Neutron Star Kicks plus Rockets as a Mechanism for Forming Wide Low-eccentricity Neutron Star Binaries
Recent neutron star surface observations corroborate a long-standing theory that neutron stars may be accelerated over extended periods after their birth. We analyze how these prolonged rocket-like accelerations, combined with rapid birth kicks, impact binary orbits. We find that even a small contri...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad6e77 |
| _version_ | 1827131054838775808 |
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| author | Ryosuke Hirai Philipp Podsiadlowski Alexander Heger Hiroki Nagakura |
| author_facet | Ryosuke Hirai Philipp Podsiadlowski Alexander Heger Hiroki Nagakura |
| author_sort | Ryosuke Hirai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recent neutron star surface observations corroborate a long-standing theory that neutron stars may be accelerated over extended periods after their birth. We analyze how these prolonged rocket-like accelerations, combined with rapid birth kicks, impact binary orbits. We find that even a small contribution of rocket kicks combined with instantaneous natal kicks can allow binaries to reach period–eccentricity combinations unattainable in standard binary evolution models. We propose these kick + rocket combinations as a new channel to form wide low-eccentricity neutron star binaries such as Gaia NS1, as well as inducing stellar mergers months to years after a supernova to cause peculiar high-energy transients. |
| first_indexed | 2025-03-20T16:25:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e725ef363d184f1bbd25f53b51b162ab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-8205 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-20T16:25:59Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-e725ef363d184f1bbd25f53b51b162ab2024-08-30T13:05:25ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052024-01-019721L1810.3847/2041-8213/ad6e77Neutron Star Kicks plus Rockets as a Mechanism for Forming Wide Low-eccentricity Neutron Star BinariesRyosuke Hirai0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8032-8174Philipp Podsiadlowski1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8338-9677Alexander Heger2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3684-1325Hiroki Nagakura3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7205-6367Astrophysical Big Bang Laboratory (ABBL), Cluster for Pioneering Research , RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University , Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; OzGrav: The ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery , Clayton, VIC 3800, AustraliaUniversity of Oxford , St Edmund Hall, Oxford OX1 4AR, UKSchool of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University , Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, University of Bonn , Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn, GermanyDivision of Science, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan , 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, JapanRecent neutron star surface observations corroborate a long-standing theory that neutron stars may be accelerated over extended periods after their birth. We analyze how these prolonged rocket-like accelerations, combined with rapid birth kicks, impact binary orbits. We find that even a small contribution of rocket kicks combined with instantaneous natal kicks can allow binaries to reach period–eccentricity combinations unattainable in standard binary evolution models. We propose these kick + rocket combinations as a new channel to form wide low-eccentricity neutron star binaries such as Gaia NS1, as well as inducing stellar mergers months to years after a supernova to cause peculiar high-energy transients.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad6e77Neutron starsBinary starsCore-collapse supernovae |
| spellingShingle | Ryosuke Hirai Philipp Podsiadlowski Alexander Heger Hiroki Nagakura Neutron Star Kicks plus Rockets as a Mechanism for Forming Wide Low-eccentricity Neutron Star Binaries The Astrophysical Journal Letters Neutron stars Binary stars Core-collapse supernovae |
| title | Neutron Star Kicks plus Rockets as a Mechanism for Forming Wide Low-eccentricity Neutron Star Binaries |
| title_full | Neutron Star Kicks plus Rockets as a Mechanism for Forming Wide Low-eccentricity Neutron Star Binaries |
| title_fullStr | Neutron Star Kicks plus Rockets as a Mechanism for Forming Wide Low-eccentricity Neutron Star Binaries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neutron Star Kicks plus Rockets as a Mechanism for Forming Wide Low-eccentricity Neutron Star Binaries |
| title_short | Neutron Star Kicks plus Rockets as a Mechanism for Forming Wide Low-eccentricity Neutron Star Binaries |
| title_sort | neutron star kicks plus rockets as a mechanism for forming wide low eccentricity neutron star binaries |
| topic | Neutron stars Binary stars Core-collapse supernovae |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad6e77 |
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