Measurements of Binary Stars, Including Two New Discoveries, with the Lick Observatory Adaptive Optics System

Abstract

We present astronomical results from observations for a number of multiple star systems observed with the Lick Observatory natural guide star adaptive optics system. We have discovered and classified a fifth component in the ι Cas system and a third component for the wide binary WDS 00310+2839. Using two different data reduction techniques, we demonstrate relative astrometric precision to 2-3 mas and photometric precision to within 0.05 mag. The binary stars enable anisoplanatism to be measured, from which a mean turbulence height over Lick Observatory of 1.5-3 km is determined.