The Visual Orbit of 64 Piscum

Abstract

We report on the determination of the visual orbit of the double-lined spectroscopic binary system 64 Piscum with data obtained by the Palomar Testbed Interferometer in 1997 and 1998. 64 Psc is a nearly equal-mass double-lined binary system whose spectroscopic orbit is well known. We have estimated the visual orbit of 64 Psc from our interferometric visibility data. Our 64 Psc orbit is in good agreement with the spectroscopic results, and the physical parameters implied by a combined fit to our interferometric visibility data and radial velocity data of Duquennoy and Mayor result in precise component masses that agree well with their spectral type identifications. In particular, the orbital parallax of the system is determined to be 43.29 \pm 0.46 mas, and masses of the two components are determined to be 1.223 \pm 0.021 M_{\sun} and 1.170 \pm 0.018 M_{\sun}, respectively. Nadal et al. put forward arguments of temporal variability in some of the orbital elements of 64 Psc, presumably explained by an undetected component in the system. While our visibility data does not favor the Nadal temporal variability inference, neither is it definitive in excluding it. Consequently we have performed both high dynamic-range near-infrared imaging and spectroscopy of potential additional companions to the 64 Psc system. Our imaging and spectroscopic data do not support the conjecture of an additional component to 64 Psc, but we did identify a faint object with unusual red colors and spectra.