Evolution of cataclysmic variables and related binaries containing accreting white dwarfs

About one-half of the stars in our Milky Way galaxy are thought to be in binary systems wherein both stars orbit their common center of mass. If the binaries are formed with the appropriate masses and separations, it is possible for the stars to exchange mass. In other words, the gravitational pull of one of the stars can be so strong that it literally rips the gas from the atmosphere of its companion. These interacting binary systems are some of the most exotic and intriguing astronomical objec