Multiplicity of disc-bearing stars in Upper Scorpius and Upper Centaurus-Lupus

TL;DR

This study investigates how the presence of stellar companions affects the longevity of circumstellar discs in young stars within Upper Scorpius and Upper Centaurus-Lupus, using spectroscopic observations to identify binaries.

Contribution

It provides the first spectroscopic binary fraction for disc-bearing stars in these regions and compares it to the field, suggesting similar disc lifetimes in single and binary systems.

Findings

Binary fraction of disc-bearing stars in US: 6-13%

Binary fraction of disc-bearing stars in UCL: 13%

Disc lifetime may not differ significantly between single and binary stars

Abstract

We present observations of disc-bearing stars in Upper Scorpius (US) and Upper Centaurus-Lupus (UCL) with moderate resolution spectroscopy in order to determine the influence of multiplicity on disc persistence after ~5-20 Myr. Discs were identified using infra-red (IR) excess from the Wide-field Infra-red Survey Explorer (WISE) survey. Our survey consists of 55 US members and 28 UCL members, using spatial and kinematic information to assign a probability of membership. Spectra are gathered from the ANU 2.3m telescope using the Wide Field Spectrograph (WiFeS) to detect radial velocity variations that indicate the presence of a companion. We identify 2 double-lined spectroscopic binaries, both of which have strong IR excess. We find the binary fraction of disc-bearing stars in US and UCL for periods up to 20 years to be $0.06^{0.07}_{0.02}$ and $0.13^{0.06}_{0.03}$ respectively. Based on the multiplicity of field stars, we obtain an expected binary fraction of $0.12^{0.02}_{0.01}$. The determined binary fractions for disc-bearing stars does not vary significantly from the field, suggesting that the overall lifetime of discs may not differ between single and binary star systems.