Cepheids, Binaries, and Star Formation: Making the Connection
Nancy R. Evans
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics


Cepheids provide insight into both star formation and stellar evolution. Multiwavelength studies supply binary/multiple properties for these reasonably massive stars, which allows the exploration of differences between between high and low mass stars formation. A 3 part program to derive binary parameters is underway. We are conducting a survey of Cepheids with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) to identify possible resolved companions, for example Eta Aql. X-ray observations (Chandra and XMM-Newton) can confirm whether possible low mass companions are young enough to be physical companions of Cepheids, hence providing constraints on star formation. In a related study of intermediate mass stars, Chandra X-ray observations of late B stars in Tr 16 have been used to determine the fraction which have low mass companions (which are X-ray active in contrast to the late B stars which are X-ray quiet). Finally, velocity data from the Groynya, et al. is being combined with CORAVEL data develop statistics on long period orbits.