Description
We develop Bayesian statistical methods for discovering and assigning probabilities to non-random (e.g., physical) stellar companions. These companions are either presently bound or were previously bound. The probabilities depend on similarities in corrected proper motion parallel and perpendicular to the brighter component's motion, parallax, and the local phase-space density of field stars. Control experiments are conducted to understand the behavior of false positives. The technique is applied to the Hipparcos Catalogue (Cat. I/239) within 100pc. This is the first all-sky survey to locate escaped companions still drifting along with each other. In the <100pc distance range, ~220 high probability companions with separations between 0.01 and 1pc are found. The first evidence for a population (~300) of companions separated by 1-8pc is found.
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