Brown dwarfs: At last filling the gap between stars and planets

PubMed Central

Zuckerman, Ben

2000-01-01

Until the mid-1990s a person could not point to any celestial object and say with assurance that “here is a brown dwarf.” Now dozens are known, and the study of brown dwarfs has come of age, touching upon major issues in astrophysics, including the nature of dark matter, the properties of substellar objects, and the origin of binary stars and planetary systems. PMID:10655468

Fundmental Parameters of Low-Mass Stars, Brown Dwarfs, and Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montet, Benjamin; Johnson, John A.; Bowler, Brendan; Shkolnik, Evgenya

2016-01-01

Despite advances in evolutionary models of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, these models remain poorly constrained by observations. In order to test these predictions directly, masses of individual stars must be measured and combined with broadband photometry and medium-resolution spectroscopy to probe stellar atmospheres. I will present results from an astrometric and spectroscopic survey of low-mass pre-main sequence binary stars to measure individual dynamical masses and compare to model predictions. This is the first systematic test of a large number of stellar systems of intermediate age between young star-forming regions and old field stars. Stars in our sample are members of the Tuc-Hor, AB Doradus, and beta Pictoris moving groups, the last of which includes GJ 3305 AB, the wide binary companion to the imaged exoplanet host 51 Eri. I will also present results of Spitzer observations of secondary eclipses of LHS 6343 C, a T dwarf transiting one member of an M+M binary in the Kepler field. By combining these data with Kepler photometry and radial velocity observations, we can measure the luminosity, mass, and radius of the brown dwarf. This is the first non-inflated brown dwarf for which all three of these parameters have been measured, providing the first benchmark to test model predictions of the masses and radii of field T dwarfs. I will discuss these results in the context of K2 and TESS, which will find additional benchmark transiting brown dwarfs over the course of their missions, including a description of the first planet catalog developed from K2 data and a program to search for transiting planets around mid-M dwarfs.

The brown dwarf kinematics project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faherty, Jackie K.

2010-10-01

Brown dwarfs are a recent addition to the plethora of objects studied in Astronomy. With theoretical masses between 13 and 75 MJupiter , they lack sustained stable Hydrogen burning so they never join the stellar main sequence. They have physical properties similar to both planets and low-mass stars so studies of their population inform on both. The distances and kinematics of brown dwarfs provide key statistical constraints on their ages, moving group membership, absolute brightnesses, evolutionary trends, and multiplicity. Yet, until my thesis, fundamental measurements of parallax and proper motion were made for only a relatively small fraction of the known population. To address this deficiency, I initiated the Brown Dwarf Kinematics (BDKP). Over the past four years I have re-imaged the majority of spectroscopically confirmed field brown dwarfs (or ultracool dwarfs---UCDs) and created the largest proper motion catalog for ultracool dwarfs to date. Using new astrometric information I examined population characteristics such as ages calculated from velocity dispersions and correlations between kinematics and colors. Using proper motions, I identified several new wide co-moving companions and investigated binding energy (and hence formation) limitations as well as the frequency of hierarchical companions. Concurrently over the past four years I have been conducting a parallax survey of 84 UCDs including those showing spectral signatures of youth, metal-poor brown dwarfs, and those within 20 pc of the Sun. Using absolute magnitude relations in J,H, and K, I identified overluminous binary candidates and investigated known flux-reversal binaries. Using current evolutionary models, I compared the MK vs J-K color magnitude diagram to model predictions and found that the low-surface gravity dwarfs are significantly red-ward and underluminous of predictions and a handful of late-type T dwarfs may require thicker clouds to account for their scatter.

Looking for the Coldest Atmospheres: a Search for Planetary Mass Companions around T and Y Brown Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fontanive, Clemence

2017-08-01

We propose to obtain WFC3/IR imaging of the very coolest brown dwarfs (T < 800 K) to search for substellar and planetary-mass companions to these objects. Companions discovered by this program would likely be analogues of the 250 K brown dwarf WISE 0855 and would provide vital benchmark objects for theoretical models, closing the gap in mass and temperature between brown dwarfs and planets. Finding such an object as a member of a binary system would be even more valuable as it would allow for the measurement of dynamical masses. We recently placed the first constraints to date on the binary frequency for brown dwarfs with spectral types >T8. This program will triple our current sample size, a requirement in order to confirm our current results and compare substellar binary properties for various spectral type and age populations. The WFC3/IR plate will allow us to probe near equal-mass binaries down to separations of 0.2 (2-3 AU for the typical distances of our targets). True cool companions should show strong absorption around 1.4 um as a result of the deep water absorption band observed at that wavelength in substellar spectra. We therefore propose observations in the WFC3 F127M and F139M filters which will allow us to robustly identify bona fide candidates and distinguish them from background stars based on this spectral feature. Most of our targets lack suitable NGS AO guide stars or LGS AO tip-tilt stars to be observed with ground-based telescopes, and the 1.4 um water band is often unobservable from the ground due to telluric water absorption. WFC3 on HST is thus the only instrument suitable for these observations.

