Mass transfer stability for AM CVn binaries with white dwarf donors

TL;DR

This paper revises the stability criteria for mass transfer in double white dwarf binaries with Helium donors, incorporating temperature effects, which suggests that such systems are more stable and less likely to merge than previously estimated.

Contribution

It introduces a temperature-dependent stability criterion for mass transfer in DWDBs, improving upon the cold, degenerate assumptions of prior models.

Findings

Mass transfer stability is higher with hot, partially degenerate donors.

DWDB mergers are rarer than previously estimated.

Realistic temperature effects increase the predicted number of stable AM CVn systems.

Abstract

Double white dwarf binaries (DWDBs) with Helium components are progenitors to AM CVn binary systems. Their Galactic production rate may be given by the number of stably mass transferring DWDBs in the Milky Way. The theoretical criteria for stable mass transfer in DWDBs is calculated assuming that component white dwarfs are completely cold and degenerate. Respective fractions of surviving AM CVn and DWDB which merge are then calculated by applying this criteria to population synthesis estimates for Galactic DWDB. However, emerging observations of the local DWDB population suggest that Helium white dwarf (He WD) components are typically hot, and only partially degenerate when they begin mass transferring. Using recent numerical simulations of He WD donors in DWDBs, we qualitatively describe a temperature dependent stable mass transfer criteria for Galactic DWDBs. Mass transfer is even more stable than previously thought, or equivalently, DWDB mergers are even rarer. Realistic finite temperature treatments will deepen the dearth in observed AM CVn binaries compared to DWDB merger products.