Question
For a binary system with stars of masses 5 and $10 \mathrm{M}_{\odot},$ in circular orbits with a period of $3 \mathrm{yr},$ what is the total energy of the system?
Step 1
First, we need to find the semi-major axis (a) of the binary system using Kepler's Third Law: (P^2 * (M1 + M2)) = a^3, where P is the period, M1 and M2 are the masses of the stars, and a is the semi-major axis. Show more…
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