Resolving Binary Stars and their Circumstellar Environments with the CHARA Array

The CHARA Array of Georgia State University, Mount Wilson Observatory, Mount Wilson, CA 91023, USA

Abstract

This paper provides a summary of binary star research conducted at the CHARA Array. The high angular resolution provided by the longest baselines of the interferometer can resolve binaries down to sub-milli-arcsecond separations. Combining the visual orbit of a binary with spectroscopic radial velocity variations of the components provides a measurement of the stellar masses and distance to the system. This paper provides an overview of interferometric methods used to resolve binaries and a table of orbits that have been resolved spatially using the CHARA Array. In addition to mapping the orbits of binary stars, the six telescopes in the array provide excellent coverage on the sky for studying the circumstellar environments within binary systems and investigating tidal effects within interacting binaries.