The effect of evaporation on the formation and evolution of Huntsman systems
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Context. Huntsman systems are a recently identified and rare subclass of millisecond pulsar (MSP) binaries, which are characterized by a detached neutron star and an evolved giant companion on relatively wide orbits. Their formation has been proposed to involve red-bump-induced detachment, whereas the effect of MSP-driven evaporation during this evolutionary stage has not yet been quantitatively assessed. Aims. We quantify the effect of MSP-driven evaporation on the formation and evolution of Huntsman systems and assess its effects on their observable properties. Methods. We performed detailed binary evolution calculations including MSP-driven evaporation over a wide range of initial binary parameters and combined them with binary population synthesis to predict the observable population of Huntsman systems. Results. Huntsman systems primarily originate in binaries undergoing Case B mass transfer and red-bump-induced detachment, with initial donor masses of 1.0 − 2.5 M ⊙ and orbital periods above the bifurcation period. Evaporation has a secondary effect that slightly modifies the orbital evolution and duration of the detached phase, but does not significantly alter the formation parameter space or the expected population, which contains about ten Huntsman systems. We further show that evaporation can produce systematic shifts in the white dwarf mass-orbital period relation at the low-mass end, leading to systematically wider final orbits for a given white dwarf mass.
Source: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,865
OpenAlex ID: W7207876881