Donor-wind angular-momentum loss ($\dot{J}=(1-f){\dot{M}}_d{a}_d^2\Omega$)

An isotropic escaping stellar wind has the donor star's mean specific orbital angular momentum. With ${\dot{M}}_d<0$, retained fraction $f$, negligible spin and no additional wind torque, $\dot{J}=(1-f){\dot{M}}_d{a}_d^2\Omega$. The retained matter redistributes angular momentum internally. Unlike isotropic re-emission from a binary star, the escaping material originates at the donor rather than the accretor. With no retention this reduces to Jeans-mode mass loss.

Under donor-wind angular-momentum loss and the Roche lobe approximation $R_L=0.46a(M_d/M{)}^{1/3}$, the Roche-lobe radius response exponent is affine in retained fraction: ${\zeta }_L=(1-f){\zeta }_0+f{\zeta }_1$, where $q=M_d/M_a$, ${\zeta }_0=1/3-4q/[3(1+q)]$ and ${\zeta }_1=2q-5/3$. Differentiate $\log R_L=\log a+(\log M_d-\log M)/3+\mathrm{constant}$ and the circular-binary orbital angular momentum to obtain this expression.

A donor star with stellar radius response exponent ${\zeta }_{\ast }$ can maintain exact contact in the donor-wind Roche-lobe response model for some retained fraction $0\le f\le 1$ precisely when ${\zeta }_{\ast }$ lies between ${\zeta }_0$ and ${\zeta }_1$. This follows because the attainable Roche-lobe radius response exponents form that closed interval. If its endpoints coincide, all fractions work when ${\zeta }_{\ast }$ equals the common value and none work otherwise. With negative donor mass-loss rate, $d\log (R_d/R_L)/dt=({\zeta }_{\ast }-{\zeta }_L){\dot{M}}_d/M_d$ distinguishes detachment from increasing overfill. Dynamical stability of binary mass transfer requires the adiabatic donor response.

For a slowly evolving circular orbit with constant retained fraction $f$ and donor-wind angular-momentum loss, logarithmic differentiation of the circular-binary orbital angular momentum gives $d\log P=-3fd\log M_d-3d\log M_a-2d\log (M_d+M_a)$. Integration gives the displayed invariant. At $f=1$ it becomes the period-product invariant for conservative mass transfer, while at $f=0$ it becomes $P{M}^2=\mathrm{constant}$. A varying retained fraction does not give this simple power-law invariant.