We compile observations of early-type binaries identified via spectroscopy, eclipses, long-baseline interferometry, adaptive optics, common proper motion, etc. Each observational technique is sensitive to companions across a narrow parameter space of orbital periods P and mass ratios q. =. M-comp/M-1. After combining the samples from the various surveys and correcting for their respective selection effects, we find that the properties of companions to O-type and B-type main-sequence (MS) stars differ among three regimes. First, at short orbital periods P less than or similar to 20. days (separations a less than or similar to 0.4 au), the binaries have small eccentricities e... 0.4, favor modest mass ratios < q > less than or similar to 0.5, and exhibit a small excess of twins q. >. 0.95. Second, the companion frequency peaks at intermediate periods log P (days). approximate to. 3.5 (a approximate to 10 au), where the binaries have mass ratios weighted toward small values q. approximate to 0.2-0.3 and follow a Maxwellian " thermal" eccentricity distribution. Finally, companions with long orbital periods log P (days). approximate to 5.5-7.5 (a approximate to 200-5000 au) are outer tertiary components in hierarchical triples and have a mass ratio distribution across q. approximate to 0.1-1.0 that is nearly consistent with random pairings drawn from the initial mass function. We discuss these companion distributions and properties in the context of binary-star formation and evolution. We also reanalyze the binary statistics of solar-type MS primaries, taking into account that 30% +/-. 10% of single-lined spectroscopic binaries likely contain white dwarf companions instead of low-mass stellar secondaries. The mean frequency of stellar companions with q. >. 0.1 and log P (days). <. 8.0 per primary increases from 0.50. +/- 0.04 for solar-type MS primaries to 2.1. +/- 0.3 for O-type MS primaries. We fit joint probability density functions f (M-1, q, P, e) not equal f (M-1) f (q) f (P) f (e) to the corrected distributions, which can be incorporated into binary population synthesis studies.

This dissertation presents the results of a study to (1) determine the census of the nearby southern M dwarf stellar population via three types of distances and (2) determine the multiplicity rate of nearby M dwarfs using two different search methodologies. The first part of this work reports three types of distance calculations (photographic, photometric, and trigonometric) for 1748 southern M dwarfs. Distances were estimated for 500 red dwarfs using photographic plate BRI magnitudes from SuperCOSMOS, while estimates were made for 667 stars using CCD VRI magnitudes. Both BRI and VRI were combined with 2MASS infrared JHK magnitudes. Distances for an additional 581 red dwarfs were derived from trigonometric parallaxes, 124 of which were measured for the first time during this work. For the second portion of this thesis, an all-sky sample of 1122 M dwarfs, known via trigonometric parallaxes to lie within 25 pc of the Sun, was surveyed for stellar companions at separations of 2" to 600". I-band images using primarily the CTIO/SMARTS 0.9m and the Lowell 42in telescopes were obtained in order to search these systems for companions at separations of 2" to 180". A complementary reconnaissance of wider companions to 600" was also done via blinking SuperCOSMOS BRI images. We find a stellar multiplicity fraction of 27.4 $\pm$ 1.3% for M dwarfs. Using this new gauge of M dwarf multiplicity near the end of the stellar main sequence, we calculate a multiplicity fraction of 30.1% for stellar systems of all types, implying that most systems are single. We find a peak in the separation distribution of the companions at 26 AU, i.e., distances on the scale of our Solar System, with a weak trend of smaller projected separations for lower mass primaries. A hint that M dwarf multiplicity may be a function of age/composition was revealed, with faster moving (and generally older) systems being multiple slightly less often. We calculate that at least 16% of M dwarf mass is made up of the stellar companions of multiple systems. Finally, we show that the mass function for M dwarfs increases to the end of the main sequence.

The orbital parameters of binaries at intermediate periods (10(2)-10(3) d) are difficult to measure with conventional methods and are very incomplete. We have undertaken a new survey, applying our pulsation timing method to Kepler light curves of 2224 main-sequence A/F stars and found 341 non-eclipsing binaries. We calculate the orbital parameters for 317 PB1 systems (single-pulsator binaries) and 24 PB2s (double-pulsators), tripling the number of intermediate-mass binaries with full orbital solutions. The method reaches down to small mass ratios q approximate to 0.02 and yields a highly homogeneous sample. We parametrize the mass-ratio distribution using both inversion and Markov-Chain Monte Carlo forward-modelling techniques, and find it to be skewed towards low-mass companions, peaking at q approximate to 0.2. While solar-type primaries exhibit a brown dwarf desert across short and intermediate periods, we find a small but statistically significant (2.6 sigma) population of extreme-mass-ratio companions (q < 0.1) to our intermediate-mass primaries. Across periods of 100-1500 d and at q > 0.1, we measure the binary fraction of current A/F primaries to be 15.4 per cent +/- 1.4 per cent, though we find that a large fraction of the companions (21 per cent +/- 6 per cent) are white dwarfs in post-mass-transfer systems with primaries that are now blue stragglers, some of which are the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae, barium stars, symbiotics, and related phenomena. Excluding these white dwarfs, we determine the binary fraction of original A/F primaries to be 13.9 per cent +/- 2.1 per cent over the same parameter space. Combining our measurements with those in the literature, we find the binary fraction across these periods is a constant 5 per cent for primaries M-1 < 0.8 M-circle dot, but then increases linearly with log M-1, demonstrating that natal discs around more massive protostars M-1 greater than or similar to M-1(circle dot) become increasingly more prone to fragmentation. Finally, we find the eccentricity distribution of the main-sequence pairs to be much less eccentric than the thermal distribution.

In this work, the efficiency of the LUMBA UVES pipeline for processing of spectroscopic observations is tested by use on 23 high-resolution spectra of the open star cluster M67. An abundance trend discovered by Gavel et al. (2019) concerning iron abundances of giant and sub-giant stars of that cluster is examined. An initial run for a set of ”Gaia FGK benchmark stars”, as described in Blanco-Cuaresma et al. (2014) and Heiter et al. (2015) helps inspect the structure, method and output of the pipeline. Through Python language programming, processes are greatly automatized and the pipeline is run for a total of 460 weak and strong iron lines of our 23-star sample. The line fitting and efficiency of the pipeline is appreciated by statistically analyzing the results and looking into individual discrepant ones. The abundance trend is reproduced while using FeI lines, unlike runs using FeII lines. Trends in abundance over line strength plots also hint at bias through the Gaia-Eso Survey (GES) microturbulence relation. Using internal Data Release 6 (iDR6) and LUMBA-derived starting parameters, log(g) - Teff plots of our sample stars agree with a previously established 4.3 Gyr cluster age. An alternate run is performed for those stars, using LUMBA-derived starting parameters. The choice of starting parameters does impact abundance derivation, but is not the primary source of persistent systematic discrepancies.

Thesis; Thesis information not provided; 1 Feb 2003. / Published through the Information Bridge: DOE Scientific and Technical Information. "JLAB-PHY-03-39" "DOE/ER/40150-2763" Silvia Niccolai. 02/01/2003. Report is also available in paper and microfiche from NTIS.