The RMS survey: a census of massive YSO multiplicity in the K band

Close to 100 per cent of massive stars are thought to be in binary systems. The multiplicity of massive stars seems to be intrinsically linked to their formation and evolution, and massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) are key in observing this early stage of star formation. We have surveyed three samples totalling hundreds of MYSOs ( > 8 M ) across the Galaxy from the Red MSX Source (RMS) catalogue, using United Kingdom Infra-Red Telescope (UKIRT) Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) and Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) point source data, and UKIRT K -band imaging to probe separations between 0.8 and 9 arcsec (approx 1000–100 000 au). We have used statistical methods to determine the binary statistics of the samples, and we find binary fractions of 64 ± 4 per cent for the UKIDSS sample, 53 ± 4 per cent for the VVV sample, and 49 ± 8 per cent for the RMS imaging sample. Also, we use the J - and K -band magnitudes as a proxy for the companion mass, and a significant fraction of the detected systems have estimated mass ratios > 0.5, suggesting a deviation from the capture formation scenario which would be aligned with random IMF sampling. Finally, we find that YSOs located in the outer Galaxy have a higher binary fraction than those in the inner Galaxy. This is likely due to a lower stellar background density than observed towards the inner Galaxy, resulting in higher probabilities for visual binaries to be physical companions. It does indicate a binary fraction in the probed separation range of close to 100 per cent without the need to consider selection biases