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A dense 0.1-solar-mass star in a 51-minute-orbital-period eclipsing binary.

Kevin B Burdge1,2, Kareem El-Badry3,4,5, Thomas R Marsh6

  • 1Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. kburdge@mit.edu.

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|October 5, 2022
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We discovered ZTF J1813+4251, a unique binary system with a 51-minute orbital period. This cataclysmic variable (CV) is a crucial missing link, evolving towards becoming a helium CV.

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Area of Science:

  • * Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • * Stellar Evolution
  • * Compact Binary Systems

Background:

  • * Cataclysmic variables (CVs) are binary systems with white dwarfs accreting from companion stars.
  • * Short orbital periods (<75 minutes) in CVs are rare and suggest evolved donor stars.
  • * Transitional CVs are hypothesized progenitors of helium CVs, but a gap exists for short-period systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To investigate the nature of ZTF J1813+4251, a newly discovered short-period eclipsing binary.
  • * To determine if this system represents a missing evolutionary link in CVs.
  • * To constrain the physical parameters of the binary components and their evolutionary path.

Main Methods:

  • * Phase-resolved spectroscopy to analyze spectral lines.
  • * Multi-band light curve photometry to study brightness variations.
  • * Broadband spectral energy distribution fitting for parameter estimation.
  • * Stellar evolutionary modeling to predict future evolution.

Main Results:

  • * ZTF J1813+4251 is a fully eclipsing binary with a 51-minute orbital period.
  • * The donor star is helium-rich, with solar-like temperature but 100x solar density.
  • * Precise constraints on masses, radii, and temperatures of both white dwarf and donor star were obtained.

Conclusions:

  • * ZTF J1813+4251 is a transitional CV destined to become a helium CV.
  • * It bridges the gap between hydrogen-rich CVs and short-period helium CVs.
  • * This discovery clarifies the evolutionary pathway for a significant population of helium CVs.