51 Eri and GJ 3305: A 10-15 Myr old binary star system at 30 parsecs

Simple item page
dc.creatorFeigelson, E. D.
dc.creatorLawson, W. A.
dc.creatorStark, M.
dc.creatorTownsley, L.
dc.creatorGarmire, G. P.
dc.creatorState, Penn
dc.creatorUNSW/ADFA
dc.creatorWyoming
dc.date2005-11-21
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T11:24:58Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T11:24:58Z
dc.descriptionFollowing the suggestion of Zuckerman et al. (2001, ApJ, 562, L87), we consider the evidence that 51 Eri (spectral type F0) and GJ 3305 (M0), historically classified as unrelated main sequence stars in the solar neighborhood, are instead a wide physical binary system and members of the young beta Pic moving group (BPMG). The BPMG is the nearest (d < 50 pc) of several groups of young stars with ages around 10 Myr that are kinematically convergent with the Oph-Sco-Cen Association (OSCA), the nearest OB star association. Combining SAAO optical photometry, Hobby-Eberly Telescope high-resolution spectroscopy, Chandra X-ray data, and UCAC2 catalog kinematics, we confirm with high confidence that the system is indeed extremely young. GJ 3305 itself exhibits very strong magnetic activity but has rapidly depleted most of its lithium. The 51 Eri/GJ 3305 system is the westernmost known member of the OSCA, lying 110 pc from the main subgroups. The system is similar to the BPMG wide binary HD 172555/CD -64d1208 and the HD 104237 quintet, suggesting that dynamically fragile multiple systems can survive the turbulent environments of their natal giant molecular cloud complexes, while still being imparted high dispersion velocities. Nearby young systems such as these are excellent targets for evolved circumstellar disk and planetary studies, having stellar ages comparable to that of the late phases of planet formation.
dc.description27 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal. For a version with high resolution figures, see http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/edf/51Eri.pdf
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0511618
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0511618
dc.identifierAstron.J.131:1730-1739,2006
dc.identifierdoi:10.1086/499923
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/195373
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.title51 Eri and GJ 3305: A 10-15 Myr old binary star system at 30 parsecs
dc.typetext

Files

Collections

arXiv