Spectroscopic binaries with components of similar mass
Abstract
The assertion that there is an intrinsic excess of binaries with mass ratios q 1 - the twin hypothesis - is investigated. A strong version of this hypothesis (Hs), due to Lucy & Ricco (1979) and Tokovinin (2000), refers to a narrow peak in the distribution function psi(q) for q 0.95. A weak version (Hw), due to Halbwachs et al. (2003), refers to a broad peak for q 0.8. Current data on SB2's is analysed and Hs is found to be statistically significant for a sample restricted to orbits of high precision. But claims that Hs is significant for binaries with special characteristics are not confirmed since the sample sizes are well below the minimum required for a reliable test. With regard to Hw, additional observational evidence is not presented, but evidence to the contrary in the form of Hogeveen's (1992b) model of biased sampling with psi q-2 is criticized. Specifically, his success in thus fitting catalogued data depends on implausible assumptions about the research methodologies of binary-star spectroscopists.
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