We investigate the stellar environment of the Beta Pictoris-like star HD
141569 with optical spectroscopy and near infrared imaging. The B9.5Ve primary,
and an M2 and an M4 type star both located in projection less than nine
arseconds away have the same radial velocity and proper motion and therefore
almost certainly form a triple star system. From their x-ray flux, lithium
absorption and location on pre-main-sequence evolutionary tracks, the
companions appear to be 5 Myr old. HD 141569 A is now one of the few stars with
a circumstellar disk that has a well-determined age. The circumstellar disk is
composed of secondary debris material (Fisher et al. 2000), thus placing an
upper limit on the time needed for disk processing. These three stars may be
part of an association of young stars.Comment: 18 pages incl. 7 ps figures, aastex v5.0, accepted for publication in
Ap
