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| Paper: |
Two B's, or Not Two B's? An NPOI Survey of Massive Stars |
| Volume: |
487, Resolving The Future Of Astronomy With Long-Baseline Interferometry |
| Page: |
251 |
| Authors: |
De Rosa, R. J.; Patience, J.; Zavala, R. T.; Prato, L.; Marois, C.; Thomas, S. |
| Abstract: |
Surveys of massive O- and B-type stars suggest a significantly higher
multiplicity fraction than for Solar-type primaries, but coverage over
the complete separation range is incomplete. Understanding the distribution
of the separation of these companions is important when considering
the formation and survivability of disks and proto-planetary systems
around these massive stars. We detail the status of an ongoing
volume-limited (D < 75 parsecs) multiplicity survey of B-type stars
covering this important separation range between 1 and 15AU,
complemented by AO observations to resolve wider companions. The
angular resolution provided by the Navy Prototype Optical
Interferometer (NPOI) allows for the detection of close (5–700mas)
binaries with a magnitude difference reaching Δ R of
∼3. With our large, unbiased volume-limited sample of 69 targets,
these observations will allow for the first constraint on the
multiplicity of these massive stars over this separation range. This
survey will be complementary to both previous spectroscopic surveys
and speckle interferometry observations. Newly resolved companions
within this study will make ideal targets for follow-up
interferometric observations to detect orbital motion and determine
their orbital parameters. Future interferometers will extend this work
to closer, fainter companions around both these targets and
intrinsically fainter A-type stars. |
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