A population synthesis study of the Gaia 100 pc unresolved white dwarf-main-sequence binary population

Context. Binaries consisting of a white dwarf and a main-sequence star (WDMSs) are excellent tools for studying a wide variety of open problems in modern astronomy. However, due to selection effects, the currently known WDMS population is severely affected by observational biases. This is particular...

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Authors: Santos García, Alejandro|||0009-0004-2396-7174, Torres Gil, Santiago|||0000-0001-5777-5251, Rebassa Mansergas, Alberto|||0000-0002-6153-7173, Brown, Alex J.
Format: article
Publication Date:2025
Country:España
Institution:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repository:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/427448
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/427448
https://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202452989
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Binaries -- Close
Binaries -- Eclipsing
Binaries -- General
White dwarfs
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Física::Astronomia i astrofísica
id ES_abe418a84676dcffbad4e43d381b0310
oai_identifier_str oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/427448
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv A population synthesis study of the Gaia 100 pc unresolved white dwarf-main-sequence binary population
title A population synthesis study of the Gaia 100 pc unresolved white dwarf-main-sequence binary population
spellingShingle A population synthesis study of the Gaia 100 pc unresolved white dwarf-main-sequence binary population
Santos García, Alejandro|||0009-0004-2396-7174
Binaries -- Close
Binaries -- Eclipsing
Binaries -- General
White dwarfs
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Física::Astronomia i astrofísica
title_short A population synthesis study of the Gaia 100 pc unresolved white dwarf-main-sequence binary population
title_full A population synthesis study of the Gaia 100 pc unresolved white dwarf-main-sequence binary population
title_fullStr A population synthesis study of the Gaia 100 pc unresolved white dwarf-main-sequence binary population
title_full_unstemmed A population synthesis study of the Gaia 100 pc unresolved white dwarf-main-sequence binary population
title_sort A population synthesis study of the Gaia 100 pc unresolved white dwarf-main-sequence binary population
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Santos García, Alejandro|||0009-0004-2396-7174
Torres Gil, Santiago|||0000-0001-5777-5251
Rebassa Mansergas, Alberto|||0000-0002-6153-7173
Brown, Alex J.
author Santos García, Alejandro|||0009-0004-2396-7174
author_facet Santos García, Alejandro|||0009-0004-2396-7174
Torres Gil, Santiago|||0000-0001-5777-5251
Rebassa Mansergas, Alberto|||0000-0002-6153-7173
Brown, Alex J.
author_role author
author2 Torres Gil, Santiago|||0000-0001-5777-5251
Rebassa Mansergas, Alberto|||0000-0002-6153-7173
Brown, Alex J.
author2_role author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Binaries -- Close
Binaries -- Eclipsing
Binaries -- General
White dwarfs
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Física::Astronomia i astrofísica
topic Binaries -- Close
Binaries -- Eclipsing
Binaries -- General
White dwarfs
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Física::Astronomia i astrofísica
description Context. Binaries consisting of a white dwarf and a main-sequence star (WDMSs) are excellent tools for studying a wide variety of open problems in modern astronomy. However, due to selection effects, the currently known WDMS population is severely affected by observational biases. This is particularly the case for unresolved systems in which the main-sequence companions usually outshine the white dwarf components. Aims. This work aims to comprehensively simulate the population of unresolved WDMSs within 100 pc of the Sun and to compare the outcome with the currently most complete volume-limited sample available from Gaia data. By doing so, we seek to refine our understanding of WDMS formation and evolution and to test the theoretical models against the observed data. Methods. We employed a population synthesis code, MRBIN, extensively developed by our group and based on Monte Carlo techniques, which uses a standard binary stellar evolutionary code adapted to cover a wide range of stars across all ages, masses, and metallicities. Different physical processes such as mass transfer, common-envelope evolution, and tidal interactions are considered. Selection criteria matching those of Gaia observations were applied to generate synthetic populations comparable to the observed WDMS sample. Results. Our analysis provides overall fractions of single main-sequence stars, white dwarfs, and resolved and unresolved WDMS ratios in excellent agreement with observed values. The synthetic data accurately populate the expected regions in the Gaia colormagnitude diagram. However, simulations predict a lower number of extremely low-mass white dwarfs, suggesting potential issues in observed mass derivations. Additionally, our analysis constrains the common-envelope efficiency to 0.1–0.4, consistent with previous findings, and estimates a total completeness of about 25% for the observed sample, confirming the strong observational limitations for unresolved WDMSs. Conclusions. This work provides understanding into WDMS evolution and highlights limitations in observational detectability, underscoring the importance of fine-tuning parameters in binary evolution models for improving population synthesis studies.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2025-03-01
