Contact binary stars

Densities, corrected primary colors, minimum periods, inferred masses, luminosities, and specific angular momenta are computed from data on 37 W Ursae Majoris systems. A-type systems, having lower densities and angular momenta than the W-type systems, are shown to be evolved, and a new class of contact binary is identified, the OO Aquilae systems, whose members have evolved into contact. Evolutionary grids based on the contact condition agree with observation, except in that the evolved A-type systems have lost more angular momentum than predicted by gravitational radiation alone. This is accounted for by stellar wind magnetic braking, which is shown to be effective on a shorter time scale and to be important in other kinds of binaries containing a cool, tidally coupled component.