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Low-Mass X-ray Binaries

Planet formation can occur in radiation-driven low-mass X-ray binaries (RD-LMXBs) with evolutionary timescales [25] whose mass-loss rates are enhanced by X-ray irradiation [5,6,13,21] and that turn at a later stage into SVPs [5]. Again a circum-binary disk can form at large distance if a substantial fraction of the mass outflow is gravitationally bound. The mass-loss rates involved in this case are , and a small fraction of the mass loss of order needs to be trapped in the system depending on the chemical composition of the outflowing material. We ran several two-dimensional and preliminary three-dimensional SPH models of LMXB outflows (whose results are to be reported elsewhere; manuscript in preparation) and obtained the necessary f for a variety of orbital parameters, and . In this case, planet formation can proceed in a way similar to the mechanism suggested in [19], with the crucial difference of having much more angular momentum available. Only at distances from the central power source (now an X-ray source possibly screened by the accretion disk material) can the outflow material cool down to temperatures that allow grain and planetesimal formation. The irradiation-driven mass loss of RD-LMXBs is expected to be suddenly quenched after [6,21,25], and such systems can result in binaries consisting of spun-up millisecond pulsars with low-mass companions[5]. The binary then turns into an SVP if the pulsar is sufficiently powerful and the companion is relatively close, and the evolution described above can be applied for the later stages of binary evolution. We note that the planets formed during a previous RD-LMXB phase can survive the second SVP phase.



Leigh Brookshaw
Thu May 25 10:08:02 PDT 1995