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R.E. Taam (Northwestern U.), G. Dubus (Caltech), H.C. Spruit (MPIfA)
Circumbinary disks have been proposed as an additional means by which angular momentum can be lost from a cataclysmic variable binary system. Provided that the mass input rate is sufficiently high, the evolution of the system can be significantly accelerated. The structure and evolution of such disks is investigated based on radiative/convective vertical structure models combined with time dependent radial diffusion models. The results of the numerical calculations will be presented and the possible observational consequences of such disks will be discussed.
This research is supported by NSF under grant AST-9727875, by NASA under grants NAG5-7007 and NAG5-70034, and by the European Commission under grant TMR grant ERBFMRX-CT98-0195.