VLBA16A-348

Pleiades Binaries for the Masses

Abstract

From our Pleiades distance mapping large project we have identified three binary systems with measurable orbital motion over year timescales. We seek to continue monitoring these targets to measure individual component masses for each system. With sufficient orbital coverage, we can increase the total number of well-measured Pleiades masses by over a factor of 2. This will enable new stress tests for stellar physical models and pave the way for a future Pleiades mass measuring program that focuses on a major discrepancy between models and observations of young, low mass stars.

Investigators

Name Institution
Geoffrey Bower Academia Sinica
John Stauffer California Institute of Technology
Mark Reid Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Amy Mioduszewski National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Trent Dupuy Texas at Austin, University of
Carl Melis * California at San Diego, University of
GBT Operator Green Bank Observatory

* indicates the PI