 Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-astrophysics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2015/1/b/iii/solution

M = 20 M_{⊙}

and

μ = 5 M_{⊙}

. The prescribed instantaneous orbital decay timescale gives

A_{m a x} = 1.04 \times 1 0^{10} m, P_{m a x} = 35.9 h .

The integrated ten-billion-year criterion gives

51.9

h. These large initial periods compared with a neutron-star pair reflect the stronger radiation reaction of the more massive system.

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