Radial velocities of nearby K and M dwarfs

A correlation radial-velocity meter was used during 1985-87 to make 931 measurements of the radial velocities of 206 nearby stars in Gliese's catalog. The characteristic accuracy was 0.5 km/sec. A homogeneous sample of 162 K and M dwarfs in the region δ > -10/degree/, 14/sup h/ < α < 3/sup h/ contains 41 stars with variable or probably variable velocity; 10 stars have been identified for the first time as spectroscopic binaries. The fraction of spectroscopic binaries in the classes K0-K2 is 17%, in the classes M0 and later 36%, and in the complete sample 27%. Among the systems with a period less than one year low-mass (M2 sin i < 0.1Msub solar) satellites have not been found; for all stars the velocity spread exceeds 7 km/sec. For the systems GL 58.2 and 791.3, which have the greatest mass function, the lines of secondary components have been detected