The eccentricity distribution of wide binaries and their individual measurements
Abstract
Eccentricity of wide binaries is difficult to measure due to their long orbital periods. With Gaia's high-precision astrometric measurements, eccentricity of a wide binary can be constrained by the angle between the separation vector and the relative velocity vector (the $v$-$r$ angle). In this paper, by using the $v$-$r$ angles of wide binaries in Gaia Early Data Release 3, we develop a Bayesian approach to measure the eccentricity distribution as a function of binary separations. Furthermore, we infer the eccentricities of individual wide binaries and make them publicly available. Our results show that the eccentricity distribution of wide binaries at $10^2$ AU is close to uniform and becomes superthermal at $>10^{3}$ AU, suggesting two formation mechanisms dominating at different separation regimes. The close binary formation, most likely disk fragmentation, results in a uniform eccentricity distribution at $<10^{2}$ AU. The wide binary formation that leads to highly eccentric wide binaries at $>10^{3}$ AU may be turbulent fragmentation and/or the dynamical unfolding of compact triples. With Gaia, measuring eccentricities is now possible for a large number of wide binaries, opening a new window to understanding binary formation and evolution.