1999/06/28 by U. Kolb, Ulrich Kolb, I. Baraffe +1 · 10 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Brown dwarf #Cataclysmic variable star #Light curve #Period (music) #Physics #Rotation period #Stars #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Variable star #White dwarf #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.1999.02926.x
10 pages; accepted for publication in MNRAS
arxiv created 1999/06/28 · openalex publication_date 1999/11/11 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Using improved, up-to-date stellar input physics tested against observations of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, we calculate the secular evolution of low-mass donor cataclysmic variables (CVs), including those that form with a brown-dwarf donor. Our models confirm the mismatch between the calculated minimum period (Pmin≃70 min) and the observed short-period cut-off (≃80 min) in the CV period histogram. We find that tidal and rotational corrections applied to the one-dimensional stellar structure equations have no significant effect on the period minimum. Theoretical period distributions synthesized from our model sequences always show an accumulation of systems at the minimum period, a feature absent from the observed distribution. We suggest that non-magnetic CVs become unobservable as they are effectively trapped in permanent quiescence before they reach Pmin, and that small-number statistics may hide the period spike for magnetic CVs.