve significantly due to magnetic braking (MB), which shrinks orbits and ultimately brings detached binaries into contact. The period distribution is thus a sensitive probe of MB. We find that the intrinsic period distribution of low-mass (0.1 ≲ M1/M⊙ < 0.9) binaries is basically flat (${\rm d}N/{\rm d}P_{\rm orb} \propto P_{\rm orb}^0$) from Porb = 10 d down to the contact limit. This is strongly inconsistent with predictions of classical MB models based on the Skumanich relation, which are widely used in binary evolution calculations and predict ${\rm d}N/{\rm d}P_{\rm orb} \propto P_{\rm orb}^{7/3}$ at short periods. The observed distributions are best reproduced by models in which the magnetic field saturates at short periods with a MB torque that scales roughly as $\dot{J}\propto P_{\rm orb}^{-1}$, as opposed to $\dot{J} \propto P_{\rm orb}^{-3}$ in the standard Skumanich law. We also find no significant difference between the period distributions of binaries containing fully and partially convective stars. Our results confirm that a saturated MB law, which was previously found to describe the spin-down of rapidly rotating isolated M dwarfs, also operates in tidally locked binaries. We advocate using saturated MB models in binary evolution calculations. Our work supports previous suggestions that MB in cataclysmic variables (CVs) is much weaker than assumed in the standard evolutionary model, unless mass transfer leads to significant additional angular momentum loss in CVs.

El-Badry, Kareem (ORCID:0000000268711752)↗

Relativistic gas accretion onto supermassive black hole binaries from inspiral through merger

Accreting supermassive black hole binaries are powerful multimessenger sources emitting both gravitational and electromagnetic (EM) radiation. Understanding the accretion dynamics of these systems and predicting their distinctive EM signals is crucial to informing and guiding upcoming efforts aimed at detecting gravitational waves produced by these binaries. To this end, accurate numerical modeling is required to describe both the spacetime and the magnetized gas around the black holes. In this paper, we present two key advances in this field of research. First, we have developed a novel 3D general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD) framework that combines multiple numerical codes to simulate the inspiral and merger of supermassive black hole binaries starting from realistic initial data and running all the way through merger. Throughout the evolution, we adopt a simple but functional prescription to account for gas cooling through photon emission. Next, we have applied our new computational method to follow the time evolution of a circular, equal-mass, nonspinning black hole binary for ∼200 orbits, starting from a separation of 20⁢𝑟 𝑔 and reaching the postmerger evolutionary stage of the system. We have shown how mass continues to flow toward the binary even after the binary “decouples” from its surrounding disk, but the accretion rate onto the black holes diminishes. We have identified how the minidisks orbiting each black hole are slowly drained and eventually dissolve as the binary compresses. We confirm previous findings that the system’s luminosity decreases by a factor of a few during inspiral; however, we observe an abrupt increase by ∼50% in this quantity at the time of merger, likely accompanied by an equally abrupt change in spectrum. Lastly, we have demonstrated that during the inspiral, fluid ram pressure regulates the fraction of the magnetic flux transported to the binary that attaches to the black holes’ horizons.

Accretion disk & black-hole plasma↗

Radial Profiles of the Binary Fraction in Elliptical Galaxies

The radial profile of the binary fraction may vary with environment and is of significant importance for studying the formation mechanisms of binary stars and their dynamical evolution within globular clusters and galaxies. However, existing studies remain limited to the Milky Way and its neighboring galaxies. Leveraging the method proposed by Zhang et al. for estimating the variation in the binary fraction from integrated spectral features, we analyze a sample of 513 elliptical galaxies drawn from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory survey to measure their radial binary fraction profiles. Our results show that after accounting for the effect induced by radial variations in the stellar population (SP), the median SP-subtracted binary fraction, $r^{\textrm{med}}_{\textrm{b,sub}}$, becomes approximately flat. For nearly all elliptical galaxies in our sample, the variation in the binary fraction relative to the galaxy center at 1R e is less than 5%. No clear correlation is found between the ​​​​​gradient of the binary fraction and the gradients of the SP properties. Moreover, we also compare differences between ultraviolet (UV) upturn and non-UV upturn galaxies. The overall binary fraction profiles and the SP properties of the non-UV upturn galaxies in our sample are comparable to those of the UV upturn galaxies. This similarity may arise from the presence of residual star formation in the non-UV upturn systems.

