Talk abstract
The Effect of Stellar Density on Stellar Multiplicity
Abstract
Combining high resolution images and N-body simulations, we are investigating the multiplicity of T Tauri stars as a function stellar density in 6 star-forming regions. We will present the results of this comparison determined over a common separation range of $\sim$40--400 AU for systems with flux ratios of $\sim$3.5 magnitudes. Previous studies have noted the stark difference in multiplicity between Taurus and the ONC, but a direct comparison of several regions has been hindered by observational sensitivities and low number statistics.
We find a steadily decreasing rate of multiplicity with increasing stellar density which is compared with models tailored to the properties of each region and accounting for observational biases. This comparison indicates that the variation of multiplicity with stellar density is consistent with a formation scenario involving a constant initial binary fraction and subsequent stripping of binaries by stellar encounters. We will then discuss a further comparison of the separation distribution of a subset of clusters with similar densities to probe possible primordial differences in multiplicity.
We find a steadily decreasing rate of multiplicity with increasing stellar density which is compared with models tailored to the properties of each region and accounting for observational biases. This comparison indicates that the variation of multiplicity with stellar density is consistent with a formation scenario involving a constant initial binary fraction and subsequent stripping of binaries by stellar encounters. We will then discuss a further comparison of the separation distribution of a subset of clusters with similar densities to probe possible primordial differences in multiplicity.