Case AD, AR, and AS binary evolution and their possible connections with W UMa binaries

Abstract

Close detached binaries were theoretically predicted to evolve into contact by three subtypes of case A binary evolution: case AD, AR, and AS, which correspond to the formation of contact during dynamic-, thermal-, and nuclear-timescale mass transfer phase, respectively. It is unclear, however, what is the difference between contact binaries in these subtypes, and whether all of these subtypes can account for the formation of observed W UMa binaries. Using Eggleton's stellar evolution code with the nonconservative assumption, I obtained the low-mass contact binaries produced by case AD, AR, and AS at the moment of contact, and their parameter spaces. The results support that the progenitors of low-mass contact binaries are detached binaries with orbital periods shorter than $\sim2-5\,$d, and their borderlines depend strongly on the primary mass. In addition, the period-colour relations for case AR and AS can be in better agreement with that for observed W UMa candidates, but case AD shows a significantly worse agreement. Moreover, case AR and AS can produce a short-period limit (corresponding to a low-mass limit) at almost any age, e.g. from young age ($\sim0.2\,$Gyr) to old age ($\sim13\,$Gyr), agreeing with observed W UMa binaries in star clusters, but no such limit occurs for case AD at any age. These results support that case AR and AS, as opposed to case AD, can lead to W UMa binaries (including young W UMa binaries).