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On the origin of red giant depletion through low-velocity collisions

Adams, Tim ; Davies, Melvyn B LU and Sills, Alison (2004) In Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 348(2). p.469-481
Abstract
We investigate a means of explaining the apparent paucity of red giantstars within post-core-collapse globular clusters. We propose thatcollisions between the red giants and binary systems can lead to thedestruction of some proportion of the red giant population, by eitherknocking out the core of the red giant or by forming a common envelopesystem which will lead to the dissipation of the red giant envelope.Treating the red giant as two point masses, one for the core and anotherfor the envelope (with an appropriate force law to take account of thedistribution of mass), and the components of the binary system alsotreated as point masses, we utilize a four-body code to calculate thetime-scales on which the collisions will occur. We then... (More)
We investigate a means of explaining the apparent paucity of red giantstars within post-core-collapse globular clusters. We propose thatcollisions between the red giants and binary systems can lead to thedestruction of some proportion of the red giant population, by eitherknocking out the core of the red giant or by forming a common envelopesystem which will lead to the dissipation of the red giant envelope.Treating the red giant as two point masses, one for the core and anotherfor the envelope (with an appropriate force law to take account of thedistribution of mass), and the components of the binary system alsotreated as point masses, we utilize a four-body code to calculate thetime-scales on which the collisions will occur. We then perform a seriesof smooth particle hydrodynamics runs to examine the details of masstransfer within the system. In addition, we show that collisions betweensingle stars and red giants lead to the formation of a common envelopesystem which will destroy the red giant star. We find that low-velocitycollision between binary systems and red giants can lead to thedestruction of up to 13 per cent of the red giant population. This couldhelp to explain the colour gradients observed in PCC globular clusters.We also find that there is the possibility that binary systems formedthrough both sorts of collision could eventually come into contactperhaps producing a population of cataclysmic variables. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
globular clusters: general, binaries: general, stellar dynamics, celestial mechanics
in
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
volume
348
issue
2
pages
469 - 481
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:1442359806
ISSN
1365-2966
DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07308.x
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
d024848b-7c64-440b-bd8b-9ac954a74180 (old id 129627)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 12:22:02
date last changed
2022-01-29 23:19:35
@article{d024848b-7c64-440b-bd8b-9ac954a74180,
  abstract     = {{We investigate a means of explaining the apparent paucity of red giantstars within post-core-collapse globular clusters. We propose thatcollisions between the red giants and binary systems can lead to thedestruction of some proportion of the red giant population, by eitherknocking out the core of the red giant or by forming a common envelopesystem which will lead to the dissipation of the red giant envelope.Treating the red giant as two point masses, one for the core and anotherfor the envelope (with an appropriate force law to take account of thedistribution of mass), and the components of the binary system alsotreated as point masses, we utilize a four-body code to calculate thetime-scales on which the collisions will occur. We then perform a seriesof smooth particle hydrodynamics runs to examine the details of masstransfer within the system. In addition, we show that collisions betweensingle stars and red giants lead to the formation of a common envelopesystem which will destroy the red giant star. We find that low-velocitycollision between binary systems and red giants can lead to thedestruction of up to 13 per cent of the red giant population. This couldhelp to explain the colour gradients observed in PCC globular clusters.We also find that there is the possibility that binary systems formedthrough both sorts of collision could eventually come into contactperhaps producing a population of cataclysmic variables.}},
  author       = {{Adams, Tim and Davies, Melvyn B and Sills, Alison}},
  issn         = {{1365-2966}},
  keywords     = {{globular clusters: general; binaries: general; stellar dynamics; celestial mechanics}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{469--481}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}},
  title        = {{On the origin of red giant depletion through low-velocity collisions}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5988598/624107.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07308.x}},
  volume       = {{348}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}