Ekman circulation and the synchronization of binary stars
Abstract
We show that large-scale flows driven by Ekman pumping in the spin-up/down of a tidally distorted star is not efficient enough to reduce the synchronization time. This latter time remains of the order of the viscous time, if the star is made of an incompressible viscous fluid. The computation of the synchronization time scale of early-type binaries should follow the approach proposed by Zahn and recently improved by Rocca, and Goldreich and Nicholson.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- June 1992
- Bibcode:
- 1992A&A...259..581R
- Keywords:
-
- Binary Stars;
- Ekman Layer;
- Hydrodynamics;
- Imaging Techniques;
- Stellar Rotation;
- Viscous Fluids;
- Angular Momentum;
- Incompressible Fluids;
- Rotating Fluids;
- Synchronism;
- Astrophysics