Evolution of intermediate-mass X-ray binaries driven by magnetic braking of Ap/Bp stars: I. ultracompact X-ray binaries

TL;DR

This paper proposes an alternative evolutionary pathway for ultracompact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) involving magnetic braking of Ap/Bp stars, which can explain observed long-period UCXBs and their high mass-transfer rates.

Contribution

It introduces a new evolutionary channel driven by magnetic braking of intermediate-mass Ap/Bp stars, supported by MESA simulations, expanding understanding of UCXB formation.

Findings

Magnetic braking can drive IMXBs to ultra-short periods of 11 minutes.

The model explains the formation of 7-8 observed UCXBs with different wind-driving efficiencies.

The UCXB phase lasts over 2 Gyr, allowing many systems to be observable.

Abstract

It is generally believed that Ultracompact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) evolved from binaries consisting of a neutron star accreting from a low-mass white dwarf or helium star where mass transfer is driven by gravitational radiation. However, the standard white-dwarf evolutionary channel cannot produce the relatively long-period ($40 - 60$\,min) UCXBs with high time-averaged mass-transfer rate. In this work, we explore an alternative evolutionary route toward UCXBs where the companions evolve from intermediate-mass Ap/Bp stars with an anomalously strong magnetic field ($100 - 10000$\,G). Including the magnetic braking caused by the coupling between the magnetic field and an irradiation-driven wind induced by the X-ray flux from the accreting component, we show that intermediate-mass X-ray binaries (IMXBs) can evolve into UCXBs. Using the \emph{MESA} code, we have calculated evolutionary sequences for a large number of IMXBs. The simulated results indicate that, for a small wind-driving efficiency $f=10^{-5}$, the anomalous magnetic braking can drive IMXBs to an ultra-short period of 11 min. Comparing our simulated results with the observed parameters of fifteen identified UCXBs, the anomalous magnetic braking evolutionary channel can account for the formation of seven and eight sources with $f=10^{-3}$, and $10^{-5}$, respectively. In particular, a relatively large value of $f$ can fit three of the long-period, persistent sources with high mass-transfer rate. Though the proportion of Ap/Bp stars in intermediate-mass stars is only 5\%, the lifetime of the UCXB phase is $\gtrsim$ 2 Gyr, producing a relatively high number of observable systems, making this an alternative evolutionary channel for the formation of UCXBs.