On orbital circularization in detached close binaries

Abstract

The author discusses the orbital circularization process that is concomitant with the hydrodynamical spindown of the components in a detached close binary. This new mechanism explains quite naturally the orbital circularization that is observed in the close (and not so close) early-type binaries. Similarly, whereas the standard tidal-torque approach does not wholly account for orbital circularization in the late-type binaries, the new mechanism is in good agreement with the observations.