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Discovery of Three Very Low Mass Binary Systems: An Adaptive Optics Survey of M6.0–M7.5 Stars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2016

Nick Siegler ,
Laird M. Close ,
Eric E. Mamajek  and
Melanie Freed
Nick Siegler
Affiliation:
Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA 85721 nsiegler@as.arizona.edu
Laird M. Close
Affiliation:
Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA 85721 nsiegler@as.arizona.edu
Eric E. Mamajek
Affiliation:
Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA 85721 nsiegler@as.arizona.edu
Melanie Freed
Affiliation:
Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA 85721 nsiegler@as.arizona.edu

Abstract

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We have used the adaptive optics system Hōkūpa'a at Gemini North to search for companions from a flux-limited (Ks > 12) survey of 30 nearby M6.0–M7.5 dwarfs. Our observations, which are sensitive to companions with separations > 0.1″ (~ 2.8 AU), detect 3 new binary systems. This implies an overall binary fraction of 9±4% for M6.0–M7.5 binaries. This binary frequency is somewhat less than the 19±7% measured for late M stars and ~ 20% for L stars, but is still statistically consistent. However, the result is significantly lower than the binary fractions observed amongst solar mass main sequence stars (~60%) and early M stars (~35%).

Type
Part 6. Searches for Substellar Companions
Information
Symposium - International Astronomical Union , Volume 211: Brown Dwarfs , 2003 , pp. 257 - 260
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of the Pacific 2001 

References

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