Rare star system This is the first time that a short-life binary consisting of a neutron star and a helium star has been detected. (Courtesy: Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of ...

The common envelope phase is a not-well-understood step in the complex chain of events in binary stars’ lifetimes. By generating artificial populations of stars in their model, Breivik said they can ...

The stars in a binary can vary widely in mass, size, and brightness, and their interactions often shape their evolution in dramatic ways. In some cases, the gravity from one star can drag material ...

A research team from China has apparently discovered for the first time a binary star system that was formed by a process in which one of the two was traveling inside the other.

Theory predicts that binary systems can experience a "common envelope" phase, in which one stellar object orbits within the outer layers of its companion. If the companion object in this evolutionary ...

You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you. More information: Z. L. Yang et al, A pulsar-helium star compact binary system formed by common envelope evolution, Science (2025).

But in common envelope evolution, “the companion star is so large that its outer layers engulf the neutron star as well,” Lorimer said. “This acts as a brake on the whole binary system.” ...

Astronomers have identified a rare type of binary star system containing a rapidly spinning millisecond pulsar and a helium star companion, formed via common envelope evolution. Although such ...

Theory predicts that binary systems can experience a common envelope phase, in which one stellar object orbits within the outer layers of its companion. If the companion object in this evolutionary ...