WIYN Open Cluster Study: Tidal Interactions in Solar type Binaries

Authors:
S. Meibom,
R. D. Mathieu

Comments: 7 pages, 3 figures, conference proceedings

We present an ongoing study on tidal interactions in late-type close binary
stars. New results on tidal circularization are combined with existing data to
test and constrain theoretical predictions of tidal circularization in the
pre-main-sequence (PMS) phase and throughout the main-sequence phase of stellar
evolution. Current data suggest that tidal circularization during the PMS phase
sets the tidal cutoff period for binary populations younger than ~1 Gyr. Binary
populations older than ~1 Gyr show increasing tidal cutoff periods with age,
consistent with active main-sequence tidal circularization.

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