Li, Xiejin [Chinese Academy of Sciences; Universit↗

Search for High-energy Neutrino Emission from Galactic X-Ray Binaries with IceCube

We present the first comprehensive search for high-energy neutrino emission from high- and low-mass X-ray binaries conducted by IceCube. Galactic X-ray binaries are long-standing candidates for the source of Galactic hadronic cosmic rays and neutrinos. The compact object in these systems can be the site of cosmic-ray acceleration, and neutrinos can be produced by interactions of cosmic rays with radiation or gas, in the jet of a microquasar, in the stellar wind, or in the atmosphere of the companion star. We study X-ray binaries using 7.5 yr of IceCube data with three separate analyses. In the first, we search for periodic neutrino emission from 55 binaries in the Northern Sky with known orbital periods. In the second, the X-ray light curves of 102 binaries across the entire sky are used as templates to search for time-dependent neutrino emission. Finally, we search for time-integrated emission of neutrinos for a list of 4 notable binaries identified as microquasars. In the absence of a significant excess, we place upper limits on the neutrino flux for each hypothesis and compare our results with theoretical predictions for several binaries. In addition, we evaluate the sensitivity of the next generation neutrino telescope at the South Pole, IceCube-Gen2, and demonstrate its power to identify potential neutrino emission from these binary sources in the Galaxy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Evolution of Population III and Extremely Metal-poor Binary Stars

Numerical simulations have now shown that Population III (Pop III) stars can form in binaries and small clusters and that these stars can be in close proximity to each other. If so, they could be subject to binary interactions such as mass exchange that could profoundly alter their evolution, ionizing UV and Lyman–Werner photon emission and explosion yields, with important consequences for early cosmological reionization and chemical enrichment. Here we investigate the evolution of Pop III and extremely metal-poor binary stars with the MESA code. We find that interactions ranging from stable mass transfer to common envelope evolution can occur in these binaries for a wide range of mass ratios and initial separations. Mass transfer can nearly double UV photon yields in some of these binaries with respect to their individual stars by extending the life of the companion star, which in turn can enhance early cosmological reionization but also suppress the formation of later generations of primordial stars. Binary interactions can also have large effects on the nucleosynthetic yields of the stars by promoting or removing them into or out of mass ranges for specific SN types. We provide fits to total photon yields for the binaries in our study for use in cosmological simulations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Binary Stars in Upper Scorpius

To address the statistics of binary stars in the 8 Myr old Upper Scorpius (USco) star formation region, we conducted a speckle interferometric survey of 614 association members more massive than 0.4 M{sub ⊙} (spectral types earlier than M3V) based on the list of Luhman et al. (2018). We resolved 187 pairs, 55 of which are new discoveries. Also using the published data and the Gaia DR2, a catalog of 250 physical binaries was produced. We carefully estimated detection limits for each target and studied binary statistics in the separation range from 0.″06 to 20″ (9–2800 au), as well as clustering at larger separations. The frequency of companions with mass ratios q > 0.3 in this separation range is 0.33 ± 0.04 and 0.35 ± 0.04 for early M- and solar-type stars, respectively, larger by 1.62 ± 0.22 and 1.39 ± 0.18 times compared to field stars of similar masses. The excess is produced mostly by pairs closer than 100 au. At separations from 100 to 10{sup 4} au, the separation distribution and companion fraction resemble those of solar-type stars in the field. However, unlike in the field, we see a relative deficit of equal-mass binaries at separations of ∼500 au, compared to smaller and larger separations. The distribution of q depends on the separation, with a preference of larger q and a larger fraction of twins with q > 0.95 at smaller separations. The binary population of USco differs from binaries in the field in several ways and suggests that binary statistics is not universal.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Photometric Study and Absolute Parameter Estimation of Six Totally Eclipsing Contact Binaries

