Which method can provide mass determination in binary systems?

Mass determination in binary systems is crucial for understanding stellar properties and the evolution of stars. The method that effectively accomplishes this involves examining visual binaries in conjunction with parallax information.

In visual binaries, both stars are separately visible through a telescope, allowing astronomers to measure their orbital characteristics accurately. By studying the relative positions and movements of the stars over time, one can derive the mass of each star using Kepler’s laws of motion. However, to derive absolute masses rather than just relative masses, additional information is necessary. This is where parallax comes in.

Parallax is the apparent shift in position of an object against a distant background when observed from different locations. By determining the distance to the binary system using parallax, astronomers can convert the angular measurements from the visual binary into actual distances. This additional data allows for the calculation of the stars' masses in absolute terms instead of merely relative to each other.

For options presenting other types of binaries, while eclipsing binaries can provide mass determinations through observing light curves and the timing of eclipses, they do not inherently provide distance information without additional data. Astrometric binaries, which are detected through the gravitational wobble they induce on a visible star, allow for mass determination, but like eclips