Goodwin, S.P. (2013) Binary mass ratios: system mass not primary mass. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 430 (1). L6-L9. ISSN 0035-8711
Abstract
Binary properties are usually expressed (for good observational reasons) as a function of primary mass. It has been found that the distribution of companion masses – the mass ratio distribution – is different for different primary masses. We argue that system mass is the more fundamental physical parameter to use. We show that if system masses are drawn from a log-normal mass function, then the different observed mass ratio distributions as a function of primary mass, from M-dwarfs to A-stars, are all consistent with a universal, flat, system mass ratio distribution. We also show that the brown dwarf mass ratio distribution is not drawn from the same flat distribution, suggesting that the process which decides upon mass ratios is very different in brown dwarfs and stars.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2012 The Author Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | binaries: general; stars: formation |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Physics and Astronomy (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 16 Feb 2018 14:38 |
Last Modified: | 16 Feb 2018 14:38 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/sls037 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Oxford University Press |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1093/mnrasl/sls037 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:127510 |