The fate of MS-BD binaries Virtual Observatory Resource

Authors
  1. Chen Z.
  2. Jin H.
  3. Ge H.
  4. Yu C.
  5. Wang K.
  6. Chen D.
  7. Ma B.
  8. Published by
    CDS
Abstract

Understanding the survival and orbital evolution of brown dwarf (BD) companions during the post-main-sequence (MS) evolution of their host stars is increasingly important, especially with recent discoveries of many substellar companions around white dwarfs (WDs). We investigate the long-term evolution and final outcomes of BDs orbiting low-mass MS stars as these evolve into WDs. By comparing forward-modeling populations with observed WD-BD binaries, we test evolutionary models and predict the existence of yet-undetected systems. We employ the COMPAS binary population synthesis code to evolve observed MS-BD systems through the post-MS phases of their host stars into the WD stage, tracking orbital changes driven by mass loss, tides, and common-envelope (CE) evolution. Our simulations reproduce a period gap in the distribution of detached WD-BD binaries, consistent with observations. We also identify a boundary separating detached and semi-detached systems on the period-mass diagram, located at orbital periods of ~1-2 hours depending on the BD mass. We predict that a subset of currently known MS-BD binaries will survive post-MS evolution and emerge as detached WD-BD systems, while others will undergo CE evolution and potentially form cataclysmic variables with BD donors. Our results reproduce the observed period gap in WD-BD binaries and provide quantitative predictions for the role of CE efficiency in shaping their distribution. This work predicts that many WD-BD systems remain undetected, motivating targeted searches with microlensing and high-contrast imaging techniques using next-generation large telescopes.

Keywords
  1. eclipsing-binary-stars
  2. brown-dwarfs
  3. standard-stars
  4. stellar-masses
  5. orbits
  6. metallicity
  7. astronomical-reference-materials
Bibliographic source Bibcode
2026A&A...707A.312C
See also HTML
https://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/A+A/707/A312
IVOA Identifier IVOID
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/707/A312

Access

Web browser access HTML
https://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/A+A/707/A312
https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/A+A/707/A312
http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/A+A/707/A312
IVOA Table Access TAP
https://tapvizier.cds.unistra.fr/TAPVizieR/tap
Run SQL-like queries with TAP-enabled clients (e.g., TOPCAT).
IVOA Cone Search SCS
For use with a cone search client (e.g., TOPCAT).
https://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/conesearch/J/A+A/707/A312/msbd?
https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/conesearch/J/A+A/707/A312/msbd?
http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/conesearch/J/A+A/707/A312/msbd?

History

2026-03-16T10:35:14Z
Resource record created
2026-03-16T09:37:28Z
Updated
2026-03-16T10:35:14Z
Created

Contact

Name
CDS support team
Postal Address
CDS, Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11 rue de l'Universite, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
E-Mail
cds-question@unistra.fr