The family of V1311 Ori: a young sextuple system or a mini-cluster?

TL;DR

This study identifies a compact group of young M-type dwarfs near the Sun, possibly forming a sextuple system or a mini-cluster, providing insights into early stellar groupings and their stability.

Contribution

It reports the discovery and detailed analysis of a young, non-hierarchical stellar group, including orbital data and the potential classification as a sextuple system or mini-cluster.

Findings

Identified a young, compact M-dwarf group at 39 pc.

Determined a preliminary orbit for the binary star A.

Suggested the system could be a stable mini-cluster or a young sextuple system.

Abstract

A compact bound group of four active M-type dwarfs containing V1311 Ori is identified in the Gaia catalog of nearby stars. Located at a distance of 39 pc, it is likely related to the beta Pictoris and 32 Ori moving groups by kinematics, isochronal age, and other indicators of youth (Halpha emission, presence of lithium, and fast rotation). The brightest star A is a known close binary, for which a preliminary 80-yr visual-spectroscopic orbit is determined. Star B is resolved here into a 0.08" pair, and the faintest stars C and D are probably single. Considering the non-hierarchical configuration with projected separations of ~10 kau, this could be either a young sextuple system or a bound but dynamically unstable mini-cluster (trapezium) that avoided disruption so far. This pre-main-sequence system bridges the gap between moving groups and wide hierarchies.