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Title: Accreting Binary Eccentricities Follow Predicted Equilibrium Values
Abstract We investigate observations of circumbinary disks (CBDs) to find evidence for an equilibrium eccentricity predicted by current binary accretion theory. Although stellar binary demographics in the Milky Way show no evidence for a preferred eccentricity for binary systems, we show that actively accreting systems lie on a predicted equilibrium eccentricity curve. We constrain our sample to only systems that have well-defined orbital parameters (e.g., eccentricity, mass ratio, inclination angle). We find observations are consistent with theory for stellar binaries that are aligned with the disk and that are separated enough that tidal circularization is negligible. This suggests that eccentricity in these systems evolves after the dissipation of the CBD, given the flat eccentricity distribution of binary systems in the Milky Way.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2206299
PAR ID:
10652695
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Publisher / Repository:
IOP Publishing
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The Astrophysical Journal
Volume:
982
Issue:
2
ISSN:
0004-637X
Page Range / eLocation ID:
113
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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