Seminar

On the Evolution of Asynchronous Binary Systems

By
Dr. Gloria Koenigsberger (Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
Date
seminar ICCUB
The standard scenario for the evolution of binary stars has remained in essence unchanged for nearly half a century. It is based on the assumption that the internal physical processes in binaries remain the same as in single stars until they reach the stage when the outer layers expand and fill the Roche Lobe. At this point, mass transfer occurs. The subsequent evolution is also modeled as if the star were single but now with properties that were modified by the mass transfer. This scenario neglects the short-timescale perturbations that arise when stellar rotation is asynchronous; i.e., when it's rotation rate differs from the orbital angular velocity or the binary has an eccentric orbit. In this talk I will revisit Kopal's (1969) considerations regarding the role of turbulent viscosity in stellar structure properties and speculate within this context on the potential consequences for the evolution of asynchronous binary systems.