High precision CCD observations of six totally eclipsing contact binaries were presented and analyzed. It is found that only one target is an A-type contact binary (V429 Cam), while the others are W-type contact ones. By analyzing the times of light minima, we discovered that two of them exhibit secular period increase while three manifest long-term period decrease. For V1033 Her, a cyclic variation superimposed on the long-term increase was discovered. By comparing the Gaia distances with those calculated by the absolute parameters of 173 contact binaries, we found that the Gaia distance can be applied to estimate the absolute parameters for most contact binaries. The absolute parameters of our six targets were estimated using their Gaia distances. The evolutionary status of contact binaries was studied, and we found that the A- and W-subtype contact binaries may have different formation channels. The relationship between the spectroscopic and photometric mass ratios for 101 contact binaries was presented. It was discovered that the photometric mass ratios are in good agreement with the spectroscopic ones for almost all of the totally eclipsing systems, which is corresponding to the results derived by Pribulla et al. and Terrell & Wilson.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Geometric and thermodynamic characterization of binary neutron star accretion discs

Accretion disks formed in binary neutron star mergers play a central role in many astrophysical processes of interest, including the launching of relativistic jets or the ejection of neutron-rich matter hosting heavy element nucleosynthesis. In this work we analyze in detail the properties of accretion disks from 44 ab initio binary neutron star merger simulations for a large set of nuclear equations of state, binary mass ratios, and remnant fates, with the aim of furnishing reliable initial conditions for disk simulations and a comprehensive characterization of their properties. We find that the disks have a significant thermal support, with an aspect ratio decreasing with the mass ratio of the binary from ~0.7 to 0.3. Even if the disk sample spans a broad range in mass and angular momentum, their ratio is independent from the equation of state and from the mass ratio. This can be traced back to the rotational profile of the disk, characterized by a constant specific angular momentum (as opposed to a Keplerian one) of 3 – 5×10 16 cm 2 s –1 . The profiles of the entropy per baryon and of the electron fraction depend on the mass ratio of the binary. For more symmetric binaries, they follow a sigmoidal distribution as a function of the rest mass density, for which we provide a detailed description and a fit. Furthermore, the disk properties discussed in this work can be used as a robust set of initial conditions for future long-term simulations of accretion disks from binary neutron star mergers, posing the basis for progress in the quantitative study of the outflow properties.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Stellar Radial Velocities in the Old Open Cluster M67 (NGC 2682). II. The Spectroscopic Binary Population

We present and analyze 120 spectroscopic binary and triple cluster members of the old (4 Gyr) open cluster M67 (NGC 2682). As a cornerstone of stellar astrophysics, M67 is a key cluster in the WIYN Open Cluster Study (WOCS); radial-velocity (RV) observations of M67 are ongoing and extend back over 45 yr, incorporating data from seven different telescopes, and allowing us to detect binaries with orbital periods ≲10{sup 4} days. Our sample contains 1296 stars (604 cluster members) with magnitudes of 10 ≤ V ≤ 16.5 (about 1.3–0.7 M {sub ⊙}), from the giants down to ∼4 mag below the main-sequence turnoff, and extends in radius to 30′ (7.4 pc at a distance of 850 pc, or ∼7 core radii). This paper focuses primarily on the main-sequence binaries, but orbital solutions are also presented for red giants, yellow giants, and sub-subgiants. Out to our period detection limit and within our magnitude and spatial domain, we find a global main-sequence incompleteness-corrected binary fraction of 34% ± 3%, which rises to 70% ± 17% in the cluster center. We derive a tidal circularization period of P{sub circ}=11.0{sub −1.0}{sup +1.1} days. We also analyze the incompleteness-corrected distributions of binary orbital elements and masses. The period distribution rises toward longer periods. The eccentricity distribution, beyond P {sub circ}, is consistent with a uniform distribution. The mass-ratio distribution is also consistent with a uniform distribution. Overall, these M67 binaries are closely consistent with similar binaries in the galactic field, as well as with the old (7 Gyr) open cluster NGC 188. WOCS. 83.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Occurrence of Gravitational Collapse in the Accreting Neutron Stars of Binary-driven Hypernovae

