Near‐Infrared Adaptive Optics Imaging of the Embedded Cluster NGC 2024

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Abstract
We present the results of a high resolution near infrared adaptive optics survey of the young obscured star forming region NGC 2024. Out of the total 73 stars detected in the adaptive optics survey of the cluster, we find 3 binaries and one triple. The resulting companion star fraction, 7+/-3% in the separation range of 0.''35-2.''3 (145-950 AU), is consistent with that expected from the multiplicity of mature solar-type stars in the local neighborhood. Our survey was sensitive to faint secondaries but no companions with Delta K' > 1.2 magnitudes are detected within 2'' of any star. The cluster has a K' luminosity function that peaks at ~12, and although our completeness limit was 17.7 magnitude at K', the faintest star we detect had a K' magnitude of 16.62.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
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