The L dwarf/T dwarf transition: Multiplicity, magnetic activity and mineral meteorology across the hydrogen burning limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgasser, A. J.

2013-02-01

The transition between the L dwarf and T dwarf spectral classes is one of the most remarkable along the stellar/brown dwarf main sequence, separating sources with photospheres containing mineral condensate clouds from those containing methane and ammonia gases. Unusual characteristics of this transition include a 1 μm brightening between late L and early T dwarfs observed in both parallax samples and coeval binaries; a spike in the multiplicity fraction; evidence of increased photometric variability, possibly arising from patchy cloud structures; and a delayed transition for young, planetary-mass objects. All of these features can be explained if this transition is governed by the ``rapid'' (nonequlibrium) rainout of clouds from the photosphere, triggered by temperature, surface gravity, metallicity and (perhaps) rotational effects. While the underlying mechanism of this rainout remains under debate, the transition is now being exploited to discover and precisely characterize tight (<1 AU) very low-mass binaries that can be used to test brown dwarf evolutionary and atmospheric theories, and resolved binaries that further constrain the properties of this remarkable transition.

Hunting For Wild Brown Dwarf Companions To White Dwarfs In UKIDSS And SDSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day-Jones, Avril; Pinfield, D. J.; Jones, H. R. A.; Napiwotzki, R.; Burningham, B.; Jenkins, J. S.; UKIDSS Cool Dwarf Science Working Group

2008-03-01

We present findings from our search of the latest releases of SDSS and UKIDSS LAS for very widely separated white dwarf - ultracool dwarf binaries. Ultracool dwarfs found in such binary systems could be used as benchmark objects, whose properties, such as age and distance can be inferred indirectly from the white dwarf primary (with no need to refer to atmospheric models) and can provide a test bed for theoretical models, they can therefore be used observationally pin down how physical properties affect ultracool dwarf spectra.

SHAPING THE BROWN DWARF DESERT: PREDICTING THE PRIMORDIAL BROWN DWARF BINARY DISTRIBUTIONS FROM TURBULENT FRAGMENTATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jumper, Peter H.; Fisher, Robert T., E-mail: robert.fisher@umassd.edu

2013-05-20

The formation of brown dwarfs (BDs) poses a key challenge to star formation theory. The observed dearth of nearby ({<=}5 AU) BD companions to solar mass stars, known as the BD desert, as well as the tendency for low-mass binary systems to be more tightly bound than stellar binaries, has been cited as evidence for distinct formation mechanisms for BDs and stars. In this paper, we explore the implications of the minimal hypothesis that BDs in binary systems originate via the same fundamental fragmentation mechanism as stars, within isolated, turbulent giant molecular cloud cores. We demonstrate analytically that the scalingmore » of specific angular momentum with turbulent core mass naturally gives rise to the BD desert, as well as wide BD binary systems. Further, we show that the turbulent core fragmentation model also naturally predicts that very low mass binary and BD/BD systems are more tightly bound than stellar systems. In addition, in order to capture the stochastic variation intrinsic to turbulence, we generate 10{sup 4} model turbulent cores with synthetic turbulent velocity fields to show that the turbulent fragmentation model accommodates a small fraction of binary BDs with wide separations, similar to observations. Indeed, the picture which emerges from the turbulent fragmentation model is that a single fragmentation mechanism may largely shape both stellar and BD binary distributions during formation.« less

On the frequency of close binary systems among very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maxted, P. F. L.; Jeffries, R. D.

2005-09-01

We have used Monte Carlo simulation techniques and published radial velocity surveys to constrain the frequency of very low-mass star (VLMS) and brown dwarf (BD) binary systems and their separation (a) distribution. Gaussian models for the separation distribution with a peak at a= 4au and 0.6 <=σlog(a/au)<= 1.0, correctly predict the number of observed binaries, yielding a close (a < 2.6au) binary frequency of 17-30 per cent and an overall VLMS/BD binary frequency of 32-45 per cent. We find that the available N-body models of VLMS/BD formation from dynamically decaying protostellar multiple systems are excluded at >99 per cent confidence because they predict too few close binary VLMS/BDs. The large number of close binaries and high overall binary frequency are also very inconsistent with recent smoothed particle hydrodynamical modelling and argue against a dynamical origin for VLMS/BDs.

