Mapping the Shores of the Brown Dwarf Desert II: Multiple Star Formation in Taurus-Auriga
Adam L. Kraus, Michael J. Ireland, Frantz Martinache, Lynne A., Hillenbrand

TL;DR
This study uses high-resolution imaging to analyze multiple star formation in Taurus-Auriga, revealing the prevalence of binaries, their separation distributions, and implications for formation mechanisms, including the brown dwarf desert.
Contribution
It provides new data on binary frequency, separation, and mass ratios in Taurus-Auriga, highlighting the roles of different formation processes and the extent of the brown dwarf desert.
Findings
Approximately 75% of Taurus members are multiple systems.
Separation distribution is nearly log-flat for solar-type stars.
Mass ratios are uniformly distributed, including substellar companions.
Abstract
We have conducted a high-resolution imaging study of the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region in order to characterize the primordial outcome of multiple star formation and the extent of the brown dwarf desert. Our survey identified 16 new binary companions to primary stars with masses of 0.25-2.5 Msun, raising the total number of binary pairs (including components of high-order multiples) with separations of 3--5000 AU to 90. We find that ~2/3--3/4 of all Taurus members are multiple systems of two or more stars, while the other ~1/4--1/3 appear to have formed as single stars; the distribution of high-order multiplicity suggests that fragmentation into a wide binary has no impact on the subsequent probability that either component will fragment again. The separation distribution for solar-type stars (0.7--2.5 Msun) is nearly log-flat over separations of 3--5000 AU, but lower-mass stars…
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