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The Short-Period Binary Frequency Among Low-Mass Pre-Main Sequence Stars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2016

Robert D. Mathieu*
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA

Extract

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The pre-main sequence (PMS) binary frequency is a fundamental datum in the study of binary formation. It reflects on numerous basic issues, such as:

  1. The formation process. Binary stars are the primary branch of the star-formation process, and thus their frequency is an essential challenge to star-formation theories. (Indeed, the infrequency of single-star formation is likely as significant as the binary frequency.)

  2. The epoch of binary formation. Assessing whether the binary population exists in total by the pre-main sequence phase sets an upper limit on the binary formation timescale.

  3. Early period evolution. The frequency distribution as a function of period of PMS binaries, when compared to the distribution at the zero-age main sequence, can shed light on early orbital evolution.

  4. • The interaction of binaries with disks. The formation and consequent dynamical evolution of a binary with semi-major axis less than typical disk radii must substantially modify disk structures and accretion flows. Thus the binary frequency might differ between PMS stars with and without associated disks.

Type
Pre-Main Sequence & Young Binaries
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of the Pacific 1992

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