Astron. Astrophys. 363, 657-659 (2000)

The eclipsing binary millisecond pulsar PSR B1744-24A - possible test for a magnetic braking mechanism

E. Ergma ¹ and M.J. Sarna <sup>2

1</sup> Tartu University, Physics Department, Ülikooli 18, 2400 Tartu, Estonia (ene@physic.ut.ee)
² Polish Academy of Sciences, N. Copernicus Astronomical Center, ul. Bartycka 18, 00-716 Warsaw, Poland (sarna@camk.edu.pl)

Received 16 June 2000 / Accepted 22 September 2000

Abstract

As presented by Nice et al. (2000), long-term timing of the eclipsing binary PSR B1744-24A shows that the orbital period of this system decreases with a time-scale of only 200 Myr. To explain the much faster orbital period decay than that predicted by only emission of the gravitational waves ( 1000 Myr) we propose that the orbital evolution of this system is also driven by magnetic braking. If magnetic braking is to explain the rapid decay of the orbit, then characterizing the effectiveness of the dynamo action in the stellar convection zone in the magnetic stellar wind formula must be equal to 1.

Key words: stars: binaries: close stars: binaries: general stars: mass-loss stars: pulsars: general stars: pulsars: individual: B1744-24A

Send offprint requests to: E. Ergma

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Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. General picture of low-mass binary system evolution
• 3. Model
• 4. Conclusion
• Acknowledgements
• References

© European Southern Observatory (ESO) 2000

Online publication: December 11, 2000
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