A three-dimensional representation of the Roche potential in a binary star with a mass ratio of 2, in the co-rotating frame. The droplet-shaped figures in the equipotential plot at the bottom of the figure are called the Roche lobes of each star. L1, L2 and L3 are the points of Lagrange where forces cancel out. Mass can flow through the saddle point L1 from one star to its companion, if the star fills its Roche lobe. Source.

The Roche lobe is the region of space around a star in a binary system within which orbiting material is gravitationally bound to that star. If the star expands past its Roche lobe, then the material outside of the lobe will fall into the other star. It is an approximately tear-drop shaped region bounded by a critical gravitational equipotential, with the apex of the tear-drop pointing towards the other star (and the apex is at the Lagrange L1 point of the system). It is different from the Roche limit which is the distance at which an object held together only by gravity begins to break up due to tidal forces. Both the Roche lobe and the Roche limit are named after the French astronomer Édouard Roche. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (963x700, 118 KB) Summary A three-dimensional representation of the Roche potential in a binary star with a mass ratio of 2, in the co-rotating frame. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (963x700, 118 KB) Summary A three-dimensional representation of the Roche potential in a binary star with a mass ratio of 2, in the co-rotating frame. ... Artists impression of a binary star system consisting of a black hole, with an accretion disc around it, and a main sequence star. ... In Mathematics and Physics (especially Electronics), a region is called equipotential if every point in it is at the same potential. ... A contour plot of the effective potential of a two-body system (the Sun and Earth here), showing the 5 Lagrange points. ... The Roche limit is the distance within which a celestial body held together only by its own gravity will disintegrate due to a second celestial bodys tidal forces exceeding the first bodys gravitational self-attraction. ... Radio telescopes are among many different tools used by astronomers Astronomy (Greek: αστρονομία = άστρον + νόμος, astronomia = astron + nomos, literally, law of the stars) is the science of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the Earths atmosphere, such as stars, planets, comets, auroras, galaxies, and the cosmic background radiation. ... Édouard Albert Roche (1820-1883) was a French scientist. ...

Close to each star, surfaces of equal gravitational potential are approximately spherical and concentric with the nearer star. Far from the stellar system, the equipotentials are approximately ellipsoidal and elongated parallel to the axis joining the stellar centers. A critical equipotential intersects itself at the Lagrange L1 point of the system, forming a two-lobed figure-of-eight with one of the two stars at the center of each lobe. This critical equipotential defines the Roche lobes. If you were to hypothetically fill these lobes completely with water, a ship could sail from one star to the other, passing through the point between the two stellar oceans where the tips of their sharp peaks touch. In physics, gravitational potential is the measure of potential energy an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational field. ... A sphere (< Greek σφαίρα) is a perfectly symmetrical geometrical object. ... 3D rendering of an ellipsoid In mathematics, an ellipsoid is a type of quadric that is a higher dimensional analogue of an ellipse. ... A contour plot of the effective potential of a two-body system (the Sun and Earth here), showing the 5 Lagrange points. ...

As such, the Roche lobe is one of two volumes of space in the system. These volumes are bounded by a particular surface of equal potential energy. The potential energy is calculated in a frame of reference that co-rotates with the binary system. Because this frame of reference is a non-inertial frame, the gravitational potentials due to the masses of each of the two stellar nuclei (which vary inversely with distance from the center of each star) must be supplemented by a pseudo-potential corresponding to centrifugal force. This pseudo-potential is proportional to the square of the perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation of the system. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Frame of reference - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... In physics, gravitation or gravity is the tendency of objects with mass to accelerate toward each other. ... Centrifugal force (from Latin centrum center and fugere to flee) is a term which may refer to two different forces which are related to rotation. ...

Where matter moves relative to the co-rotating frame it will seem to be acted upon by a coriolis force. This is not derivable from the Roche lobe model as the coriolis force is a non-conservative force (i.e. not representable by a scalar potential). Mass transfer is the phrase commonly used in engineering for physical processes that involve molecular and convective transport of atoms and molecules within physical systems. ... In physics, the Coriolis effect is an inertial force first described by Gaspard-Gustave Coriolis, a French scientist, in 1835. ... A conservative force is a force which is path-independent. ...

When an object "exceeds its Roche lobe", its surface extends out beyond its Roche lobe and the material which lies outside the Roche lobe can "fall off" into the other object's Roche lobe. This can lead to the total disintegration of the object, since a reduction of the object's mass causes its Roche lobe to shrink. Overflow from the Roche lobe is responsible for a number of astronomical phenomena, including recurring novae (binary stars consisting of a red giant and a white dwarf that are sufficiently close enough together that material from the red giant dribbles down onto the white dwarf), X-ray binaries and millisecond pulsars. {alternateuses}} Artists conception of a white dwarf star accreting hydrogen from a larger companion A nova (pl. ... Artists impression of a binary star system consisting of a black hole, with an accretion disc around it, and a main sequence star. ... According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a red giant is a large non-main sequence star of stellar classification K or M; so-named because of the reddish appearance of the cooler giant stars. ... White dwarf Sirius-B in x-rays A white dwarf is an astronomical object which is produced when a low or medium mass star dies. ... X-ray binaries are a class of binary stars that are very luminous in X-rays. ... A millisecond pulsar (MSP), often referred to as recycled pulsar, is a pulsar with a rotational period in the range of about 1-10 milliseconds. ...

See also

• Hill sphere
• Roche limit