Are the majority of Sun-like stars single?

TL;DR

This paper argues that fewer Sun-like stars are single than previously thought, estimating about 46% are single when including secondary components in multiple systems, based on a model consistent with observed multiplicity trends.

Contribution

It introduces a model incorporating the full multiplicity of Sun-like stars, challenging previous estimates that only considered primary stars, and shows the majority are likely in multiple systems.

Findings

Approximately 46% of Sun-like stars are single.

Most stars in the field are probably single, mainly M Dwarfs.

The model reproduces observed multiplicity variations with primary mass.

Abstract

It has recently been suggested that, in the field, $\sim\!\!56\%$ of Sun-like stars ($0.8\,{\rm M}_{_\odot}\lesssim M_\star\lesssim 1.2\,{\rm M}_{_\odot}$) are single. We argue here that this suggestion may be incorrect, since it appears to be based on the multiplicity frequency of systems with Sun-like primaries, and therefore takes no account of Sun-like stars that are secondary (or higher-order) components in multiple systems. When these components are included in the reckoning, it seems likely that only $\sim\!46\%$ of Sun-like stars are single. This estimate is based on a model in which the system mass function has the form proposed by Chabrier, with a power-law Salpeter extension to high masses; there is a flat distribution of mass ratios; and the probability that a system of mass $M$ is a binary is $\,0.50 + 0.46\log_{_{10}}\!\left(M/{\rm M}_{_\odot}\right)\,$ for $\,0.08\,{\rm M}_{_\odot}\leq M\leq 12.5\,{\rm M}_{_\odot}$, $\,0\,$ for $\,M<0.08\,{\rm M}_{_\odot}$, and $\,1\,$ for $\,M>12.5\,{\rm M}_{_\odot}$. The constants in this last relation are chosen so that the model also reproduces the observed variation of multiplicity frequency with primary mass. However, the more qualitative conclusion, that a minority of Sun-like stars are single, holds up for virtually all reasonable values of the model parameters. Parenthetically, it is still likely that the majority of {\it all} stars in the field are single, but that is because most M Dwarfs probably are single.