{
  "abstract": "We present an analytical stationary isentropic solution of the spherically symmetric Euler equations in the gravitational field of a star using an equation of state of ionizable monatomic gas. The solution consists of a fully ionized hydrostatic inner region, followed by a thick hydrostatic recombination region where the density decreases by orders of magnitude, the radius increases by about an order of magnitude, and the temperature decreases by a factor of 2. Within this recombination region, a large portion of the recombination energy is used for lifting the gas subsonically. This region ends at a critical point, located roughly at 10−100 au, where the gas is mostly recombined, beyond which it flows supersonically as a wind. We find the position and the quantities of the gas at the critical point and derive the mass-loss rate of the solution. We apply our solution to evolved stars, with a compact core surrounded by a high-entropy envelope. We derive the mass-loss rate as a function of time. As the star is losing mass, it goes through a sequence of our solutions, in a runaway manner which ends once most of the high-entropy envelope is lost. Recombination-driven winds are initiated once the star expands to a radius of about 1 au M / M ⊙ and are terminated on a timescale of 10 ¹ –10 ⁴ yr. We discuss the implications for common envelope evolution.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "The Hebrew University of Jerusalem",
    "California Institute of Technology"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ilan Strusberg",
      "orcid": "0009-0003-6466-3583"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Re’em Sari",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1084-3656"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jim Fuller",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4544-0750"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2wz455d018qz8.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3847/2041-8213/aeb001",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "2wz455d018qz8",
  "issns": [
    "2041-8205",
    "2041-8213"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aeb001",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3103|Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7165635351",
  "pdf_url": "https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aeb001/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-23",
  "publisher": "American Astronomical Society",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2wz455d018qz8.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:13Z",
      "native_id": "10.3847/2041-8213/aeb001",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aeb001"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "openalex:3103|Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies",
      "subfield": "stellar"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Transonic Solutions for Recombination-driven Stellar Winds",
  "title_text": "Transonic Solutions for Recombination-driven Stellar Winds",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:13Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2wz455d018qz8",
  "venue": "The Astrophysical Journal Letters",
  "versions": []
}