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Abstract We search for mass segregation in the intermediate-aged open cluster NGC 6819 within a carefully identified sample of probable cluster members. Using photometry from Gaia, Pan-STARRS, and the Two Micron All Sky Survey as inputs for a Bayesian statistics software suite, BASE-9, we identify a rich population of (photometric) binaries and derive posterior distributions for the cluster age, distance, metallicity, and reddening, as well as star-by-star photometric membership probabilities, masses, and mass ratios (for binaries). Within our entire sample, we identify 2632 cluster members and 777 binaries. We then select a main-sequence “primary sample” with 14.85 <G< 19.5, containing 1342 cluster members and 250 binaries with mass ratiosq> 0.5, to investigate mass segregation. Within this primary sample, we find the binary radial distribution is significantly shifted toward the cluster center as compared to the single stars, resulting in a binary fraction that increases significantly toward the cluster core. Furthermore, we find that within the binary sample, more massive binaries have more centrally concentrated radial distributions than less massive binaries. The same is true for the single stars. We verify the expectation of mass segregation for this stellar sample in NGC 6819 through both relaxation time arguments and by investigating a sophisticatedN-body model of the cluster. Importantly, this is the first study to investigate mass segregation of the binaries in the open cluster NGC 6819.
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Orbital Parameters and Binary Properties of 37 FGK Stars in the Cores of Open Clusters NGC 2516 and NGC 2422
Abstract We present orbits for 24 binaries in the field of open cluster NGC 2516 (∼150 Myr) and 13 binaries in the field of open cluster NGC 2422 (∼130 Myr) using results from a multiyear radial-velocity (RV) survey of the cluster cores. Six of these systems are double-lined spectroscopic binaries. We fit these RV variable systems with orvara , a MCMC-based fitting program that models Keplerian orbits. We use precise stellar parallaxes and proper motions from Gaia EDR3 to determine cluster membership. We impose a barycentric RV prior on all cluster members; this significantly improves our orbital constraints. Two of our systems have periods between five and 15 days, the critical window in which tides efficiently damp orbital eccentricity. These binaries should be included in future analyses of circularization across similarly-aged clusters. We also find a relatively flat distribution of binary mass ratios, consistent with previous work. With the inclusion of TESS light curves for all available targets, we identity target 378–036252 as a new eclipsing binary. We also identify a field star whose secondary has a mass in the brown dwarf range, as well as two cluster members whose RVs suggest the presence of an additional companion. Our orbital fits will help constrain the binary fraction and binary properties across stellar age and across stellar environment.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1815403
- PAR ID:
- 10337157
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- The Astronomical Journal
- Volume:
- 162
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 0004-6256
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 285
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ac2ccd
