Monte Carlo simulations of post-common-envelope white dwarf + main sequence binaries: The effects of including recombination energy

Abstract

Context. Detached white dwarf + main sequence (WD+MS) post-common-envelope binaries (PCEBs) are perhaps the most suitable objects for testing predictions of close-compact binary-star evolution theories, in particular, common-envelope (CE) evolution. Consequently, the population of WD+MS PCEBs has been simulated by several authors in the past and the predictions have been compared with the observations. However, most of those theoretical predictions did not take into account the possible contributions to the envelope ejection from additional sources of energy (mostly recombination energy) stored in the envelope.