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Compact binaries, hypernovae, and GRBs

Davies, Melvyn B LU and Levan, Andrew (2010) In New Astronomy Reviews 54(3-6). p.181-182
Abstract
The collapse of a massive stellar core may lead to the production of a black hole surrounded by a torus of material. Such a system is a potential source for the so-called long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). A torus will form around the black hole if the infalling material contains sufficient angular momentum. This however requires that the core of the massive star rotates extremely rapidly prior to collapse. Here we explore whether tidal locking within binaries can spin stars up sufficiently. We show that the binaries are required to have separations <= 3-4 R-circle dot, hence the massive star would have lost its outer envelope (for example in a common envelope phase). In addition, the companions to the massive stars must themselves be... (More)
The collapse of a massive stellar core may lead to the production of a black hole surrounded by a torus of material. Such a system is a potential source for the so-called long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). A torus will form around the black hole if the infalling material contains sufficient angular momentum. This however requires that the core of the massive star rotates extremely rapidly prior to collapse. Here we explore whether tidal locking within binaries can spin stars up sufficiently. We show that the binaries are required to have separations <= 3-4 R-circle dot, hence the massive star would have lost its outer envelope (for example in a common envelope phase). In addition, the companions to the massive stars must themselves be compact. Comparison with observed tight binaries, which contain either two neutron stars or a neutron star and a white dwarf, shows that angular momentum is likely to have played an important role during the core collapse of the secondary in about half the systems, including the recently-discovered neutron star binary J0737-3039. Even if these systems failed to produce a GRB, as they do not contain a black hole, they are relevant to the problem of GRB production as a very similar evolutionary pathway (but with a slightly more massive helium star core) may well produce a GRB. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
New Astronomy Reviews
volume
54
issue
3-6
pages
181 - 182
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000285567700028
  • scopus:78649661580
ISSN
1872-9630
DOI
10.1016/j.newar.2010.09.004
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5fd4b4c3-4db6-43c2-bbc7-5162a9630282 (old id 1815194)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 09:48:50
date last changed
2024-01-06 00:32:14
@article{5fd4b4c3-4db6-43c2-bbc7-5162a9630282,
  abstract     = {{The collapse of a massive stellar core may lead to the production of a black hole surrounded by a torus of material. Such a system is a potential source for the so-called long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). A torus will form around the black hole if the infalling material contains sufficient angular momentum. This however requires that the core of the massive star rotates extremely rapidly prior to collapse. Here we explore whether tidal locking within binaries can spin stars up sufficiently. We show that the binaries are required to have separations &lt;= 3-4 R-circle dot, hence the massive star would have lost its outer envelope (for example in a common envelope phase). In addition, the companions to the massive stars must themselves be compact. Comparison with observed tight binaries, which contain either two neutron stars or a neutron star and a white dwarf, shows that angular momentum is likely to have played an important role during the core collapse of the secondary in about half the systems, including the recently-discovered neutron star binary J0737-3039. Even if these systems failed to produce a GRB, as they do not contain a black hole, they are relevant to the problem of GRB production as a very similar evolutionary pathway (but with a slightly more massive helium star core) may well produce a GRB. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Davies, Melvyn B and Levan, Andrew}},
  issn         = {{1872-9630}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3-6}},
  pages        = {{181--182}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{New Astronomy Reviews}},
  title        = {{Compact binaries, hypernovae, and GRBs}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.newar.2010.09.004}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.newar.2010.09.004}},
  volume       = {{54}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}