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The Maximum Age of Trapezium Systems
We sought to determine the maximum age of Trapezium systems by studyingpossible trapezium systems that were selected independently of theiroccurrence in H II regions. We started with the unpublished catalog byAllen, Tapia, & Parrao of all the known visual systems having threeor more stars in which the maximum separation is less than 3.0 times theminimum separation. Their catalog has 968 such systems whose mostfrequent primary type is F, which does not describe young systems. Witha CCD on the Kitt Peak 0.9 m telescope we obtained UBV frames for 265systems accessible with our equipment on Kitt Peak. The frames were usedto obtain UBV photometry for about 1500 stars with an accuracy of+/-0.04 mag between V=7 and 14 mag. Also these frames were used toobtain astrometry with an accuracy of +/-0.015d in position angle and+/-0.01" in separation. For the brightest star in each system weobtained a spectral type to determine the distance and reddening to thesystem. The measures were used to determine physical membership fromstars that (1) fit a single color-magnitude diagram, (2) fit a commoncolor-color diagram, and (3) show no astrometric motion compared tovisual measures made (mostly) a century ago. Combining the results withspectroscopic data for 20 additional Allen et al. systems by Abt, wefound that 126 systems had only optical companions to the primaries, 116systems contained only a single physical pair, 13 were hierarchicalsystems with 3-6 members and having separation ratios of more than afactor of 10, two were small clusters, and only 28 fitted the criteriaof Trapezium systems. However, as shown by Ambartsumian, about 9% of thehierarchical systems should appear to be Trapezium systems inprojection. Those, like other hierarchical systems, have a broaddistribution of primary spectral types. We isolated 14 systems that seemto be true Trapezium systems. They have primary types of B3 or earlier,indicating a maximum age of about 5×107 yr. This upperlimit is consistent with the estimate made by Allen & Poveda for anage of several million years for these dynamically unstable systems.These Trapezia are also large with a median radius of 0.2 pc and amaximum radius of 2.6 pc. We asked why the sample of 285 possibleTrapezium systems yielded only 14 true ones, despite the attempt made byAllen et al. to eliminate optical companions with a ``1% filter,'' i.e.,demanding that each companion have less than a 1% chance of being afield star of that magnitude within a circle of its radius from theprimary. The explanation seems to be that the double star catalogs arebased mostly on BD magnitudes that, fainter than V=12 mag, aresystematically too faint by 1 mag.
| The ages and dimensions of Trapezium systems
MK spectral types and memberships were obtained for 120 stars in 31systems thought to be Trapezium systems. Twenty-eight optical componentswere found, after the removal of which, 17 systems are hierarchical andthree have no companions. Practically all of the remaining Trapeziumsystems are either the same age or younger than the Hyades, i.e., lessthan 10 to the 8.9th years old. The maximum radii of Trapezium combinedwith hierarchical systems exhibit a dramatic decrease with primaryspectral type or age T, ranging from about 50,000 AU for OB primaries to1000 AU for G dwarfs. If stars have an observed binary separation ofabout 5000 AU, it is unlikely that the sun would have a stellarcompanion at 92,000 AU. A Ba II star with a physical companion, a starwith strong double Ca II emission lines, and a chance projection of anearby quadruple hierarchical system on a distant triple hierarchicalsystem is discussed.
| Meridian observations made with the Carlsberg Automatic Meridian Circle at Brorfelde (Copenhagen University Observatory) 1981-1982
The 7-inch transit circle instrument with which the present position andmagnitude catalog for 1577 stars with visual magnitudes greater than11.0 was obtained had been equipped with a photoelectric moving slitmicrometer and a minicomputer to control the entire observationalprocess. Positions are reduced relative to the FK4 system for each nightover the whole meridian rather than the usual narrow zones. Thepositions of the FK4 stars used in the least squares solution are alsogiven in the catalog.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Hercule |
| Right ascension: | 16h44m51.71s |
| Declination: | +09°57'06.2" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 7.882 |
| Distance: | 452.489 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | 7.7 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -21.6 |
| B-T magnitude: | 10.015 |
| V-T magnitude: | 8.059 |
Catalogs and designations:
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INHABITED SKY
