Speckle interferometry at the Blanco and SOAR telescopes in 2008 and 2009

The results of speckle interferometric measurements of binary and multiple stars conducted in 2008 and 2009 at the Blanco and SOAR 4-m telescopes in Chile are presented. A total of 1898 measurements of 1189 resolved pairs or sub-systems and 394 observations of 285 un-resolved targets are listed. We resolved for the first time 48 new pairs, 21 of which are new sub-systems in close visual multiple stars. Typical internal measurement precision is 0.3 mas in both coordinates, typical companion detection capability is $\Delta m \sim 4.2$ at 0\farcs15 separation. These data were obtained with a new electron-multiplication CCD camera; data processing is described in detail, including estimation of magnitude difference, observational errors, detection limits, and analysis of artifacts. We comment on some newly discovered pairs and objects of special interest.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomical Journal. Tables 4,5,7 will be published electronically, they are available in full from the author

Speckle interferometry at SOAR in 2019

The results of speckle interferometric observations at the 4.1 m Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope (SOAR) in 2019 are given, totaling 2555 measurements of 1972 resolved pairs with separations from 15 mas (median 0.21") and magnitude difference up to 6 mag, and non-resolutions of 684 targets. We resolved for the first time 90 new pairs or subsystems in known binaries. This work continues our long-term speckle program. Its main goal is to monitor orbital motion of close binaries, including members of high-order hierarchies and Hipparcos pairs in the solar neighborhood. We give a list of 127 orbits computed using our latest measurements. Their quality varies from excellent (25 orbits of grades 1 and 2) to provisional (47 orbits of grades 4 and 5).Comment: Accepted by The Astronomical Journal. 10 pages, 5 Figures. Measurements and non-resolutions, published electronically, are available from the first author. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1905.1043

Speckle interferometry at SOAR in 2015

The results of speckle interferometric observations at the SOAR telescope in 2015 are given, totalling 1303 measurements of 924 resolved binary and multiple stars and non-resolutions of 260 targets. The separations range from 12 mas to 3.37" (median 0.17"); the maximum measured magnitude difference is 6.7 mag. We resolved 27 pairs for the first time, including 10 as inner or outer subsystems in previously known binaries, e.g. the 50-mas pair in Epsilon Cha. Newly resolved pairs are commented upon. We discuss three apparently non-hierarchical systems discovered in this series, arguing that their unusual configuration results from projection. The resolved quadruple system HIP 71510 is studied as well.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in AJ. The online tables are not included, available from Tokovinin on request. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1506.0571

Observations of Hierarchical Solar-Type Multiple Star Systems

Twenty multiple stellar systems with solar-type primaries were observed at high angular resolution using the PALM-3000 adaptive optics system at the 5 m Hale telescope. The goal was to complement the knowledge of hierarchical multiplicity in the solar neighborhood by confirming recent discoveries by the visible Robo-AO system with new near-infrared observations with PALM-3000. The physical status of most, but not all, of the new pairs is confirmed by photometry in the Ks band and new positional measurements. In addition, we resolved for the first time five close sub-systems: the known astrometric binary in HIP 17129AB, companions to the primaries of HIP 33555, and HIP 118213, and the companions to the secondaries in HIP 25300 and HIP 101430. We place the components on a color-magnitude diagram and discuss each multiple system individually.Comment: Accepted to Astronomical Journa

Two Suns in The Sky: Stellar Multiplicity in Exoplanet Systems

We present results of a reconnaissance for stellar companions to all 131 radial-velocity-detected candidate extrasolar planetary systems known as of July 1, 2005. CPM companions were investigated using the multi-epoch DSS images, and confirmed by matching the trigonometric parallax distances of the primaries to companion distances estimated photometrically. We also attempt to confirm or refute companions listed in the Washington Double Star Catalog, the Catalogs of Nearby Stars, in Hipparcos results, and in Duquennoy & Mayor (1991). Our findings indicate that a lower limit of 30 (23%) of the 131 exoplanet systems have stellar companions. We report new stellar companions to HD 38529 and HD 188015, and a new candidate companion to HD 169830. We confirm many previously reported stellar companions, including six stars in five systems that are recognized for the first time as companions to exoplanet hosts. We have found evidence that 20 entries in the Washington Double Star Catalog are not gravitationally bound companions. At least three, and possibly five, of the exoplanet systems reside in triple star systems. Three exoplanet systems have potentially close-in stellar companions ~ 20 AU away from the primary. Finally, two of the exoplanet systems contain white dwarf companions. This comprehensive assessment of exoplanet systems indicates that solar systems are found in a variety of stellar multiplicity environments - singles, binaries, and triples; and that planets survive the post-main-sequence evolution of companion stars.Comment: 52 pages, 7 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap