Zorotovic, M., Schreiber, Matthias R., Gänsicke, B. T. (Boris T.), Rebassa-Mansergas, A., Gomez-Moran, A. Nebot, Southworth, J. (John), Schwope, A. D. (Axel D.), Pyrzas, S., Rodríguez-Gil, P., Schmidtobreick, Linda, Schwarz, R. (Robert), Tappert, Claus, Toloza, Odette and Vogt, N. (2011) Post common envelope binaries from SDSS. Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol.536 . L3. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201117803 ISSN 0004-6361.

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Abstract

Context. Post-common-envelope binaries (PCEBs) consisting of a white dwarf (WD) and a main-sequence secondary star are ideal systems to constrain models of common-envelope (CE) evolution. Until very recently, observed samples of PCEBs have been too small to fully explore this potential, however the recently identified large and relatively homogenous sample of PCEBs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has significantly changed this situation.
Aims. We here analyze the orbital period distributions of PCEBs containing He- and C/O-core WDs separately and investigate whether the orbital period of PCEBs is related to the masses of their stellar components.
Methods. We performed standard statistical tests to compare the orbital period distributions and to determine the confidence levels of possible relations.
Results. The orbital periods of PCEBs containing He-core WDs are significantly shorter than those of PCEBs containing C/O-core WDs. While the He-core PCEB orbital period distribution has a median value of Porb ~ 0.28 d, the median orbital period for PCEBs containing C/O-core WDs is Porb ~ 0.57 d. We also find that systems containing more massive secondaries have longer post-CE orbital periods, in contradiction to recent predictions.
Conclusions. Our observational results provide new constraints on theories of CE evolution. However we suggest future binary population models to take selection effects into account that still affect the current observed PCEB sample.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Double stars, Low mass stars, White dwarf stars
Journal or Publication Title:	Astronomy & Astrophysics
Publisher:	EDP Sciences
ISSN:	0004-6361
Official Date:	December 2011
Dates:	Date Event December 2011 Published
Volume:	Vol.536
Number of Pages:	4
Page Range:	L3
DOI:	10.1051/0004-6361/201117803
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Funder:	Gemini Project, Chile. Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT), Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (Chile) (FONDECYT), European Southern Observatory (ESO), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Grant number:	32100026 (CONICYT), 32090027 (CONICYT), 1100782 (FONDECYT), 3110049 (FONDECYT), 536/33-1 ADS (DFG)

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