Stellar multiplicity rate of M dwarfs within 25 pc

We report the discovery of 20 new companions and identify 56 candidate multiple systems. We find a stellar multiplicity rate of 26.8+/-1.4% and a stellar companion rate of 32.4+/-1.4% for M dwarfs. There is a broad peak in the separation distribution of the companions at 4-20 au, with a weak trend of smaller projected linear separations for lower mass primaries.

A hint that M-dwarf multiplicity may be a function of tangential velocity is found, with faster moving, presumably older, stars found to be multiple somewhat less often. We calculate that stellar companions make up at least 17% of mass attributed to M dwarfs in the solar neighborhood, with roughly 11% of M-dwarf mass hidden as unresolved companions. Finally, when considering all M-dwarf primaries and companions, we find that the mass distribution for M dwarfs increases to the end of the stellar main sequence.