The bound origin of low-mass stellar binaries

TL;DR

This study uses detailed simulations to show that most low-mass stellar binaries are bound from formation, with many evolving from multiple systems, influencing star and planet formation theories.

Contribution

It demonstrates that a majority of low-mass stellar binaries are gravitationally bound from their formation and highlights the significance of multiple star formation modes.

Findings

70-80% of binaries are bound from the moment the second star forms

Half of the binaries are disrupted by the end of star formation

Formation in multiples accounts for at least 57% of stars

Abstract

Most main sequence stars, unlike our Sun, belong to multiple systems with two or more stars. How and when these multiples come together and become bound is uncertain, since the earliest stages of star formation are difficult to resolve. We analyze simulations of star cluster formation in Milky Way-like conditions, including all key physics and stellar feedback mechanisms, to understand how multiple systems form. We show that $\approx 70-80\%$ of binaries are gravitationally bound from the moment the second star forms. Binaries evolve and accrete together, which will affect their planetary systems and chemical evolution. Half of the binaries are disrupted by the end of the star-formation epoch, such that $\approx40\%$ of the final single stars belonged to a multiple at some point, with implications for the stellar initial mass function. Formation in multiples is the dominant mode of star formation, accounting for at least 57% of stars.