Binary Stars On-Line Worksheet

  1. Two stars of a binary system are found to be 6 AU apart and have an orbital period of 3 years. If Star A is twice as massive as Star B, then what are the masses of Star A and B?






  2. The radial velocities of two stars of a binary system are 40 km/s and 120 km/s. If the two stars are 4 AU apart and have an orbital period of 2 years, what are the masses of the two stars?
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  3. Given the following radial velocity curve, find the masses of the two stars.

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