Sub-systems in nearby solar-type wide binaries

Abstract

We conducted a deep survey of resolved sub-systems among wide binaries with solar-type components within 67 pc from the Sun. Images of 61 stars in the K and H bands were obtained with the NICI adaptive-optics instrument on the 8-m Gemini-South telescope. Our maximum detectable magnitude difference is about 5mag and 7.8mag at 0.15" and 0.9" separations, respectively. This enables a complete census of sub-systems with stellar companions in the projected separation range from 5 to 100 AU. Out of 7 such companions found in our sample, only one was known previously. We determine that the fraction of sub-systems with projected separations above 5 AU is 0.12 +- 0.04 and that the distribution of their mass ratio is flat, with a power-law index 0.2 +- 0.5. Comparing this with the properties of closer spectroscopic sub-systems (separations below 1 AU), it appears that the mass-ratio distribution does not depend on the separation. The frequency of sub-systems in the separation ranges below 1 AU and between 5 and 100 AU is similar, about 0.15. Unbiased statistics of multiplicity higher than two, advanced by this work, provide constraints on star-formation theory.

Accepted by Astronomical Journal. 13 pages, 5 figures

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