Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Simulating The Common Envelope Phase Using Moving-Mesh Hydrodynamics, Logan James Prust

Theses and Dissertations

Common envelope evolution (CEE) is a phase in the evolution of a binary system where a giant star and a smaller companion share a gaseous envelope, and is responsible for the formation of many systems of astrophysical interest. Despite its importance, CEE is not well understood due to the diverse physics involved. Astronomers have roughly modeled CEE using conserved quantities such as energy, but progress has been limited by uncertainties in the contributions of various energy sources. Thus, 3-D numerical simulations must be brought to bear. Here two methodologies are commonly employed, each of which comes with its own set …