Dynamical Evolution of White Dwarfs in Triples in the Era of Gaia

Understand

The $Gaia$ mission has detected many white dwarfs (WDs) in binary and triple configurations, and while observations suggest that triple stellar systems are common in our Galaxy, not much attention was devoted to WDs in triples.

• For stability reasons, these triples must have hierarchical configurations, i.e., two stars are on a tight orbit (the inner binary), with the third companion on a wider orbit about the inner binary.
• In such a system, the two orbits torque each other via the eccentric Kozai-Lidov mechanism (EKL), which can alter the orbital configuration of the inner binary.
• We simulate thousands of triple stellar systems for over $10$ Gyr, tracking gravitational interactions, tides, general relativity, and stellar evolution up to their WD fate.