Comparison of Gaia and Hipparcos parallaxes of close visual binary stars and the impact on determinations of their masses

Precise measurement of the fundamental parameters of stellar systems, including mass and radius, depends critically on how well the stellar distances are known. Astrometry from space provides parallax measurements of unprecented accuracy, from which distances can be derived, initially from the Hipparcos mission, with a further refinement of that analysis provided by van Leeuwen in 2007. The publication of the Gaia DR2 catalogue promises a dramatic improvement in the available data. We have recalculated the dynamical masses of a sample of 1 700 close visual binary stars using Gaia DR2 and compared the results with masses derived from both the original and enhanced Hipparcos data. We show the van Leeuwen analysis yields results close to those of Gaia DR2, but the latter are significantly more accurate. We consider the impact of the Gaia DR2 parallaxes on our understanding of the sample of visual binaries.

Pairing function of visual binary stars

ABSTRACT An all-sky sample of 1227 visual binaries based on Washington Double Star catalogue is constructed to infer the initial mass function (IMF), mass ratio, and projected distance distribution with a dedicated population synthesis model. Parallaxes from Gaia DR2 and Hipparcos are used to verify the distance distribution. The model is validated on the single-star Tycho-2 sample and successfully reproduces the observed magnitudes and angular separations. The projected separation distribution follows f(s) ∼ s−1.2 in 102–2 × 103 au range for 1–4.5 m⊙ primary stars. Several algorithms are explored as pairing functions. Random pairing is confidently rejected. Primary-constrained pairing (PCP) and split-core pairing (SCP), the scenarios adopting primary component’s or total system’s mass as fundamental, are considered. The preferred IMF slope is α ∼ 2.8 either way. A simple power-law mass ratio distribution is unlikely, but the introduction of a twin excess provides a favourable result. PCP with f(q) ∼ q−1 is preferred with a tiny twin fraction, models with f(q) ∼ q−1.5 are acceptable when a larger twin excess is allowed. SCP is similar to PCP when a larger slope of the power law is adopted: f(q) ∼ qβ + 0.7.

Visual Binary Stars: Data to Investigate Formation of Binaries

Statistics of orbital parameters of binary stars as well as statistics of their physical characteristics bear traces of star formation history. However, statistical investigations of binaries are complicated by incomplete or missing observational data and by a number of observational selection effects.Visual binaries are the most common type of observed binary stars, with the number of pairs exceeding 130 000. The most complete list of presently known visual binary stars was compiled by cross-matching objects and combining data of the three largest catalogues of visual binaries. This list was supplemented by the data on parallaxes, multicolor photometry, and spectral characteristics taken from other catalogues. This allowed us to compensate partly for the lack of observational data for these objects. The combined data allowed us to check the validity of observational values and to investigate statistics of the orbital and physical parameters of visual binaries. Corrections for incompleteness of observational data are discussed. The datasets obtained, together with modern distributions of binary parameters, will be used to reconstruct the initial distributions and parameters of the function of star formation for binary systems.

Statistical Analysis of a Comprehensive List of Visual Binaries

Visual binary stars are the most abundant class of observed binaries. The most comprehensive list of data on visual binaries compiled recently by cross-matching the largest catalogues of visual binaries allowed a statistical investigation of observational parameters of these systems. The dataset was cleaned by correcting uncertainties and misclassifications, and supplemented with available parallax data. The refined dataset is free from technical biases and contains 3676 presumably physical visual pairs of luminosity class V with known angular separations, magnitudes of the components, spectral types, and parallaxes. We also compiled a restricted sample of 998 pairs free from observational biases due to the probability of binary discovery. Certain distributions of observational and physical parameters of stars of our dataset are discussed.

Visual Binaries: Cross-Matching and Compiling of a Comprehensive List

Visual binary stars make up the largest set among observed types of binaries (currently more than 110 000 systems are known containing more than 230 000 components). However, statistical analysis of this sample is a complicated task because a number of catalogues of visual binaries contain various data for evidently overlapping sets of objects. To use the complete dataset, one needs to cross-match these catalogues, i.e. to gather all the available information on visual binary stars into a single list. We have compiled a comprehensive set of visual binaries using data from the current versions of the Catalog of Components of Double & Multiple stars (CCDM); Tycho Double Star Catalogue (TDSC), and The Washington Visual Double Star Catalog (WDS). The resulting list

On the component masses of visual binaries

In the Sixth Catalog of Orbits of Visual Binary Stars we found those belonging to the Main Sequence to form a sample containing 432 visual binaries. Their total masses were obtained dynamically, i.e. they were calculated using the orbital elements and the new Hipparcos parallaxes. For the same pairs the total mass was also found astrophysically - by applying the mass-luminosity relation. The apparent magnitudes of the components were found in two different ways: by deriving them from total magnitudes and magnitude differences, and by taking their values directly from a catalogue. The results for these two approaches show no essential discrepancy. The values of total masses obtained dynamically have a large dispersion involving even completely unrealistic values. This is a clear indication that the input data are not sufficiently reliable. Nevertheless, in a large number of cases the agreement between total masses obtained by us in two different ways is quite satisfactory indicating that i) for many visual binaries, as a rule not too distant and with high-quality orbital elements, the dynamical total masses can be reliable; ii) the mass-luminosity relation yields quite satisfactory estimates for the component masses when they belong to the Main Sequence and iii) a correlation between the relative parallax error and orbit grade exists.