Are white dwarf magnetic fields in close binaries generated during common-envelope evolution?

Diogo Belloni; Matthias R. Schreiber

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Are white dwarf magnetic fields in close binaries generated during common-envelope evolution?

Diogo Belloni, Matthias R. Schreiber

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Submitted 18 Oct 2019

abstract compiled · 2026-09-23 · no language-model review

The authors' main claim We conclude that either the common-envelope dynamo scenario needs to be substantially revised or a different mechanism is responsible for the generation of strong WD magnetic fields in close binaries.

how it is stated · hedged possibility 0.68 read the record →

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arXiv ID1910.08582 (version 2)

Pith IDXLZTTLSR, Pith's permanent record of this paper and its review

CitationDiogo Belloni, Matthias R. Schreiber. "Are white dwarf magnetic fields in close binaries generated during common-envelope evolution?." arXiv:1910.08582 (2019). https://pith.science/paper/XLZTTLSR

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The compiled record

The paper's own sentences, arranged. Each label is drawn from a closed vocabulary; the number beside it is the probability the classifier gave that label. Numbers in the tables are the authors', checked by code. No sentence in this record was written by a model.

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Compiled by classifier-1.13.0 via TypeSafe API, question bank abstract-p1-20260923, 2026-09-23: 1 request, 5,019 input tokens.

What the abstract itself states, as probabilities: claims first 0.03 · states limitation 0.62 · human participants 0.01 · controlled comparison 0.10 · randomized assignment 0.01 · states quantitative result 0.12 · compares with prior results 0.63 · mentions code or data availability 0.02.

The abstract, sentence by sentence

arXiv listing abstract v2. Results and the main claim are underlined; show every role.

Understanding the origin of the magnetic fields in white dwarfs (WDs) has been a puzzle for decades. A scenario that has gained considerable attention in the past years assumes that such magnetic fields are generated through a dynamo process during common-envelope evolution. We performed binary population models using an up-to-date version of the BSE code to confront the predictions of this model with observational results. We found that this hypothesis can only explain the observed distribution of WD magnetic fields in polars and pre-polars and the low-temperature WDs in pre-polars if it is re-scaled to fit the observational data. Furthermore, in its present version, the model fails to explain the absence of young close detached WD+M-dwarf binaries harbouring hot magnetic WDs and predicts that the overwhelming majority of WDs in close binaries should be strongly magnetic, which is also in serious conflict with the observations. We conclude that either the common-envelope dynamo scenario needs to be substantially revised or a different mechanism is responsible for the generation of strong WD magnetic fields in close binaries.

background contribution method result interpretation main claim

What the classifier reports for each sentence. The number is the probability it gave the label.
#	sentence	role	the authors' own work	states the main conclusion	strength
s0	Understanding the origin of the magnetic fields in white dwarfs (WDs) has been a puzzle for decades.	background 0.94	0.03	0.01	asserted 1.00
s1	A scenario that has gained considerable attention in the past years assumes that such magnetic fields are generated through a dynamo process during common-envelope evolution.	background 1.00	0.03	0.02	hedged possibility 0.57
s2	We performed binary population models using an up-to-date version of the BSE code to confront the predictions of this model with observational results.	method 0.95	0.96	0.02	asserted 0.98
s3	We found that this hypothesis can only explain the observed distribution of WD magnetic fields in polars and pre-polars and the low-temperature WDs in pre-polars if it is re-scaled to fit the observational data.	result 1.00	0.96	0.09	asserted 0.92
s4	Furthermore, in its present version, the model fails to explain the absence of young close detached WD+M-dwarf binaries harbouring hot magnetic WDs and predicts that the overwhelming majority of WDs in close binaries should be strongly magnetic, which is also in serious conflict with the observations.	result 0.95	0.85	0.09	asserted 1.00
s5	We conclude that either the common-envelope dynamo scenario needs to be substantially revised or a different mechanism is responsible for the generation of strong WD magnetic fields in close binaries.	interpretation 0.98	0.62	0.98	hedged possibility 0.68

What kind of paper the classifier reports this is: simulation study 1.00 · evidence from simulation or computation 0.98.

