Close detached white dwarf plus brown dwarf binaries: further evidence for low values of the common envelope efficiency

Common envelope evolution is a fundamental ingredient in our understanding of the formation of close binary stars containing compact objects that include the progenitors of type Ia supernovae, short gamma-ray bursts, and most stellar gravitational wave sources. To predict the outcome of common envelope evolution, we still rely to a large degree on a simplified energy conservation equation. Unfortunately, this equation contains a theoretically rather poorly constrained efficiency parameter (alpha(CE)) and, even worse, it is unclear if energy sources in addition to orbital energy (such as recombination energy) contribute to the envelope ejection process. In previous works, we reconstructed the evolution of observed populations of post-common envelope binaries (PCEBs) consisting of white dwarfs with main-sequence star companions and found indications that the efficiency is rather small (alpha(CE) similar or equal to 0.2-0.3) and that extra energy sources are only required in very few cases. Here, we used the same reconstruction tool to investigate the evolutionary history of a sample of observed PCEBs with brown dwarf companions. In contrast to previous works, we found that the evolution of observationally well-characterized PCEBs with brown dwarf companions can be understood assuming a low common envelope efficiency (alpha(CE) similar or equal to 0.24-0.41), similar to that required to understand PCEBs with main-sequence star companions, and that contributions from recombination energy are not required. We conclude that the vast majority of PCEBs form from common envelope evolution that can be parametrized with a small efficiency and without taking into account additional energy sources.

Automated summary

Common envelope evolution is crucial in understanding the formation of close binary stars, and predicting its outcome relies on a simplified energy conservation equation. Previous studies indicated that the evolution of observed PCEBs can be explained with a low efficiency parameter and minimal contributions from additional energy sources. In this study, the evolutionary history of observed PCEBs with brown dwarf companions was investigated, and it was found that a similar low efficiency parameter can explain their evolution, without the need for recombination energy contributions.