2-body inspirals that circularize

[tempus]

TL;DR

Inspirals that circularize

Other than compact binaries, are there conditions where 2-body inspirals circularize? 3-body?
Thx

 

[trurle]

Summary: Inspirals that circularize

Other than compact binaries, are there conditions where 2-body inspirals circularize? 3-body?
Thx

In general 3-body problem, the least massive body is typically ejected, leaving binary with less energy. The eccentricity of remaining binary may decrease or increase at random though, typically in multiple-body system resulting in mergers rather than circularization.

 

[tempus]

Thx — that leads me to wonder if there might be a rare case where, in a 3-body system, C is still gravitationally bound but sufficiently low mass and distant to allow the relatively heavy and close pair A and B to progress due to gravitational waves from inspiral to circular? (For this, I’m focusing on inspiral to circular rather than elliptical to circular.)