phys371_w3Binary_Stars
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Course lecture slides, apparently from a PHYS 371 astronomy course, found in the Goldstein-related mechanics folder. They classify binaries (optical double, visual, astrometric, eclipsing, spectrum, spectroscopic) and derive masses from visual binaries using the center of mass and Kepler's third law, including inclination effects. Further topics are spectroscopic mass functions, radii from eclipse timing, and temperature ratios from light-curve minima.
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Binary Star Systems
(Chapter 7)
Binary Star Systems
1)Classification of binary star systems
1)Optical Doubles
2)Visual binary
3)Astrometric Binary
4)Eclipsing Binary (detached, semi-detached, unattached)
5)Spectrum Binary
6)Spectroscopic Binary
2)Stellar properties measured with binaries
1)Mass
1) From Visual Binaries
2) Complications with Visual Binary method
2)Radii, Surface brightness, Surface temperature
3)Mass functions from Spectroscopic Binaries
Classification of Binary Star Systems
•Multiple systems are more of a rule than an exception
–At least half of all stars are multiple systems
•Optical DoubleOptical Double
–Lie along the same line of sight and look as though they are companions
–They have no physical proximity to one another
–Not gravitationally bound
–Not a binary star system!
•Visual binaryVisual binary
–Sufficiently close to Earth and the stars are well enough separated that we
can see the two stars individually (resolved) in a telescope and track their
motion over a period of time
•Astrometric binaryAstrometric binary
–Detect the presence of an unseen companion
(faint, cool star) by its gravitational influence
on the primary star
–Deviation in proper motion
Classification of Binary Star Systems
•Eclipsing binaryEclipsing binary
–Orbital planes along the line of sight (or nearly so)
–The system is usually not resolved in the telescope (not vis binary)
–Photoelectric or CCD photometry over time produces light curve
–Q: What can you tell from the shape of the eclipse dips?
–Q: How could you tell that the blue star moved left to right?
Classification of Binary Star Systems
•Eclipsing binary Example - AlgolEclipsing binary Example - Algol
–Q: Why is the eclipse of the B8 star deeper than the eclipse of the K2
star?
•Smaller blue star emits more light per unit surface area than the larger red star
– Q: Why don't the minima have flat bottoms?
•During eclipses, neither star gets completely covered up by the other.
Classification of Binary Star Systems
•Eclipsing binary ExamplesEclipsing binary Examples
Classification of Binary Star Systems
•Spectrum binarySpectrum binary
–System with two superimposed, independent, discernable spectra
Classification of Binary Star Systems
•Spectroscopic BinarySpectroscopic Binary
–Pair cannot be resolved as a visual binary
–Measure relative velocities via the Doppler shift of their spectral
lines
–Motion is usually seen in the lines of one star
Classification of Binary Star Systems
•Spectroscopic binarySpectroscopic binary
Classification of Binary Star Systems
•Spectroscopic BinarySpectroscopic Binary
–Double-line spectroscopic binary
Δλ
λ0=v
c
Stellar Properties from binaries
•Radii
•Surface brightnesses
•Temperatures
•MASSES
Mass Determination Using Visual Binaries
