RELATIVE ORIENTATION OF ANGULAR MOMENTA IN MULTIPLE STAR SYSTEMS

Observational data on the relative orientation of angular momentum vec tors in three samples of multiple stars are analyzed and compared with model calculations. The models used are uniform distribution of the a ngle phi between the vectors over the interval (0, phi) for a fractio n p of the systems, and random relative orientation of the vectors in the remaining systems. The distribution of differences in orbital incl ination angles in 31 spectroscopic-visual multiple systems corresponds to models with parameters (phi, p) = (20-degrees, 0.5) or (60-degree s, 1 ). The distribution in angle phi in 14 systems where two visual o rbits are known is best described by models with parameters (60-degree s, 0.7) or (40-degrees, 0.6). Both observed distributions differ signi ficantly from models with p = 0, i.e., they do not correspond to rando m relative orientation of orbits. The third sample consisted of 96 orb ital visual binary stars with distant companions. The distribution of the angle between the line of nodes and the direction to the companion does not show the expected attributes of orbital coplanarity, but com parison of the apparent sense of rotation of a close pair and companio n in 37 systems shows predominant corotation, and the observed fractio n of systems with corotation corresponds to models with p > 0. 5.