Transcript Mass Stealing in a Binary Star System

Mass Stealing in a Binary Star
System
Cassie Reuter
Equations for Mass Transfer
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Conservative mass
transfer occurs when
there is no mass loss
from the system
Using Kepler’s Third
Law, we find differential
equations for the
momentum
Spiraling In
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Mass is being transferred from the smaller
star to the larger star
If the velocity of the smaller star is only
changing according to Kepler’s laws, it
decreases while the potential due to gravity
increases, so the smaller star spirals in
Escaping the Binary Orbit
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Mass is still being transferred from the
smaller star to the larger star
If the velocity of the larger star is only
changing according to Kepler’s laws, while
the smaller star’s velocity increases
The smaller star’s velocity eventually
exceeds the escape velocity and the smaller
star leaves orbit