L. G. Romanenko

A dynamical study of 12 wide visual binaries

We have carried out the first dynamical studies of the relative motions of the components of 12 wide binaries: ADS 497, ADS 2427 (GL 130.1), ADS 3593, ADS 5436, ADS 6646, ADS 6783, ADS 9559 (δ Boo), ADS 10329, ADS 10759 (ψ Dra), ADS 14878, ADS 15229, and ADS 16558. The analysis is based on series of photographic observations made with the 26-inch refractor of Pulkovo Observatory, supplemented by data from the WDS Catalog, radial velocities and HIPPARCOS parallaxes. We used the parameters of the apparent motions, which can yield the orbit and mass of a binary from observations over a short arc of the orbit of the order of 5°–10°. The orbits and masses for six stars with orbital periods from 500 to 20 000 years have been reliably determined. For five stars with periods from 2000 to 100 000 years, we obtained probable orbits and mass estimates. For ADS 497 and ADS 10329, the mass excesses in their systems are 1 and 3 M⊙, respectively, relative to the masses expected from the mass-luminosity dependence. In three cases, for ADS 3593, ADS 14878, and ADS 16558, the obtained estimates of the total mass of the components are 46, 25, and 7300 M⊙, respectively, if the parallaxes are correct. A perturbation with amplitude 0.3″ and period 40 yrs has been detected in the orbital motion of the system ADS 10759, possibly indicating the presence of an invisible satellite with a mass of the order of 0.4 M⊙. The orientations of the orbits in the Galactic reference frame have been determined for all 12 binaries. The planes of most of the obtained orbits are steeply inclined to the plane of the Galaxy, as was noted in previous studies.

Pulkovo catalog of relative positions and motions of visual double and multiple stars from photographic observations with the 26-inch refractor in 1960–2007

The results of long-term, uniform, photographic observations of visual double and multiple stars obtained on the Pulkovo 26″ refractor are presented. Relative positions are calculated for 259 pairs of visual double stars in 194 systems, with the relative motions also computed for 127 pairs. Lower limits for the total masses of the systems for which elliptical orbits possible are also found for 48 pairs with reliable parallaxes from the Hipparcos catalog. The accuracies of the three measuring machines used in the reduction of the photographic plates are compared. Component separations measured with different machines can differ by as much as 0.2″, demonstrating the advantages of using uniform observations.

Orbits of four visual binaries determined from observations along short arcs

The orbits of the four visual binaries ADS 246 (GL 15), ADS 7724 (γ Leo), ADS 10386 (GJ 659), and ADS 14909 (1 Peg) have been determined using the apparent motion parameters (AMP) method. The orbital periods of these stars are 1200, 550, 7500, and 18 000 yr, respectively. The orbits were calculated based on observations along short arcs obtained with the 26-inch refractor of the Pulkovo Observatory and Hipparcos parallaxes, supplemented with radial-velocity measurements for the components of these pairs taken from the literature. All visual and photographic observations of these stars after 1830 from the WDS catalog have been taken into consideration. The new orbits of ADS 246 and ADS 7724 are compared with the orbits computed in other studies. The orbits of ADS 10386 and ADS 14909 have been determined for the first time. The orientation of the planes of the computed orbits in Galactic coordinates have also been calculated.

Dynamical Study of the Wide Visual Binary ADS 12815 (16 Cyg)

A homogeneous series of photographic position measurments of the visual binary ADS 12815 obtained on the 26-inch refractor of the Pulkovo Observatory (1960–2007) is analyzed. The Pulkovo observations allow for the existence of the planet around component B discovered by Cochran et al. based on radial-velocity measurements. The orbit of the planet must be steeply inclined to the plane of the sky (i ≥ 70°). Uniform series of position measurements obtained at the Dearborn Observatory, US Naval Observatory, and Pulkovo Observatory, the HIPPARCOS parallax, and the relative radial velocities obtained by Hauser and Marcy at the Lick Observatory are used to calculate the elements of possible orbits for the ADS 12815 stars using the apparent motion parameters method. The corresponding periods are more than 20 000 yr, the semi-major axes more than 900 AU, and the eccentricities more than 0.65. All possible orbits are steeply inclined to the Galactic plane. The obtained family of orbits is in better agreement with observations than the family calculated by Hauser and Marcy.

A dynamical study of the wide hierarchic triple star ADS 10288

We have performed the first dynamical study of the relative motions of the components of the wide hierarchic triple star system ADS 10288 (GL 649.1 = WDS 16579+4722), based on a 15-year series of photographic observations with the 26″ Pulkovo refractor, supplemented with data from the WDS catalog, HIPPARCOS parallaxes, and radial velocities of the components. The radial velocities were measured in Simeiz using the ILS stellar radial-velocity correlation spectrometer designed by A.A. Tokovinin. We applied the parameters of the apparent motion technique, which makes it possible to derive a binary’s orbit and mass from observations of a short arc, about 5°–10° in length. We derived preliminary orbits for the pairs AB and (AB)-C, whose orbital periods are 340 and 64 000 years, respectively. Mass estimates derived from the mass-luminosity relation are consistent with our dynamical estimates. We determined the orientation of the orbits in Galactic coordinates. The orbital planes are not coplanar, and are steeply inclined to the Galactic plane, as was the case in our earlier studies for most wide visual pairs we have studied.