The binary-driven hypernova (BdHN) model proposes long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) originate in binaries composed of a carbon–oxygen (CO) star and a neutron star (NS) companion. The CO core collapse generates a newborn NS and a supernova that triggers the GRB by accreting onto the NSs, rapidly transferring mass and angular momentum to them. This article aims to determine the conditions under which a black hole (BH) forms from NS collapse induced by the accretion and the impact on the GRB's observational properties and taxonomy. We perform three-dimensional, smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of BdHNe using up-to-date NS nuclear equations of state, with and without hyperons, and calculate the structure evolution in full general relativity. We assess the binary parameters leading either NS in the binary to the critical mass for gravitational collapse into a BH and its occurrence time, t col . We include a nonzero angular momentum of the NSs and find that t col ranges from a few tens of seconds to hours for decreasing NS initial angular momentum values. BdHNe I are the most compact (about 5 minute orbital period), promptly form a BH, and release ≳10 52 erg of energy. They form NS–BH binaries with tens of kiloyears merger timescales by gravitational-wave emission. BdHNe II and III do not form BHs, and release ~10 50 –10 52 erg and ≲10 50 erg of energy, respectively. They form NS–NS binaries with a range of merger timescales larger than for NS–BH binaries. In some compact BdHNe II, either NS can become supramassive, i.e., above the critical mass of a nonrotating NS. Magnetic braking by a 10 13 G field can delay BH formation, leading to BH–BH or NS–BH with tens of kiloyears merger timescales.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Statistics of Wide Pre-main-sequence Binaries in the Orion OB1 Association

Statistics of low-mass pre-main-sequence binaries in the Orion OB1 association with separations ranging from 0."6 to 20" (220 to 7400 au at 370 pc) are studied using images from the VISTA Orion mini survey and astrometry from Gaia. The input sample based on the CVSO catalog contains 1137 stars of K and M spectral types (masses between 0.3 and 0.9 M ⊙ ), 1021 of which are considered to be association members. There are 135 physical binary companions to these stars with mass ratios above ~0.13. The average companion fraction is 0.09 ± 0.01 over 1.2 decades in separation, slightly less than, but still consistent with, the field. We found a difference between the Ori OB1a and OB1b groups, the latter being richer in binaries by a factor of 1.6 ± 0.3. No overall dependence of the wide-binary frequency on the observed underlying stellar density is found, although in the Ori OB1a off-cloud population, these binaries seem to avoid dense clusters. The multiplicity rates in Ori OB1 and in sparse regions like Taurus differ significantly, hinting that binaries in the field may originate from a mixture of diverse populations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Destabilization of binary mixing layer in supercritical conditions

Compressible mixing layer instabilities are of importance to a wide range of environmental and industrial applications. Past studies have focused on either ideal-gas or real-fluid thermodynamic regimes of single-species mixing layers. However, mixing layers of binary mixtures at supercritical conditions, commonly encountered in fuel injection systems, introduce additional complexities due to the added compositional degree-of-freedom. Moreover, the effect of strong variations in thermodynamic response functions across the Widom line on the binary mixing layer stability remains poorly understood. Thus, the objective of this study is to examine the coupling between the hydrodynamic instability and the real-fluid thermodynamics across the Widom line and its effects on the overall binary mixing layer dynamics. To this end, we develop a linear stability analysis of the full binary-species compressible transport equations coupled with the PC-SAFT equation of state. Analysis shows the existence of a novel instability mechanism that arises from juxtapositioning of the Widom-line transition and the hydrodynamic inflection point. This novel thermodynamically induced instability mechanism has the net effect of destabilizing the binary mixing layer at lowering supercritical conditions towards the critical pressure point. This is in contrast to previous stability analyses of supercritical single-species mixing layers, where increasing pressure destabilizes the flow due to its effect on reducing the density stratification. The discovered thermodynamically induced instability mechanism of binary mixing flows highlights the need for an extension of classical instability criteria to incorporate the effect of strong variations in the thermodynamic response functions across the Widom line on mixing layer instability.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Gravitational waves from more attractive dark binaries

