
TL;DR
Symbiotic stars are binary systems with white dwarfs accreting from red giants, exhibiting diverse behaviors and evolving through complex processes, with recent discoveries revealing a larger, optically-quiet population and new physical phenomena.
Contribution
This paper provides a comprehensive review of symbiotic stars, highlighting their types, behaviors, and the latest understanding of their complex accretion and evolution processes.
Findings
Identification of a larger, optically-quiet symbiotic star population
Revelation of complex 3D geometries and shock phenomena in accretion flows
Unified evolution scheme connecting different symbiotic star types
Abstract
Any white dwarf or neutron star that accretes enough material from a red giant companion, such that this interaction can be detected at some wavelength, is currently termed Symbiotic Star (typical P(orb)=2-3 years). In the majority of ~400 known systems, the WD burns nuclearly at its surface the accreted material, and the resulting high temperature (T(eff)=10(^5)~K) and luminosity (L(hot)=10(^3)-10(^4) Lsun) allow ionization of a large fraction of the cool giant's wind, making such symbiotic stars easily recognizable through the whole Galaxy and across the Local Group. X-ray observations are now revealing the existence of a parallel (and larger ?) population of optically-quiet, accreting-only symbiotic stars. Accretion flows and disks, ionization fronts and shock, complex 3D geometries and new evolution channels are gaining relevance and are reshaping our understanding of symbiotic…
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