King, R.R., Parker, R.J., Patience, J. et al. (1 more author) (2012) Testing the universality of star formation - I. Multiplicity in nearby star-forming regions. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 421 (3). pp. 2025-2042. ISSN 0035-8711
Abstract
We have collated multiplicity data for five clusters (Taurus, Chamaeleon I, Ophiuchus, IC 348 and the Orion Nebula Cluster). We have applied the same mass ratio (flux ratios of ΔK≤ 2.5) and primary mass cuts (∼0.1–3.0 M⊙) to each cluster and therefore have directly comparable binary statistics for all five clusters in the separation range 62–620 au, and for Taurus, Chamaeleon I and Ophiuchus in the range 18–830 au. We find that the trend of decreasing binary fraction with cluster density is solely due to the high binary fraction of Taurus; the other clusters show no obvious trend over a factor of nearly 20 in density. With N-body simulations, we attempt to find a set of initial conditions that are able to reproduce the density, morphology and binary fractions of all five clusters. Only an initially clumpy (fractal) distribution with an initial total binary fraction of 73 per cent (17 per cent in the range 62–620 au) is able to reproduce all of the observations (albeit not very satisfactorily). Therefore, if star formation is universal, then the initial conditions must be clumpy and with a high (but not 100 per cent) binary fraction. This could suggest that most stars, including M dwarfs, form in binaries.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ©: 2012 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. |
Keywords: | methods: numerical; binaries: general; stars: formation; stars: kinematics and dynamics; open clusters and associations: general |
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: | 06 Nov 2017 10:36 |
Last Modified: | 06 Nov 2017 10:36 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.20437.x |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Oxford University Press |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.20437.x |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:123502 |