Model of wind accretion in extrinsic AGB stars under conservation of total angular momentum

Abstract

The equations of wind accretion and variation of orbital parameters are rederived under conservation of total (rather than tangential) angular momentum, and applied to extrinsic AGB stars. These equations, together with nucleosynthesis in intrinsic AGB stars, are used to calculate heavy element overabundance for the scenario of successive pulses and mixing. The results show that wind accretion pertains when the orbital period is longer than 1300 d or 1600 d according as the initial mass of the Ba star is 2.5 M ⊙ or 1.3 M ⊙, while cataclysmic variables will result if the period is shorter than 600 d in either case. The results are advantageous for interpreting a) the observations on the overabundance and orbital parameters, b) the observed lower limit of 600 d in the period of extrinsic S stars, and c) the observed fact that the mean eccentricity of Ba stars is greater than the mean eccentricities of extrinsic S stars and CH stars.