Massive binaries in high-mass star-forming regions: A multi-epoch radial velocity survey of embedded O-stars

Details Massive binaries in high-mass star-forming regions: A multi-epoch radial velocity survey of embedded O-stars Massive binaries in high-mass star-forming regions: A multi-epoch radial velocity survey of embedded O-stars

2006-10-03

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0610085v1

Astrophys.J.655:484-491,2007

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

To appear in the Astrophysical Journal (January 10, 2007, v654n 2 issue)

Scientific paper

10.1086/509705

We present the first multi-epoch radial velocity study of embedded young massive stars using near-infrared spectra obtained with ISAAC mounted at the ESO Very Large Telescope, with the aim to detect massive binaries. Our 16 targets are located in high-mass star-forming regions and many of them are associated to known ultracompact HI I regions, whose young age ensures that dynamic evolution of the clusters did not influence the intrinsic binarity rate. We identify two stars with about 90 km/s velocity differences between two epochs proving the presence of close massive binaries. The fact that 2 out of the 16 observed stars are binary systems suggests that at least 20% of the young massive stars are formed in close multiple systems, but may also be consistent with most if not all young massive stars being binaries. In addition, we show that the radial velocity dispersion of the full sample is about 35 km/s, significantly larger than our estimated uncertainty (25 km/s). This finding is consistent with similar measurements of the young massive cluster 30 Dor which might have a high intrinsic binary rate. Furthermore, we argue that virial cluster masses derived from the radial velocity dispersion of young massive stars may intrinsically overestimate the cluster mass due to the presence of binaries.

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