Do R Coronae Borealis Stars Form from Double White Dwarf Mergers?

TL;DR

This study uses 3D hydrodynamic simulations to explore if double white dwarf mergers can produce the low 16O/18O ratios observed in R Coronae Borealis stars, supporting the merger scenario as a viable formation pathway.

Contribution

It demonstrates that white dwarf mergers can achieve low 16O/18O ratios over time, aligning with observations, and explores how initial conditions affect this process.

Findings

Simulations show potential for low 16O/18O ratios after merger.

Dredge-up of 16O from the accretor affects the ratio.

Time evolution can reduce the ratio to observed levels.

Abstract

A leading formation scenario for R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars invokes the merger of degenerate He and CO white dwarfs (WD) in a binary. The observed ratio of 16O/18O for RCB stars is in the range of 0.3-20 much smaller than the solar value of ~500. In this paper, we investigate whether such a low ratio can be obtained in simulations of the merger of a CO and a He white dwarf. We present the results of five 3-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of the merger of a double white dwarf system where the total mass is 0.9 Mdot and the initial mass ratio (q) varies between 0.5 and 0.99. We identify in simulations with $q\lesssim0.7$ a feature around the merged stars where the temperatures and densities are suitable for forming 18O. However, more 16O is being dredged-up from the C- and O-rich accretor during the merger than the amount of 18O that is produced. Therefore, on a dynamical time scale over which our hydrodynamics simulation runs, a 16O/18O ratio of ~2000 in the "best" case is found. If the conditions found in the hydrodynamic simulations persist for 10^6 seconds the oxygen ratio drops to 16 in one case studied, while in a hundred years it drops to ~4 in another case studied, consistent with the observed values in RCB stars. Therefore, the merger of two white dwarfs remains a strong candidate for the formation of these enigmatic stars.