Merger of white dwarf-neutron star binaries: Prelude to hydrodynamic simulations in general relativity

Understand

White dwarf-neutron star binaries generate detectable gravitational radiation.

• We construct Newtonian equilibrium models of corotational white dwarf-neutron star (WDNS) binaries in circular orbit and find that these models terminate at the Roche limit.
• At this point the binary will undergo either stable mass transfer (SMT) and evolve on a secular time scale, or unstable mass transfer (UMT), which results in the tidal disruption of the WD.
• The path a given binary will follow depends primarily on its mass ratio.