•Angular separation greater than telescope resolution
•Observation of orbits yields ratio of stars’ masses
•If distance is known
–Individual masses can be determined
•angle of inclination, i
–Angle between the plane
of the orbit and
the plane of the sky
Mass Determination Using Visual Binaries
•Let's assume i = 0o
•From the center of mass coordinates
–Let's put CM at 0 and find ratio of masses
•If the distance is known
R=m1r1+m2r2=0
⇒m1
m2=r2
r1=a2
a1
α1=a1
d,α2=a2
d
dα1
α2a1
a2m1
m2com⇒m1
m2=α2
α1
Mass Determination Using Visual Binaries
•General Form of Kepler’s third law
Where P is the period of orbit and a is the semi-major axis of the reduced mass
•Two equations and two unknowns, game overP2
=4π2
G(m1+m2)a3
m1
m2=α2
α1P2
=4π2
G(m1+m2)a3a=a1+a2
Mass Determination…
Other complications:
•Parallax
•Proper motion
–Center of mass is at a constant velocity
–Can be factored out
Non-zero angle of Inclination
̃α1=α1cosi
̃α2=α2cosi
m1
m2=̃α2
̃α1=α2cosi
α1cosi=̃α2
̃α1•The angles subtended by the semimajor axes will be reduced
Doesn’t matter for mass ratios
Does matter for Kepler’s Law
P2
=4π2
G(m1+m2)a3
α=a
d⇒a=αd
Angle of Inclination
•Angle of inclination must be determined
•Resolved by noting the Projected focus does not coincide with the
observed focus
–Center of mass will be off
–Inconsistencies will resultP2
=4π2
G(m1+m2)(αd)3
α=̃α
cosi
m1+m2=4π2
GP2(̃α
cosid
)3
m1+m2=4π2
GP2(̃αd)3
(1
cosi)3
Spectroscopic Binaries
•Usually not a resolvable system
•Double line – each star’s spectra is seen
•Can determine:
–Individual mass, radii, ratio of flux and temperature
•Angle of inclination important
–Determines the radial velocities
v1rmax
=v1sini
v2rmax
=v2sini
max
zero
Spectroscopic Binaries for mass functions
•v1r and v2r must both be measurable
–Double-line spectroscopic binary vs. single-line spectroscopic binary
–Comparable brightness or one star may be overwhelmed
m1+m2=P
2πG(v1r+v2r)3
sin3
i=Pv1r3
2πG(1+v2r
v1r)3
sin3
i
Pv1r3
2πG(1+m1
m2)3
sin3i=Pv1r3
2πG(m2
m2+m1
m2)3
sin3i=Pv1r3
2πG(m1+m2)3
m23sin3im1
m2=v2r
v1r
m23
(m1+m2)2sin3
i=P
2πGv1r3
Mass function Depends on P and v1r
Eclipsing, Spectroscopic Binaries for radii
•Estimation of radii
•Assume i ≈ 90o
•Time duration from first contact ( ta) to minimum light ( tb) yields
info about the radius of smaller star,
Δt=tb−ta
vlvs
v=vs+vlRelative velocity
To Earth2rs
v=2rs
Δt⇒rs=v(tb−ta)
2
Eclipsing, Spectroscopic Binaries
•Time duration from first contact ( ta) to first exposure ( tc) yields info
about radius of the larger star,
–This time the distance traveled in-between these events is rl
Δt=tc−ta
v=2rl
Δt⇒rl=v(tc−ta)
2
vlvs
v=vs+vl
To Earth2rl
Eclipsing Binaries
•Ratio of effective Temperatures
–Obtained from the light curve
–Radiative Surface Flux
•Both stars visible with no obstructions
–Amount of light detected
k is a constant that depends on physical constants that will be the same for
each star
i.e. distance from Earth, detector calibrationFr=Fsurf=σTe4
Bo=Bl+Bs=k(AlFrl+AsFs)=k(πrl2
Frl+πrs2
Fs)
Eclipsing Binaries
•Primary eclipse minima
–Only the large star is visible
•Secondary eclipse minima
–Part of the large star is covered by the smaller, hotter star
•Examining ratios which allow unknown factors to cancelBp=Bl=kπrl2
Frl
Bs=Bl−Bls
+Bs=k(πrl2
Frl−πrs2
Frl+πrs2
Frs)
Bo−Bp
Bo−Bs=(Bl+Bs)−(Bl)
(Bl+Bs)−(Bl−Bls
+Bs)=Bs
Bls
kπrs2
Frs
kπrs2
Frl=Frs
Frl=
(Ts
Tl)4
⇒Bo−Bp
Bo−Bs=
(Ts
Tl)4