Accurate relative positions and motions of poorly studied binary stars

We have studied the relative motions of the components of 25 visual binary and multiple stars for which only a modest number of observations of various types had accumulated due to their small relative component motions. A uniform series of photographic observations obtained over many years on the 26-inch refractor of the Pulkovo Observatory are used to calculate the parameters of the apparent relative positions and motions, which can be used for further kinematic and dynamical studies of these stars. A comparison of the relative and proper motions of the components indicates that they are physically bound. Optical components are identified in six systems—for the first time in the three systemsWDS00082+6217, ADS 830, and ADS 7361. The relative motions in ADS 861 and ADS 12925 suggest the presence of perturbing invisible companions, but this requires confirmation based on more accurate observations. The apparent motion parameters method yields a family of orbits with a minimum period of 26 000 yrs for the nearby wide visual binary Gliese 745, for which the parallax and relative radial velocity of the components are known.

Orbits of the Visual Binaries ADS 8814 and ADS 8065 from Observations along a Short Arc

The orbits of the visual binaries ADS 8814 and ADS 8065 are determined for the first time. The orbits were calculated using the parameters of the apparent motion, based on position observations along short arcs obtained on the 26-inch refrector of the Pulkovo Observatory, supplemented with radial-velocity observations for the stellar components in both pairs obtained on the 1-m telescope of the Simeiz Section of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. All previous visual and photographic observations of these stars after 1832 were also taken into account. The orbit of ADS 8814 was refined using the differential-correction method. The orbital periods of these two stars are about 800 and 6000 years, respectively. The mass estimates derived for the known parallaxes from the Hipparcos catalog correspond to the spectral types of these stars. The polar vectors of the obtained orbits in Galactic coordinates are also given.

Photographic observations of visual double stars at Pulkovo: Digitization, measurement, and calibration

We present the results of determining the relative positions of 359 pairs of stars. More than 6000 photographic plates were obtained in 1960–2007 at the 26-inch refractor of the Pulkovo Observatory. The plates have been digitized with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital camera and a long-focus Jupiter 21M lens; the scalewas 21 μm/pixel. Themeasurements have been calibrated using a template digitized with the Belgian high-precision ROB Digitizer. The results have been thoroughly investigated for systematic errors. We have studied the scale of the 26-inch refractor and revealed its temperature and time dependences. The application of a new digitization, measurement, and calibration technique has allowed the accuracy to be increased compared to the past measurements. The single-exposure measurement accuracy is within the range from 2 to 70 mas, on average, 28 mas in both coordinates. The errors of the yearly mean positions are, on average, 8.7 mas in the angular separation and 0.05◦. in the position angle.

New orbits of wide visual double stars

Based on photographic and CCD observations with the Pulkovo 26-inch refractor, radial velocity measurements with the 1.5-m RTT-150 telescope (TUBITAK National Observatory, Turkey), and highly accurate observations published in the WDS catalog, we have obtained the orbits of ten wide visual double stars by the apparent motion parameter method. The orientation of the orbits in the Galactic coordinate system has been determined. For the outer pair of the multiple star HIP 12780 we have calculated a family of orbits with a minimum period P = 4634 yr. Two equivalent solutions with the same period have been obtained for the stars HIP 50 (P = 949 yr) and HIP 66195 (P = 3237 yr). We have unambiguously determined the orbits of six stars: HIP 12777 (P = 3327 yr), HIP 15058 (P = 420 yr), HIP 33287 (P = 1090 yr), HIP 48429 (P = 1066 yr), HIP 69751 (P = 957 yr), and HIP 73846 (P = 1348 yr). The orbit of HIP 55068 is orientated perpendicularly to the plane of the sky, P >1000 yr. The star HIP 48429 is suspected to have an invisible companion.

A dynamical study of the multiple system 17 Cygni ABFG

Adynamical study of the relative motions of the components of the inner pairs AB (ADS 12913) and FG (ADS 12889) of the quadruple heirarchical system 17 Cygni (WDS 19464+3344) is presented, as well as analysis of themotions of the outer pair AB–FG. The study is based on CCD observations obtained on the 26-inch refractor of the Pulkovo Observatory (2003–2013), position observations from the WDS catalog, Hipparcos parallaxes, and radial velocities of the components from literature data. A family of orbits for 17 Cyg AB is obtained for the first time, and has a most probable period of 6200 yrs. The apparent motion parameters (AMP) method is used, since the entire visible arc of the orbit over 1832–2013 is only ~4◦. The AMP method is also used to calculate the orbit of the 17 Cyg FG pair, which has a period of 238 yrs, yielding results in good agreement with the orbits derived in other studies. The ephemerides of the obtained AMP orbits, the position data for the AF pair from the WDS catalog (11 positions during 1893–2002), and Pulkovo CCD observations for 2007–2013 are used to calculate the apparent motion parameters of AB–FG outer pair, as well as a family of close-to-parabolic orbits with periods of 3.7 million years ormore. All the orbits (for both the inner and the outer pairs) are steeply inclined to theGalactic plane. Monte Carlo simulations are used to compute the probability that the outer pair is gravitationally bound, which is 47%. The similarity of the proper motions and radial velocities of all the components provides evidence that they all belong to a single stellar stream. Data from the CNS3 catalog are used to compose a list of candidate members of this stream.