  Tidal evolution of eccentric binary systems containing at least one massive
main-sequence (MS) star plays an important role in the formation scenarios of
merging compact-object binaries. The dominant dissipation mechanism in such
systems involves tidal excitation of outgoing internal gravity waves at the
convective-radiative boundary and dissipation of the waves at the stellar
envelope/surface. We have derived analytical expressions for the tidal torque
and tidal energy transfer rate in such binaries for arbitrary orbital
eccentricities and stellar rotation rates. These expressions can be used to
study the spin and orbital evolution of eccentric binaries containing massive
MS stars, such as the progenitors of merging neutron star binaries. Applying
our results to the PSR J0045-7319 system, which has a massive B-star companion
and an observed, rapidly decaying orbit, we find that for the standard radius
of convective core based on non-rotating stellar models, the B-star must have a
significant retrograde and differential rotation in order to explain the
observed orbital decay rate. Alternatively, we suggest that the convective core
may be larger as a result of rapid stellar rotation and/or mass transfer to the
B-star in the recent past during the post-MS evolution of the pulsar
progenitor.