2025
2025-04-03
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv journal article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
VoR
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2117/427448
https://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202452989
url https://hdl.handle.net/2117/427448
https://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202452989
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Agencia Estatal de Investigación http://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2017-2020 PID2020-117252GB-I00 ENANAS BLANCAS, ESTRELLAS DE NEUTRONES Y AGUJEROS NEGROS - FISICA DE LAS ESTRELLAS COMPACTAS
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv EDP Sciences
publisher.none.fl_str_mv EDP Sciences
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
instname:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
instname_str Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
reponame_str UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
collection UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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spelling A population synthesis study of the Gaia 100 pc unresolved white dwarf-main-sequence binary populationSantos García, Alejandro|||0009-0004-2396-7174Torres Gil, Santiago|||0000-0001-5777-5251Rebassa Mansergas, Alberto|||0000-0002-6153-7173Brown, Alex J.Binaries -- CloseBinaries -- EclipsingBinaries -- GeneralWhite dwarfsÀrees temàtiques de la UPC::Física::Astronomia i astrofísicaContext. Binaries consisting of a white dwarf and a main-sequence star (WDMSs) are excellent tools for studying a wide variety of open problems in modern astronomy. However, due to selection effects, the currently known WDMS population is severely affected by observational biases. This is particularly the case for unresolved systems in which the main-sequence companions usually outshine the white dwarf components. Aims. This work aims to comprehensively simulate the population of unresolved WDMSs within 100 pc of the Sun and to compare the outcome with the currently most complete volume-limited sample available from Gaia data. By doing so, we seek to refine our understanding of WDMS formation and evolution and to test the theoretical models against the observed data. Methods. We employed a population synthesis code, MRBIN, extensively developed by our group and based on Monte Carlo techniques, which uses a standard binary stellar evolutionary code adapted to cover a wide range of stars across all ages, masses, and metallicities. Different physical processes such as mass transfer, common-envelope evolution, and tidal interactions are considered. Selection criteria matching those of Gaia observations were applied to generate synthetic populations comparable to the observed WDMS sample. Results. Our analysis provides overall fractions of single main-sequence stars, white dwarfs, and resolved and unresolved WDMS ratios in excellent agreement with observed values. The synthetic data accurately populate the expected regions in the Gaia colormagnitude diagram. However, simulations predict a lower number of extremely low-mass white dwarfs, suggesting potential issues in observed mass derivations. Additionally, our analysis constrains the common-envelope efficiency to 0.1–0.4, consistent with previous findings, and estimates a total completeness of about 25% for the observed sample, confirming the strong observational limitations for unresolved WDMSs. Conclusions. This work provides understanding into WDMS evolution and highlights limitations in observational detectability, underscoring the importance of fine-tuning parameters in binary evolution models for improving population synthesis studies.We acknowledge the positive and constructive suggestions and comments of our anonymous referee. This work was partially supported A161, page 10 of 14 Santos-García, A., et al.: A&A, 695, A161 (2025) by the MINECO grant PID2020-117252GB-I00 and the PhD grant PRE2021-100503 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and ESF+. This work has made use of data from the European Space Agency (ESA) mission Gaia (https://www.cosmos.esa.int/gaia), processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC, https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/dpac/consortium). Funding for the DPAC has been provided by national institutions, in particular the institutions participating in the Gaia Multilateral Agreement.Peer ReviewedEDP Sciences20252025-03-0120252025-04-03journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501VoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2117/427448https://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202452989reponame:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPCinstname:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)InglésengAgencia Estatal de Investigación http://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2017-2020 PID2020-117252GB-I00 ENANAS BLANCAS, ESTRELLAS DE NEUTRONES Y AGUJEROS NEGROS - FISICA DE LAS ESTRELLAS COMPACTASopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Attribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/4274482026-05-27T15:37:01Z
score 15,812429

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