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The BANANA Survey: Spin-Orbit Alignment in Binary Stars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 April 2012

Simon Albrecht
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
J. N. Winn
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
D. C. Fabrycky
Affiliation:
University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
G. Torres
Affiliation:
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
J. Setiawan
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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Abstract

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Binaries are not always neatly aligned. Previous observations of the DI Herculis system showed that the spin axes of both stars are highly inclined with respect to one another and the orbital axis. Here, we report on our ongoing survey to measure relative orientations of spin-axes in a number of eclipsing binary systems.

These observations will hopefully lead to new insights into star and planet formation, as different formation scenarios predict different degrees of alignment and different dependencies on the system parameters. Measurements of spin-orbit angles in close binary systems will also create a basis for comparison for similar measurements involving close-in planets.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2012

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