2006/11/07 by Natalia Ivanova · 2 citations
Chemistry · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Angular momentum #Astronomy #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics #Binary number #Black hole (networking) #Chemistry #Classical mechanics #Computer science #Galaxy #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Low Mass #Main sequence #Mathematics #Physics #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Sequence (biology) #Stars #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/510672
published as Astrophys.J.653:L137-L140,2006 · 4 pages in emuapj style, 3 fugures, to appear in ApJL
arxiv created 2006/11/07 · openalex publication_date 2006/12/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
In this Letter we examine the idea that a subset of short-period black hole low-mass X-ray binaries could be powered by mass transfer from pre-main-sequence donors. As the star contracts toward the main sequence, the strong magnetic fields operate the magnetic braking, which dissipates the orbital angular momentum, driving the binary to contact. We show that the periods and apparent donor spectral classes of the X-ray binaries with a pre-main-sequence donor agree better with the available observations of black hole X-ray binaries than those of binaries with a main-sequence donor. This mechanism also explains, without the need for additional hypotheses, the roughly primordial abundance of Li detected in donor companions of black hole X-ray candidates in our Galaxy.