Matthew W. Muterspaugh

Differential Astrometry of Subarcsecond Scale Binaries at the Palomar Testbed Interferometer

We have used the Palomar Testbed Interferometer to perform very high precision differential astrometry on the 025 separation binary star HD 171779. In 70 minutes of observation, we achieve a measurement uncertainty of ≈9 μas in one axis, consistent with theoretical expectations. Night-to-night repeatability over four nights is at the level of 16 μas. This method of very narrow angle astrometry may be extremely useful for searching for planets with masses as small as 0.5MJ around a previously neglected class of stars—so-called speckle binaries. It will also provide measurements of stellar parameters such as masses and distances, useful for constraining stellar models at the 10-3 level.

HIGH-PRECISION ORBITAL AND PHYSICAL PARAMETERS OF DOUBLE-LINED SPECTROSCOPIC BINARY STARS—HD78418, HD123999, HD160922, HD200077, AND HD210027

We present high-precision radial velocities (RVs) of double-lined spectroscopic binary stars HD78418, HD123999, HD160922, HD200077, and HD210027. They were obtained based on the high-resolution echelle spectra collected with the Keck I/HIRES, Shane/CAT/Hamspec, and TNG/Sarge telescopes/spectrographs over the years 2003-2008 as part of the TATOOINE search for circumbinary planets. The RVs were computed using our novel iodine cell technique for double-line binary stars, which relies on tomographically disentangled spectra of the components of the binaries. The precision of the RVs is of the order of 1-10 m s^(–1), and to properly model such measurements one needs to account for the light-time effect within the binarys orbit, relativistic effects, and RV variations due to tidal distortions of the components of the binaries. With such proper modeling, our RVs combined with the archival visibility measurements from the Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI) allow us to derive very precise spectroscopic/astrometric orbital and physical parameters of the binaries. In particular, we derive the masses, the absolute K- and H-band magnitudes, and the parallaxes. The masses together with the absolute magnitudes in the K and H bands enable us to estimate the ages of the binaries. These RVs allow us to obtain some of the most accurate mass determinations of binary stars. The fractional accuracy in msin i only, and hence based on the RVs alone, ranges from 0.02% to 0.42%. When combined with the PTI astrometry, the fractional accuracy in the masses in the three best cases ranges from 0.06% to 0.5%. Among them, the masses of HD210027 components rival in precision the mass determination of the components of the relativistic double pulsar system PSR J0737 – 3039. In the near future, for double-lined eclipsing binary stars we expect to derive masses with a fractional accuracy of the order of up to ~0.001% with our technique. This level of precision is an order of magnitude higher than of the most accurate mass determination for a body outside the solar system—the double neutron star system PSR B1913+16.

THE RADIAL VELOCITY TATOOINE SEARCH FOR CIRCUMBINARY PLANETS: PLANET DETECTION LIMITS FOR A SAMPLE OF DOUBLE-LINED BINARY STARS-INITIAL RESULTS FROM KECK I/HIRES, SHANE/CAT/HAMSPEC, AND TNG/SARG OBSERVATIONS

We present preliminary results of the first and on-going radial velocity survey for circumbinary planets. With a novel radial velocity technique employing an iodine absorption cell, we achieve an unprecedented radial velocity (RV) precision of up to 2 m s^(–1) for double-lined binary stars. The high-resolution spectra collected with the Keck I/Hires, TNG/Sarg, and Shane/CAT/Hamspec telescopes/spectrographs over the years 2003-2008 allow us to derive RVs and compute planet detection limits for 10 double-lined binary stars. For this initial sample of targets, we can rule out planets on dynamically stable orbits with masses as small as ~0.3 to 3 M_(Jup) for the orbital periods of up to ~5.3 years. Even though the presented sample of stars is too small to make any strong conclusions, it is clear that the search for circumbinary planets is now technique-wise possible and eventually will provide new constraints for the planet formation theories

Orbital and physical parameters of eclipsing binaries from the All-Sky Automated Survey catalogue - I. A sample of systems with components' masses between 1 and 2 M⊙

We derive the absolute physical and orbital parameters for a sample of 18 detached eclipsing binaries from the All-Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) data base based on the available photometry and our own radial velocity (RV) measurements. The RVs are computed using spectra we collected with the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) and its University College London Echelle Spectrograph (UCLES), and the 1.9-m Radcliffe telescope and its Grating Instrument for Radiation Analysis with a Fibre-Fed Echelle (GIRAFFE) at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO). In order to obtain as precise RVs as possible, most of the systems were observed with an iodine cell available at the AAT/UCLES and/or analysed using the two-dimensional cross-correlation technique (TODCOR). The RVs were measured with TODCOR using synthetic template spectra as references. However, for two objects we used our own approach to the tomographic disentangling of the binary spectra to provide observed template spectra for the RV measurements and to improve the RV precision even more. For one of these binaries, AI Phe, we were able to the obtain an orbital solution with an RV rms of 62 and 24 m s−1 for the primary and secondary, respectively. For this system, the precision in M sin3i is 0.08 per cent. For the analysis, we used the photometry available in the ASAS data base. We combined the RV and light curves using phoebe and jktebop codes to obtain the absolute physical parameters of the systems. Having precise RVs, we were able to reach ∼0.2 per cent precision (or better) in masses in several cases but in radii, due to the limited precision of the ASAS photometry, we were able to reach a precision of only 1 per cent in one case and 3–5 per cent in a few more cases. For the majority of our objects, the orbital and physical analysis is presented for the first time.

