{"paper":{"title":"On the alpha formalism for the common envelope interaction","license":"http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/","headline":"","cross_cats":[],"primary_cat":"astro-ph.SR","authors_text":"Bill Paxton, Falk Herwig, Jean-Claude Passy, Maxwell Moe, Mordecai-Mark Mac Low, Orsola De Marco","submitted_at":"2010-10-21T05:42:15Z","abstract_excerpt":"The {\\alpha}-formalism is a common way to parametrize the common envelope interaction between a giant star and a more compact companion. The {\\alpha} parameter describes the fraction of orbital energy released by the companion that is available to eject the giant star's envelope. By using new, detailed stellar evolutionary calculations we derive a user-friendly prescription for the {\\lambda} parameter and an improved approximation for the envelope binding energy, thus revising the {\\alpha} equation. We then determine {\\alpha} both from simulations and observations in a self consistent manner. "},"claims":{"count":0,"items":[],"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"source":{"id":"1010.4374","kind":"arxiv","version":2},"verdict":{"id":null,"model_set":{},"created_at":null,"strongest_claim":"","one_line_summary":"","pipeline_version":null,"weakest_assumption":"","pith_extraction_headline":""},"references":{"count":0,"sample":[],"resolved_work":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57","internal_anchors":0},"formal_canon":{"evidence_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"author_claims":{"count":0,"strong_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"builder_version":"pith-number-builder-2026-05-17-v1"}