"Uncovering the Secrets of Cannibalized Stars"

Scientists using the CHARA Array have completed a survey of Be stars suspected of cannibalizing their companion stars, detecting the faint glow of the cannibalized stars and identifying new orbits of stripped subdwarf stars orbiting fast-spinning massive stars. The research sheds light on the life trajectory of close binary stars and provides new understanding of the mass transfer process between stellar pairs. The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, reveals the power of the CHARA Array in uncovering this hidden stage in the lives of close stellar pairs.