Detection and Characterization of Planets in Binary and Multiple Systems

Moderately close binaries are a special class of targets for planet searches. From a theoretical standpoint, their hospitality to giant planets is uncertain and debated. From an observational standpoint, many of these systems present technical difficulties for precise radial-velocity measurements and classical Doppler surveys avoid them accordingly. In spite of these adverse factors, present data support the idea that giant planets residing in binary and hierarchical systems provide unique observational constraints on the processes of planet formation and evolution. The interest and the importance of including various types of binary stars in extrasolar planet studies have thus grown over time and significant efforts have recently been put into: (i) searching for stellar companions to the known planet-host stars using direct imaging, and (ii) extending Doppler planet searches to spectroscopic and moderately close visual binaries. In this contribution we review the observational progresses made over the past years to detect and study extrasolar planets in binary systems, putting special emphasis on the two developments mentioned above.