Formation of Compact Hierarchical Triples

TL;DR

This paper investigates the formation of compact hierarchical triples (CHTs), a type of triple star system, using data from space missions and spectroscopic studies to understand their origins and influencing factors.

Contribution

It combines observational data from TESS, Kepler, and GAIA with spectroscopic analysis to constrain the formation mechanisms of CHTs, considering metallicity and dynamical effects.

Findings

Orbital parameters suggest specific formation pathways.

Metallicity influences the likelihood of CHT formation.

Dynamical interactions play a key role in system evolution.

Abstract

Compact hierarchical triples (CHTs) are triple stars where the tertiary is in an orbit of a period less than 1000 d. They were thought to be rare but we are discovering more of these systems recently, thanks to space-based missions like TESS, Kepler, and GAIA. In this work, we use orbital parameters obtained from these missions to constrain the formation process of CHTs. We also use spectroscopic and systemic parameters from our work, and the literature to understand the effects of metallicity and dynamics on the formation processes.