BibTeX

@article{2507.12639v1,
Author        = {Jessica Birky and Rory K. Barnes and James R. A. Davenport},
Title         = {Prospects of Constraining Equilibrium Tides in Low-Mass Binary Stars},
Eprint        = {2507.12639v1},
ArchivePrefix = {arXiv},
PrimaryClass  = {astro-ph.SR},
Abstract      = {The dynamical evolution of short-period low-mass binary stars (with mass $M <
1.5M_{\odot}$, from formation to the late main-sequence, and with orbital
periods less than $\sim$10 days) is strongly influenced by tidal dissipation.
This process drives orbital and rotational evolution that ultimately results in
circularized orbits and rotational frequencies synchronized with the orbital
frequency. Despite the fundamental role of tidal dissipation in binary
evolution, constraining its magnitude of (typically parameterized by the tidal
quality factor $\mathcal{Q}$) has remained discrepant by orders of magnitude in
the existing literature. Recent observational constraints from time-series
photometry (e.g., Kepler, K2, TESS), as well as advances in theoretical models
to incorporate a more realistic gravitational response within stellar
interiors, are invigorating new optimism for resolving this long-standing
problem. To investigate the prospects and limitations of constraining tidal
$\mathcal{Q}$, we use global sensitivity analysis and simulation based
inference to examine how the initial conditions and tidal $\mathcal{Q}$
influence the observable orbital and rotational states. Our results show that
even under the simplest and most tractable models of tides, the path towards
inferring $\mathcal{Q}$ from individual systems is severely hampered by
inherent degeneracies between tidal $\mathcal{Q}$ and the initial conditions,
even when considering the strongest possible constraints (i.e., binaries with
precise masses, ages, orbital periods, eccentricities, and rotation periods).
Finally as an alternative, we discuss how population synthesis approaches may
be a more promising path forward for validating tidal theories.},
Year          = {2025},
Month         = {Jul},
Url           = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2507.12639v1},
File          = {2507.12639v1.pdf}
}