Cool dwarfs in wide multiple systems. Paper 5: New astrometry of 54 wide pairs with M dwarfs

TL;DR

This study provides new astrometric data and confirms the physical association of 52 multiple systems with M dwarfs in the solar neighborhood, offering detailed astrophysical parameters and identifying systems for further follow-up.

Contribution

It offers comprehensive, homogeneous measurements and confirmation of multiplicity in 54 M dwarf systems, including new data and corrections to existing information.

Findings

Confirmed 52 multiple systems with M dwarfs as physically bound.

Derived astrophysical parameters for each system, including masses and orbital periods.

Identified systems suitable for high-resolution follow-up studies.

Abstract

We investigate the membership in double, triple or higher-order-multiplicity systems of 54 pairs with at least one bright M dwarf in the solar neighbourhood. These M dwarfs are potential targets of radial-velocity surveys for exoplanets. We measure angular separations and position angles from optical images taken with TCP and CAMELOT at the IAC80 telescope at the Observatorio del Teide, and complement them with our measurements on photographic plate digitizations. We also use data in the Washington Double Star Catalogue and other bibliographic sources. We confirm the physical binding of 52 multiple systems, for which we comprehensively compile, derive and provide basic astrophysical parameters in a homogeneous way (spectral types, heliocentric distances, projected physical separations, individual masses, estimated orbital periods, binding energies). Of the 52 systems, 38 are double, 11 are triple and three are quadruple with a variety of architectures. Four systems contain white dwarfs, six systems display variations of position angle larger than 12 deg (1/30 orbit) on a scale of decades and seven systems are located at less than 10 pc. We provide new information, or correct published data, of the most remarkable multiple systems and identify some of them for high-resolution imaging and spectroscopic follow-up.