On the progenitors of AM CVn stars as LISA sources: the evolved donor star channel

TL;DR

This study models binary star evolution to identify potential AM CVn systems detectable by LISA, highlighting the evolved donor star channel as a significant formation pathway within 1 kpc.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed simulation-based analysis of the evolved donor star channel as a progenitor of LISA-detectable AM CVn stars, including birthrates and observable characteristics.

Findings

Progenitors are WD-MS binaries with specific donor masses and orbital periods.

Ten verification AM CVn sources can be reproduced by the model.

Estimated 340-810 AM CVn-LISA sources within 1 kpc.

Abstract

The space gravitational wave (GW) detector Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) that was planed to launch in the early 2030s is to detect the low-frequency GW signals in the Galaxy. AM CVn stars were generally thought to be important low-frequency GW sources. Employing the MESA code, in this work we calculate the evolution of a great number of binary systems consisting of a white dwarf (WD) and a main sequence (MS) star, and diagnose whether their descendants-AM CVn stars can be visible by the LISA. The simulated results show that the progenitors of these LISA sources within a distance of 1 kpc are WD-MS binaries with a donor star of $1.0-1.4~M_\odot$ (for initial WD mass of $0.5~M_\odot$) or $1.0-2.0~M_\odot$ (for initial WD mass of $0.7~M_\odot$), and an initial orbital period slightly smaller than the bifurcation period. Our simulations also indicate ten verification AM CVn sources can be reproduced by the standard magnetic braking model, and are potential LISA sources. Based on the birthrate of AM CVns simulated by the population synthesis, the birthrate of AM CVn-LISA sources evolving from the evolved donor star channel within a distance of 1 kpc can be estimated to be $(0.6-1.4)\times10^{-6}~\rm yr^{-1}$, and the predicted number of AM CVn-LISA sources is about $340-810$. Therefore, the evolved donor star channel play an important role in forming AM CVn-LISA sources in the Galaxy.