Main Sequence Binary Fraction in Globular Cluster NGC 6397

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

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Scientific paper

We report preliminary results from a study of main-sequence binaries (MSBs) in the core-collapsed globular cluster NGC 6397 using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys. We analyze images of the central regions of the cluster extending out to approximately one half-mass radius (rhm = 2.33') taken with the Wide Field Channel in the F435W and F625W filters. After removing non-members using proper motions, we construct a color-magnitude diagram (CMD) containing 15578 cluster stars. Model cluster CMDs indicate that in the range 16 < R < 22, MSBs with mass ratio (q=M2/M1) > 0.6 appear sufficiently far above and redward of the main sequence ridge line to be distinguishable from the single-star sequence. Out of 10835 stars in this magnitude range, we identify an initial set of 137 stars (with primary masses in the range 0.4-0.7 Msun) whose offset from the single-star sequence is statistically significant. A check of quality of fit to the PSF combined with close visual inspection of the images shows that 85 of these stars are well measured and unresolved and are thus good MSB candidates. The resulting upper limit on the fraction of MSBs with q > 0.6 and primaries in the range 0.4-0.7 Msun is 0.8%. We compare our measured fraction and the radial distribution of the MSB candidates to earlier findings based on HST/WFPC2 imaging and explore the significance of the results for the total binary population in NGC 6397.
Keywords: binaries: general - globular clusters: individual(NGC 6397) - binary fraction - stars: main sequence binary

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