Abstract The detection of gravitational waves (GWs) has led to a deeper understanding of binaries of ordinary astrophysical objects, including neutron stars and black holes. In this work, we point out that binary systems may also exist in a dark sector with astrophysical-mass macroscopic dark matter. These “dark binaries”, when coupled to an additional attractive long-range dark force, may generate a stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) with a characteristic spectrum different from ordinary binaries. We find that the SGWB from planet-mass dark binaries is detectable by space- and ground-based GW observatories. The contribution to the SGWB today is smaller from binaries that merge before recombination than after, avoiding constraints on extra radiation degrees of freedom while potentially leaving a detectable GW signal at high frequencies up to tens of GHz.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Birth of a Be star: an APOGEE search for Be stars forming through binary mass transfer

ABSTRACT Motivated by recent suggestions that many Be stars form through binary mass transfer, we searched the APOGEE survey for Be stars with bloated, stripped companions. From a well-defined parent sample of 297 Be stars, we identified one mass-transfer binary, HD 15124. The object consists of a main-sequence Be star ($M_{\rm Be}=5.3\pm 0.6\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$) with a low-mass ($M_{\rm donor}=0.92\pm 0.22\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$), subgiant companion on a 5.47-d orbit. The emission lines originate in an accretion disc caused by ongoing mass transfer, not from a decretion disc as in classical Be stars. Both stars have surface abundances bearing imprint of CNO processing in the donor’s core: the surface helium fraction is YHe ≈ 0.6, and the nitrogen-to-carbon ratio is 1000 times the solar value. The system’s properties are well-matched by binary evolution models in which mass transfer begins while a $3-5\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ donor leaves the main sequence, with the originally less massive component becoming the Be star. These models predict that the system will soon become a detached Be + stripped star binary like HR 6819 and LB-1, with the stripped donor eventually contracting to become a core helium-burning sdO/B star. Discovery of one object in this short-lived (∼1 Myr) evolutionary phase implies the existence of many more that have already passed through it and are now Be + sdO/B binaries. We infer that $(10-60)\, {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of Be stars have stripped companions, most of which are $\sim 100\, \times$ fainter than the Be stars in the optical. Together with the dearth of main-sequence companions to Be stars and recent discovery of numerous Be + sdO/B binaries in the UV, our results imply that binarity plays an important role in the formation of Be stars.

El-Badry, Kareem (ORCID:0000000268711752)↗

Enhancement of double-close-binary quadruples

ABSTRACT Double-close-binary quadruples (2 + 2 systems) are hierarchical systems of four stars where two short-period binary systems move around their common centre of mass on a wider orbit. Using Gaia Early Data Release 3, we search for comoving pairs where both components are eclipsing binaries. We present eight 2 + 2 quadruple systems with inner orbital periods of <0.4 d and with outer separations of ≳1000 au. All of these systems but one are newly discovered by this work, and we catalogue their orbital information measured from their light curves. We find that the occurrence rate of 2 + 2 quadruples is 7.3 ± 2.6 times higher than what is expected from random pairings of field stars. At most a factor of ∼2 enhancement may be explained by the age and metallicity dependence of the eclipsing binary fraction in the field stellar population. The remaining factor of ∼3 represents a genuine enhancement of the production of short-period binaries in wide-separation (>103 au) pairs, suggesting a close-binary formation channel that may be enhanced by the presence of wide companions.

Fezenko, Gavin B. (ORCID:0000000217169430)↗