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The Evolution of Contact Binaries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 August 2015

F. Van'T Veer*
Affiliation:
Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, Paris, France

Abstract

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Asymmetric light curves and period changes of contact binaries can be explained by large-scale prominence activity. From the mass outflow accompanying this activity the mean lifetime of a contact binary is estimated as 5 × 107 yr. From the lifetimes of contact binaries and normal solar type dwarfs on the one hand and the proportion of the former among the latter in equal volumes of space on the other hand, it is concluded that (almost) all solar type dwarfs were contact binaries at the beginning of their main sequence life.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1976 

References

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