The determination of the birth radius of the Sun is important to understand the evolution and consequent disruption of the Suns birth cluster in the Galaxy. Motivated by this fact, we study the motion of the Sun in the Milky Way during the last 4.6 G
yr in order to find its birth radius. We carried out orbit integrations backward in time using an analytical model of the Galaxy which includes the contribution of spiral arms and a central bar. We took into account the uncertainty in the parameters of the Milky Way potential as well as the uncertainty in the present day position and velocity of the Sun. We find that in general the Sun has not migrated from its birth place to its current position in the Galaxy (R_odot). However, significant radial migration of the Sun is possible when: 1) The 2:1 Outer Lindblad resonance of the bar is separated from the corrotation resonance of spiral arms by a distance ~1 kpc. 2) When these two resonances are at the same Galactocentric position and further than the solar radius. In both cases the migration of the Sun is from outer regions of the Galactic disk to R_odot, placing the Suns birth radius at around 11 kpc. We find that in general it is unlikely that the Sun has migrated significantly from the inner regions of the Galactic disk to R_odot.
The Gaia payload ensures maximum passive stability using a single material, SiC, for most of its elements. Dedicated metrology instruments are, however, required to carry out two functions: monitoring the basic angle and refocusing the telescope. Two
interferometers fed by the same laser are used to measure the basic angle changes at the level of $mu$as (prad, micropixel), which is the highest level ever achieved in space. Two Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors, combined with an ad-hoc analysis of the scientific data are used to define and reach the overall best-focus. In this contribution, the systems, data analysis, procedures and performance achieved during commissioning are presented
Knowledge of the binary population in stellar groupings provides important information about the outcome of the star forming process in different environments. Binarity is also a key ingredient in stellar population studies and is a prerequisite to c
alibrate the binary evolution channels. In these proceedings we present an overview of several commonly used methods to pair individual stars into binary systems, which we refer to as the pairing function. Many pairing functions are frequently used by observers and computational astronomers, either for the mathematical convenience, or because they roughly describe the expected outcome of the star forming process. We discuss the consequences of each pairing function for the interpretation of observations and numerical simulations. The binary fraction and mass ratio distribution generally depend strongly on the selection of the range in primary spectral type in a sample. These quantities, when derived from a binary survey with a mass-limited sample of target stars, are thus not representative for the population as a whole.
Knowledge of the binary population in stellar groupings provides important information about the outcome of the star forming process in different environments (see, e.g., Blaauw 1991, and references therein). Binarity is also a key ingredient in stel
lar population studies, and is a prerequisite to calibrate the binary evolution channels. In this paper we present an overview of several commonly used methods to pair individual stars into binary systems, which we refer to as pairing functions. These pairing functions are frequently used by observers and computational astronomers, either for their mathematical convenience, or because they roughly describe the expected outcome of the star forming process. We discuss the consequences of each pairing function for the interpretation of observations and numerical simulations. The binary fraction and mass ratio distribution generally depend strongly on the selection of the range in primary spectral type in a sample. The mass ratio distribution and binary fraction derived from a binarity survey among a mass-limited sample of targets is thus not representative for the population as a whole. Neither theory nor observations indicate that random pairing of binary components from the mass distribution, the simplest pairing function, is realistic. It is more likely that companion stars are formed in a disk around a star, or that a pre-binary core fragments into two binary components. The results of our analysis are important for (i) the interpretation of the observed mass ratio distribution and binary fraction for a sample of stars, (ii) a range of possible initial condition algorithms for star cluster simulations, and (iii) how to discriminate between the different star formation scenarios.
We characterize the binary population in the young and nearby OB association Scorpius OB2 using available observations of visual, spectroscopic, and astrometric binaries with intermediate-mass primaries. We take into account observational biases by c
omparing the observations with simulated observations of model associations. The available data indicate a large binary fraction (> 70% with 3sigma confidence), with a large probability that all intermediate mass stars in Sco OB2 are part of a binary system. The binary systems have a mass ratio distribution of the form f(q) ~ q^-0.4. Sco OB2 has a semi-major axis distribution of the form f(log a) ~ constant (Opiks law), in the range 5-5e6 Rsun. The log-normal period distribution of Duquennoy & Mayor results in too few spectroscopic binaries, even if the model binary fraction is 100%. Sco OB2 is a young association with a low stellar density; its current population is expected to be very similar to the primordial population. The fact that practically all stars in Sco OB2 are part of a binary (or multiple) system demonstrates that multiplicity is a fundamental factor in the star formation process, at least for intermediate mass stars.