MASSES, LUMINOSITIES, AND ORBITAL COPLANARITIES OF THE μ ORIONIS QUADRUPLE-STAR SYSTEM FROM PHASES DIFFERENTIAL ASTROMETRY

μ Orionis was identified by spectroscopic studies as a quadruple-star system. Seventeen high-precision differential astrometry measurements of μ Ori have been collected by the Palomar High-precision Astrometric Search for Exoplanet Systems (PHASES). These show both the motion of the long-period binary orbit and short-period perturbations superimposed on that caused by each of the components in the long-period system being themselves binaries. The new measurements enable the orientations of the long-period binary and short-period subsystems to be determined. Recent theoretical work predicts the distribution of relative inclinations between inner and outer orbits of hierarchical systems to peak near 40 and 140 degrees. The degree of coplanarity of this complex system is determined, and the angle between the planes of the A–B and Aa–Ab orbits is found to be 136.7 ± 8.3 degrees, near the predicted distribution peak at 140 degrees; this result is discussed in the context of the handful of systems with established mutual inclinations. The system distance and masses for each component are obtained from a combined fit of the PHASES astrometry and archival radial velocity observations. The component masses have relative precisions of 5% (component Aa), 15% (Ab), and 1.4% (each of Ba and Bb). The median size of the minor axes of the uncertainty ellipses for the new measurements is 20 micro-arcseconds (μas). Updated orbits for δ Equulei, κ Pegasi, and V819 Herculis are also presented.

PHASES differential astrometry and the mutual inclination of the V819 Herculis triple star system

V819 Herculis is a well-studied triple star system consisting of a wide pair with 5.5 year period, one component of which is a 2.2-day period eclipsing single-line spectroscopic binary. Differential astrometry measurements from the Palomar High-precision Astrometric Search for Exoplanet Systems (PHASES) are presented and used to determine a relative inclination between the short- and long-period orbits of 23.6 ± 4.9 degrees. This represents only the sixth unambiguous determination of the mutual inclination of orbits in a hierarchical triple system. This result is combined with those for the other five systems for analysis of the observed distribution of mutual inclinations in nearby triple systems. It is found that this distribution is different than that which one would expect from random orientations with statistical significance at the 94% level; implications for studying the spatial distribution of angular momentum in star forming regions is discussed.

THE PHASES DIFFERENTIAL ASTROMETRY DATA ARCHIVE. II. UPDATED BINARY STAR ORBITS AND A LONG PERIOD ECLIPSING BINARY

Differential astrometry measurements from the Palomar High-precision Astrometric Search for Exoplanet Systems have been combined with lower precision single-aperture measurements covering a much longer timespan (from eyepiece measurements, speckle interferometry, and adaptive optics) to determine improved visual orbits for 20 binary stars. In some cases, radial velocity observations exist to constrain the full three-dimensional orbit and determine component masses. The visual orbit of one of these binaries—α Com (HD 114378)—shows that the system is likely to have eclipses, despite its very long period of 26 years. The next eclipse is predicted to be within a week of 2015 January 24.

Detectability of Earth-like Planets in Multi-Planet Systems: Preliminary Report

We ask if Earth-like planets (terrestrial mass and habitable-zone orbit) can be detected in multi-planet systems, using astrometric and radial velocity observations. We report here the preliminary results of double-blind calculations designed to answer this question.

PHASES High-Precision Differential Astrometry of δ Equulei

Delta Equulei is among the most well-studied nearby binary star systems. Results of its observation have been applied to a wide range of fundamental studies of binary systems and stellar astrophysics. It is widely used to calibrate and constrain theoretical models of the physics of stars. We report 27 high-precision differential astrometry measurements of δ Equ from the Palomar High-precision Astrometric Search for Exoplanet Systems (PHASES). The median size of the minor axes of the uncertainty ellipses for these measurements is 26 μas. These data are combined with previously published radial velocity data and other previously published differential astrometry measurements using other techniques to produce a combined model for the system orbit. The distance to the system is determined to within one twentieth of a parsec, and the component masses are determined at the level of a percent. The constraints on masses and distance are limited by the precisions of the radial velocity data; we outline plans to improve this deficiency and discuss the outlook for further study of this binary.

Limits to tertiary astrometric companions in binary systems

The Palomar High-precision Astrometric Search for Exoplanet Systems (PHASES) has monitored 37 subarcsecond binary systems to determine whether their Keplerian orbits are perturbed by faint astrometric companions to either star. Software has been developed to evaluate the regions in a companion mass-period phase space in which the PHASES observations can exclude the possibility of face-on orbit perturbations. We present results for eight systems for which astrometric companions with masses as small as those of giant planets can be excluded.