Abstract The expanding catalogs of Galactic star clusters offer unprecedented opportunities to identify binary, triple, and higher-order multiple systems. However, the swift and reliable identification of these systems from large datasets remains a significant challenge. We applied the NearestNeighbors and DBSCAN algorithms to an input sample of 3261 bound open clusters (OCs), using their 5D astrometric data retrieved from Gaia DR3. This initial search obtained 950 candidate groups, containing 2305 individual OCs. Our analysis of this specific sample indicates that a significant fraction (nearly 70%) of the studied OCs reside in candidate binary or multiple systems. However, we caution that this observed frequency is subject to selection effects and the completeness limits of the input catalog. We conducted a systematic analysis of 159 binary cluster candidates to assess their fundamental parameters, dynamical properties, and spatial separations, thereby testing their physical association. This physical assessment identified 83 reliable systems, with a modal separation of 48.5 pc, constituting about 5% of the input cluster sample. Our N -body simulations reveal that these pairs are likely transient systems that satisfy binding criteria at the current epoch yet are undergoing dynamical separation. We present a comprehensive catalog of high-confidence candidate pairs validated by rigorous constraints, establishing a robust foundation for tracing the dissolution of primordial cluster complexes into the Galactic field.
陈 et al. (Wed,) studied this question.