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We present a statistical analysis of the ages and metallicities of triple stellar systems that are known to host exoplanets. With controversial cases disregarded, so far 27 of those systems have been identified. Our analysis, based on an exploratory approach, shows that those systems are on average notably younger than stars situated in the solar neighborhood. Though the statistical significance of this result is not fully established, the most plausible explanation is a possible double selection effect due to the relatively high mass of planet-hosting stars of those systems (which spend less time on the main-sequence than low-mass stars) and that planets in triple stellar systems may be long-term orbitally unstable. The stellar metallicities are on average solar-like; however, owing to the limited number of data, this result is not inconsistent with the previous finding that stars with planets tend to be metal-rich as the deduced metallicity distribution is relatively broad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although habitability, defined as the general possibility of hosting life, is expected to occur under a broad range of conditions, the standard scenario to allow for habitable environments is often described through habitable zones (HZs). Previous work indicates that stellar binary systems typically possess S-type or P-type HZs, with the S-type HZs forming ring-type structures around the individual stars and P-type HZs forming similar structures around both stars, if considered a pair. However, depending on the stellar and orbital parameters of the system, typically, there are also regions within the systems outside of the HZs, referred to as dead zones (DZs). In this study, we will convey quantitative information on the width and location of DZs for various systems. The results will also depend on the definition of the stellar HZs as those are informed by the planetary climate models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By virtue of their young age and intermediate mass, Herbig AeBe stars represent a cornerstone for our understanding of the mass-dependency of both the stellar and planetary formation processes. In this contribution, I review the current state-of-the-art multiplicity surveys of Herbig AeBe stars to assess both the overall frequency of companions and the distribution of key orbital parameters (separation, mass ratio and eccentricity). In a second part, I focus on the interplay between the multiplicity of Herbig AeBe stars and the presence and properties of their protoplanetary disks. Overall, it appears that both star and planet formation in the context of intermediate-mass stars proceed following similar mechanisms to lower-mass stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In literature, there is no exact analytical solution available for determining the radius of Roche equipotential surfaces of distorted close binary systems in synchronous rotation. However, Kopal (Roche Model and Its Application to Close Binary Systems, Advances in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academic Press, New York ) and Morris (Publ. Astron. Soc. Pac. 106:154, ) have provided the approximate analytical solutions in the form of infinite mathematical series. These series expressions have been commonly used by various authors to determine the radius of the Roche equipotential surfaces, and hence the equilibrium structures of rotating stars and stars in the binary systems. However, numerical results obtained from these approximating series expressions are not very accurate. In the present paper, we have expanded these series expressions to higher orders so as to improve their accuracy. The objective of this paper is to check, whether, there is any effect on the accuracy of these series expressions when the terms of higher orders are considered. Our results show that in most of the cases these expanded series give better results than the earlier series. We have further used these expanded series to find numerically the volume radius of the Roche equipotential surfaces. The obtained results are in good agreement with the results available in literature. We have also presented simple and accurate approximating formulas to calculate the radius of the primary component in a close binary system. These formulas give very accurate results in a specified range of mass ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single-degenerate (SD) channel for the progenitors of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) is one of the most popular channels, in which a carbon-oxygen white dwarf (CO WD) accretes hydrogen-rich material from its companion, increases its mass to the Chandrasekhar mass limit, and then explodes as a SN Ia. We show the initial and final parameter space for SNe Ia in a ( $\log P^{\mathrm{i}},M_{2}^{\mathrm{i}}$ ) plane and find that the positions of some famous recurrent novae, as well as a supersoft X-ray source (SSS), RX J0513.9-6951, are well explained by our model. The model can also explain the space velocity and mass of Tycho G, which is now suggested to be the companion star of Tycho's supernova. Our study indicates that the SSS, V Sge, might be the potential progenitor of supernovae like SN 2002ic if the delayed dynamical-instability model due to Han and Podsiadlowski (Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 368:1095, ) is appropriate. Following the work of Meng et al. (Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 395:2103, ), we found that the SD model (WD+MS) with an optically thick wind can explain the birth rate of supernovae like SN 2006X and reproduce the distribution of the color excess of SNe Ia. The model also predicts that at least 75% of all SNe Ia may show a polarization signal in their spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamical mass of a star cluster can be derived from the virial theorem, using the measured half-mass radius and line-of-sight velocity dispersion of the cluster. However, this dynamical mass may be a significant overestimation of the cluster mass if the contribution of the binary orbital motion is not taken into account. Here, we describe the mass overestimation as a function of cluster properties and binary population properties, and briefly touch on the issue of selection effects. We find that for clusters with a measured velocity dispersion of σlos≳10 km s−1 the presence of binaries does not affect the dynamical mass significantly. For clusters with σlos≲1 km s−1 (i.e., low-density clusters), the contribution of binaries to σlos is significant, and may result in a major dynamical mass overestimation. The presence of binaries may introduce a downward shift of Δlog ( L V/ Mdyn)=0.05–0.4 (in solar units) in the log ( L V/ Mdyn) versus age diagram. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I discuss two of the possible sources of biases in the determination of the stellar initial mass function: binning and the existence of unresolved components. The first source is important for clusters with a small number of stars detected in a given mass bin, while the second is relevant for all clusters located beyond the immediate solar neighborhood. For both cases I present results of numerical simulations, and I discuss strategies to correct for their effects. I also present a brief description of a third unrelated bias source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most puzzling property of the extrasolar planets discovered by recent radial velocity surveys is their high orbital eccentricities, which are very difficult to explain within our current theoretical paradigm for planet formation. Current data reveal that at least 25% of these planets, including some with particularly high eccentricities, are orbiting a component of a binary star system. The presence of a distant companion can cause significant secular perturbations in the orbit of a planet. At high relative inclinations, large-amplitude, periodic eccentricity perturbations can occur. These are known as “Kozai cycles” and their amplitude is purely dependent on the relative orbital inclination. Assuming that every planet host star also has a (possibly unseen, e.g., substellar) distant companion, with reasonable distributions of orbital parameters and masses, we determine the resulting eccentricity distribution of planets and compare it to observations? We find that perturbations from a binary companion always appear to produce an excess of planets with both very high (≳0.6) and very low ( e ≲ 0.1) eccentricities. The paucity of near-circular orbits in the observed sample implies that at least one additional mechanism must be increasing eccentricities. On the other hand, the overproduction of very high eccentricities observed in our models could be combined with plausible circularization mechanisms (e.g., friction from residual gas) to create more planets with intermediate eccentricities ( e≃ 0.1–0.6). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we review the results from numerical simulations that investigate the evolution of molecular cores into stars and brown dwarfs. We begin by discussing the four main processes involved in this evolution, fragmentation, accretion, interactions with discs, and stellar dynamical interactions. We then discuss large-scale calculations in which all of these processes are model simultaneously. Finally, we review results that have been obtained from past magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) calculations of fragmentation and look towards future MHD calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid rotation has been established empirically as the controlling factor for the magnetic field strength and the magnetic activity level of single late-type (F-M) stars. The dynamo theories explain this fact as due to interaction between differential rotation and helical motion in the transition layer between the convective envelope and the radiative interior. The presence of a close companion even down to the size of a “hot Jupiter” could alter the physical processes responsible for the activity, by introducing longitude- and latitude-dependencies and inhomogenious chemical abundances – effects that cannot be ignored in the attempt to understand magnetic activity on late type stars. Here we present first results for the well-known, single, active star, HD 27536. Binarity is established by very precise radial velocity (RV) measurements using HARPS spectra. The spectral line bisectors are examined for correlations between RV and bisector shape to distinguish between the effects of stellar activity and unseen companions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]