Binary Star Evolution Modules in <tt>REBOUNDx</tt>

Abstract Close-binary evolution couples Roche lobe overflow (RLOF), common envelope (CE) drag, stellar winds, magnetic braking, and gravitational-wave losses, exchanging mass and angular momentum while reshaping orbits and spins. We present interoperable effects in the REBOUNDx extension to REBOUND that embed these processes within high-accuracy N -body dynamics. The suite includes: a momentum-conserving RLOF operator with conservative and systemic channels and configurable specific j loss ; a CE drag model based on Mach-dependent dynamical friction with kick limiting; isotropic Reimers winds, Parker-type thermal winds, and Eddington-limited outflows powered by a parametric stellar evolution module supplying mass-dependent R and L ; magnetic braking via the Verbunt–Zwaan/Kawaler torque with a saturation-aware closed-form spin update; and post-Newtonian corrections (2 PN point-mass and spin-spin; 2.5 PN radiation reaction). Linear momentum is conserved for conservative transfer, a minimal corrective torque enforces angular momentum consistency, and adaptive substepping stabilizes evolution near contact. Intermodule flags coordinate wind/RLOF/CE activity. The unit-agnostic framework enables self-consistent, time-resolved studies of close binaries in isolated or dynamically rich settings. Multiple examples and comparisons against other codes are provided in the appendices. The code is available at https://github.com/malidib/ReboundS .

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
The Astronomical Journal
Published
2026-04-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ae5533
Primary Topic
Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
Type
article
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article

Binary Star Evolution Modules in <tt>REBOUNDx</tt>

Mohamad Ali-Dib
The Astronomical Journal
Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
article

Binary Star Evolution Modules in <tt>REBOUNDx</tt>

Mohamad Ali-Dib
article en

Abstract

Abstract Close-binary evolution couples Roche lobe overflow (RLOF), common envelope (CE) drag, stellar winds, magnetic braking, and gravitational-wave losses, exchanging mass and angular momentum while reshaping orbits and spins. We present interoperable effects in the REBOUNDx extension to REBOUND that embed these processes within high-accuracy N -body dynamics. The suite includes: a momentum-conserving RLOF operator with conservative and systemic channels and configurable specific j loss ; a CE drag model based on Mach-dependent dynamical friction with kick limiting; isotropic Reimers winds, Parker-type thermal winds, and Eddington-limited outflows powered by a parametric stellar evolution module supplying mass-dependent R and L ; magnetic braking via the Verbunt–Zwaan/Kawaler torque with a saturation-aware closed-form spin update; and post-Newtonian corrections (2 PN point-mass and spin-spin; 2.5 PN radiation reaction). Linear momentum is conserved for conservative transfer, a minimal corrective torque enforces angular momentum consistency, and adaptive substepping stabilizes evolution near contact. Intermodule flags coordinate wind/RLOF/CE activity. The unit-agnostic framework enables self-consistent, time-resolved studies of close binaries in isolated or dynamically rich settings. Multiple examples and comparisons against other codes are provided in the appendices. The code is available at https://github.com/malidib/ReboundS .

The Astronomical JournalVol. 171(5)
Openalex Percentile: Top 17%
Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
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