Bimodal Brightness Oscillations in Models of Young Binary Systems

TL;DR

This study models brightness oscillations in young binary star systems, revealing bimodal patterns influenced by orbital eccentricity and inclination, which can explain observed cyclic activity in UX Ori stars.

Contribution

It introduces hydrodynamic models showing how orbital eccentricity and inclination cause bimodal brightness oscillations in young binaries, aiding interpretation of UX Ori star variability.

Findings

Bimodal oscillations occur in eccentric binaries with similar mass components.

Oscillation periods and amplitudes depend on orbital inclination and orientation.

Computed light curves can explain cyclic activity observed in UX Ori stars.

Abstract

We consider a model for the cyclic activity of young binary stars that accrete matter from the remnants of a protostellar cloud. If the orbit of such a binary system is inclined at a small angle to the line of sight, then the streams of matter and the density waves excited in the circumbinary disk can screen the primary component of the binary from the observer. To study these phenomena by the SPH (smoothed particle hydrodynamics) method, we have computed grids of hydrodynamic models for binary systems based on which we have constructed the light curves as a function of the orbital phase.The main emphasis is on investigating the properties of the brightness oscillations. Therefore, the model parameters were varied within the following ranges: the component mass ratio q = M2 : M1 = 0.2 - 0.5 and the eccentricity e = 0 - 0.7. The parameter that defined the binary viscosity was also varied. We adopted optical grain characteristics typical of circumstellar dust. Our computations have shown that bimodal oscillations are excited in binaries with eccentric orbits, provided that the binary components do not differ too much in mass. In this case, the ratios of the periods and amplitudes of the bimodal oscillations and their shape depend strongly on the inclination of the binary plane and its orientation relative to the observer. Our analysis shows that the computed light curves can be used in interpreting the cyclic activity of UX Ori stars.