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| Paper: |
Orbit Orientations and Eccentricities in Triples: Implications on Their Formation and Evolution |
| Volume: |
287, Galactic Star Formation Across the Stellar Mass Spectrum |
| Page: |
403 |
| Authors: |
Sterzik, M. F.; Tokovinin, A. A.; Shatsky, N. I. |
| Abstract: |
Observations of the relative alignment of inner and outer orbits in visual multiple stars suggest a moderate, but significant, correlation. The distribution of the relative angle Φ between the orbital planes of triple stars that are formed by dynamical decay from realistic initial conditions agrees quantitatively with the latest observational data, as recently shown by Sterzik & Tokovinin (2002). The eccentricity distribution f(e) of outer orbits for a sub-sample of long-term stable triple systems is also consistent with the observed distribution. The statistics of Φ and e are important fossil records of star formation that allow to sensitively constrain physical processes and properties of initial clusters. |
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