What was examined, and what was not

sources read

arXiv listing abstract v2

not examined

full text
figures and tables
references and citing sentences
relations to other papers

levels run

P abstract

not run

S sections
T body sentences
C citations
R cross-paper relations

Every quoted sentence on this record is the authors'. Every label is from Pith's closed vocabulary, with the probability shown beside it. Every number in the measurements table is the authors', checked by code. Record as JSON

The paper

Original abstract

Understanding the origin of the magnetic fields in white dwarfs (WDs) has been a puzzle for decades. A scenario that has gained considerable attention in the past years assumes that such magnetic fields are generated through a dynamo process during common-envelope evolution. We performed binary population models using an up-to-date version of the BSE code to confront the predictions of this model with observational results. We found that this hypothesis can only explain the observed distribution of WD magnetic fields in polars and pre-polars and the low-temperature WDs in pre-polars if it is re-scaled to fit the observational data. Furthermore, in its present version, the model fails to explain the absence of young close detached WD+M-dwarf binaries harbouring hot magnetic WDs and predicts that the overwhelming majority of WDs in close binaries should be strongly magnetic, which is also in serious conflict with the observations. We conclude that either the common-envelope dynamo scenario needs to be substantially revised or a different mechanism is responsible for the generation of strong WD magnetic fields in close binaries.

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References

Forward citations

Cited by 3 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score. Full citation record

Magnetoelastic avalanches in magnetar crusts with plastic islands
astro-ph.HE 2026-10 accept novelty 7.0 of 10

Magnetar crust failures can trigger avalanche-like cascades and produce transient oscillation frequencies that resemble observed quasi-periodic oscillations.
Torque lags from magnetic unlocking in neutron stars and gravitational-wave smearing
astro-ph.HE 2026-10 conditional novelty 5.0 of 10

Differential rotation from magnetic unlocking in neutron stars shifts or smears the continuous gravitational wave spectrum, potentially hiding signals from narrowband searches.
1RXS J174320.1-042953: another polar with a red-shifted absorption component in emission line wings
astro-ph.SR 2026-10 conditional novelty 4.0 of 10

1RXS J174320.1-042953 is confirmed as a polar-type magnetic cataclysmic variable with measured system parameters and a transient redshifted absorption component near orbital phase 0.0.

How the literature uses it

3 arXiv papers cite this in 4 sentences

Each citing sentence is taken from the citing paper's LaTeX source and typed by Pith's classifier. A label appears at probability 0.8 or more (0.95 for support), a contest at 0.7 or more; the quoted words are the citing authors'. How each label was checked · JSON

Papers whose main result relates to this one's

Found among the papers closest to this one by title and main claim. Pith's classifier compared each pair's main results and a second model family confirmed the relation; checked against two further families, shown conflicts agreed 118 times in 120 and shown same results 218 times in 239. The quoted sentence is the other paper's main claim.

States a conflicting result 1 paper

Here we present population synthesis calculations showing that this hypothesis is supported by observations of magnetic binaries.

The Magnetic Fields of White Dwarfs in Cataclysmic Variables · 0.91

Papers citing it · 3 sentences without a confident label

Cites it as support 1 paper

and [ref] is supported by the population synthesis calculations of [ref] and [ref] , in relation to the high-field MWDs, and [ref] , in relation to the magnetic fields of the WDs in the MCVs [ref] .

Magnetic fields in isolated and interacting white dwarfs · High-field MWDs from common envelope mergers · 0.98

What it cites · 5 sentences without a confident label

Uses the method or tool of 1 paper

In order to test the origin of WD magnetic fields during CE evolution, we carried out binary population synthesis with the \,code [ref] , which has recently been modified and calibrated http://www.ifa.uv.cl/bse http://www.ifa.uv.cl/bse to carry out population synthesis of non-magnetic [ref] and magnetic CVs [ref] .

Evidence for reduced magnetic braking in polars from binary population models · Binary Population Model · 0.99

Uses data or values from 1 paper

A recent detailed study of CVs within 150 pc provided a measured value for the fraction of magnetic CVs of $≲33$ per cent [ref] .

A Volume Limited Sample of Cataclysmic Variables from $\mathit{Gaia}$ DR2: Space Density and Population Properties · Cataclysmic Variables · 0.99

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