A Technique for Photometric Detection and Measurement of Unresolved Binary Systems

Abstract

A technique is described for the detection and measurement of close binary systems whose images are unresolved. The method is based on analysis of the moment of inertia tensor of the image, from which the product of the binary flux ratio and square of the angular separation may be determined. Intrinsic asymmetries of the point-spread function are removed by comparison with the image of a reference star. Multiple exposures may be used to increase the signal-to-noise ratio without need of image alignment. An example is given of a simulated measurement of the dwarf carbon star system G77-61.Comment: PASP, in press. 17 pages including 2 figure