Assignment 3: Binary Systems and Stellar Parameters

(Due: 11:00 am, 28 April 2015; Bring to Tutorial)

Important Instructions:
A. Define every symbol you introduce, unless they are common symbols or as defined in the question.
If you are not sure whether they are common symbols, define it!
B. Lay out each step clearly and logically. Points will be deducted if you skip or do not clearly explain
chains of logic, even if you arrive at the correct answer.
C. The total mark is 200.

1. [50 marks]
Consider a one-dimensional interferometer comprising two antennas spaced separated by a distance d
= 10 km along the x-direction. Assume that the interferometer receives monochromatic radio waves
of wavelength = 21cm, and perform observations at or near transit so that the angle between the
source direction and the normal to the antenna separation is very small. The interference fringes
measured by such an interferometer for a celestial object that is extended in the x-direction can be
most easily envisioned as the superposition of interference fringes from individual point sources
distributed along the length of that object in the x-direction.
(a) If the interferometer measures zero visibility for two points sources with equal intensities, what is
the minimum angular separation of the two sources in the sky along the x-direction?
(b) If the interferometer measures unity visibility, what is the minimum non-zero angular separation
of these two sources in the sky along the x-direction?
(c) Sketch the visibility amplitude (y-axis) as the separation of the two antennas is increased from
zero to d (x-axis) for the angular separation between the two sources derived in parts (a) and (b)
(in your sketch, only the trend, and not the exact shape, of the visibility profile is important). Can
you now see how the angular resolution of an interferometer, defined as /d, relates to the
visibilities of a point source?
(d) If the interferometer measures zero visibility for an extended source with uniform brightness, what
is the minimum angular size of this source in the sky along the x-direction?
(e) Sketch the visibility amplitude (along the vertical axis) as the separation of the two antennas is
decreased from d to zero (along the horizontal axis) for the angular size of the source derived in
part (d) (in your sketch, only the trend, and not the exact shape, of the visibility profile is
important). Can you now see how the angular resolution of an interferometer, defined as /d,
relates to the visibilities of an extended source?

2. [10 marks]
Show that the total energy and orbital angular momentum of two bodies with masses m1 and m2
orbiting each other about their center of mass is equal to the total energy and orbital angular
momentum of a reduced mass = m1 m2/(m1 + m2) orbiting a mass M = m1 + m2 having the same
orbital eccentricity and orbital separation as that of m1 and m2 (see lecture notes).

3. [10 marks]

4. [50 marks]
From the equations provided in the lecture notes for the reduced mass in an elliptical orbit with
eccentricity e, derive equations for the orbital velocity of each binary companion with respect to the
center of mass. Also write down expressions for the orbital velocity of each component at
periastron (closest approach) and apastron (furthest separation). The only parameters in the
equations should be the masses of the individual stars, the semimajor axes of their orbits with
respect to the center of mass, and of course the radial distance of each star from the center of mass.

5. [10 marks]

6. [15 marks]

7. [10 marks]

8. [20 marks]

9. [10 marks]
51 Pegasi is a solar-type star with an estimated mass of 1.06 M at a distance of 15.6 pc. It
exhibits sinusoidal radial velocity variations with an amplitude of 54.9 m/s and a period of
4.23077 days attributed to a planet. Compute the minimum mass of the planet around 51 Pegasi
(expressed in MJ, the mass of Jupiter) and the semimajor axis (expressed in AU) of the planets
orbit. [Hint: assume that the planet mass, mp, is much smaller than the stellar mass, m*.]

10. [15 marks]

Would the precision of radial-velocity measurements have to be lower or higher for detecting a
planet around a higher mass star, m*, for the same planet mass, mp, orbital inclination, i, orbital
period, P, and orbital separation between the star and planet (assume a circular orbit)?
Demonstrate your answer quantitatively: derive an expression for the radial velocity of the star,
v*r, about the systems center of mass in terms of the quantities given above and G, the Universal
Gravitational constant.