Population synthesis of low-mass binaries with wind-accreting neutron stars
Abstract
We perform population synthesis modeling of neutron star binary systems containing a low-mass main-sequence companion underfilling its Roche lobe. About 105 such systems are expected to exist in the Milky Way. In the majority of such systems, NSs are expected to start accreting the stellar wind matter within a few Gyr, resulting in the appearance of a dim X-ray source. The exact value of this fraction mainly depends on the efficiency of the propeller spin-down, properties of the stellar wind, and common envelope efficiency. Mostly, NSs in such systems are formed in electron capture supernovae. Thus, they obtain a low natal kick. Due to this, the center-of-mass velocities of such binaries are low, too. Only in the case of high common envelope efficiency (αCE≳ 3), a few tens of long-lived high-velocity binaries can be produced in core-collapse supernovae.
Related
- Accreting Neutron Stars in Low-Mass X-ray Binaries
- Evolution of Massive Main-Sequence Stars in Binary Population Synthesis. II. Consequences for Black Hole High-Mass X-ray Binaries and Binary Black Holes
- Transient discs around isolated accreting neutron stars
- The evolutionary history of ultra-compact accreting binaries. II. HST spectroscopy of two eclipsing AM CVn stars
- Neutron star-companion interaction in core-collapse supernovae. Population synthesis based on detailed binary evolution models
BibTeX
@misc{afonina2026population,
title = {{Population synthesis of low-mass binaries with wind-accreting neutron stars}},
author = {Marina Afonina and Sergei Popov},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.16782},
eprint = {2609.16782},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.16782},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Population synthesis of low-mass binaries with wind-accreting neutron stars
AU - Marina Afonina
AU - Sergei Popov
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/15
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.16782
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.16782
AB - We perform population synthesis modeling of neutron star binary systems containing a low-mass main-sequence companion underfilling its Roche lobe. About 10^5 such systems are expected to exist in the Milky Way. In the majority of such systems, NSs are expected to start accreting the stellar wind matter within a few Gyr, resulting in the appearance of a dim X-ray source. The exact value of this fraction mainly depends on the efficiency of the propeller spin-down, properties of the stellar wind, and common envelope efficiency. Mostly, NSs in such systems are formed in electron capture supernovae. Thus, they obtain a low natal kick. Due to this, the center-of-mass velocities of such binaries are low, too. Only in the case of high common envelope efficiency (α_CE≳ 3), a few tens of long-lived high-velocity binaries can be produced in core-collapse supernovae.
ER -