Close binary systems among very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeffries, R. D.; Maxted, P. F. L.

2005-12-01

Using Monte Carlo simulations and published radial velocity surveys we have constrained the frequency and separation (a) distribution of very low-mass star (VLM) and brown dwarf (BD) binary systems. We find that simple Gaussian extensions of the observed wide binary distribution, with a peak at 4 AU and 0.6<\\sigma_{\\log(a/AU)}<1.0, correctly reproduce the observed number of close binary systems, implying a close (a<2.6 AU) binary frequency of 17-30 % and overall frequency of 32-45 %. N-body models of the dynamical decay of unstable protostellar multiple systems are excluded with high confidence because they do not produce enough close binary VLMs/BDs. The large number of close binaries and high overall binary frequency are also completely inconsistent with published smoothed particle hydrodynamical modelling and argue against a dynamical origin for VLMs/BDs.

WISE Brown Dwarf Binaries: The Discovery of a T5+T5 and a T8.5+T9 System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelino, Christopher R.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Cushing, Michael C.; Eisenhardt, Peter R.; Griffith, Roger L.; Mainzer, Amanda K.; Marsh, Kenneth A.; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Wright, Edward L.

2011-08-01

The multiplicity properties of brown dwarfs are critical empirical constraints for formation theories, while multiples themselves provide unique opportunities to test evolutionary and atmospheric models and examine empirical trends. Studies using high-resolution imaging cannot only uncover faint companions, but they can also be used to determine dynamical masses through long-term monitoring of binary systems. We have begun a search for the coolest brown dwarfs using preliminary processing of data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and have confirmed many of the candidates as late-type T dwarfs. In order to search for companions to these objects, we are conducting observations using the Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics system on Keck II. Here we present the first results of that search, including a T5 binary with nearly equal mass components and a faint companion to a T8.5 dwarf with an estimated spectral type of T9. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD. XXVIII. THE MULTIPLICITY FRACTION OF NEARBY STARS FROM 5 TO 70 AU AND THE BROWN DWARF DESERT AROUND M DWARFS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dieterich, Sergio B.; Henry, Todd J.; Golimowski, David A.

2012-08-15

We report on our analysis of Hubble Space Telescope/NICMOS snapshot high-resolution images of 255 stars in 201 systems within {approx}10 pc of the Sun. Photometry was obtained through filters F110W, F180M, F207M, and F222M using NICMOS Camera 2. These filters were selected to permit clear identification of cool brown dwarfs through methane contrast imaging. With a plate scale of 76 mas pixel{sup -1}, NICMOS can easily resolve binaries with subarcsecond separations in the 19.''5 Multiplication-Sign 19.''5 field of view. We previously reported five companions to nearby M and L dwarfs from this search. No new companions were discovered during themore » second phase of data analysis presented here, confirming that stellar/substellar binaries are rare. We establish magnitude and separation limits for which companions can be ruled out for each star in the sample, and then perform a comprehensive sensitivity and completeness analysis for the subsample of 138 M dwarfs in 126 systems. We calculate a multiplicity fraction of 0.0{sup +3.5}{sub -0.0}% for L companions to M dwarfs in the separation range of 5-70 AU, and 2.3{sup +5.0}{sub -0.7}% for L and T companions to M dwarfs in the separation range of 10-70 AU. We also discuss trends in the color-magnitude diagrams using various color combinations and present astrometry for 19 multiple systems in our sample. Considering these results and results from several other studies, we argue that the so-called brown dwarf desert extends to binary systems with low-mass primaries and is largely independent of primary mass, mass ratio, and separations. While focusing on companion properties, we discuss how the qualitative agreement between observed companion mass functions and initial mass functions suggests that the paucity of brown dwarfs in either population may be due to a common cause and not due to binary formation mechanisms.« less

Hot subdwarfs in (eclipsing) binaries with brown dwarf or low-mass main-sequence companions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaffenroth, Veronika; Geier, Stephan; Heber, Uli

2014-09-01

The formation of hot subdwarf stars (sdBs), which are core helium-burning stars located on the extended horizontal branch, is not yet understood. Many of the known hot subdwarf stars reside in close binary systems with short orbital periods of between a few hours and a few days, with either M-star or white-dwarf companions. Common-envelope ejection is the most probable formation channel. Among these, eclipsing systems are of special importance because it is possible to constrain the parameters of both components tightly by combining spectroscopic and light-curve analyses. They are called HW Virginis systems. Soker (1998) proposed that planetary or brown-dwarf companions could cause the mass loss necessary to form an sdB. Substellar objects with masses greater than >10 M_J were predicted to survive the common-envelope phase and end up in a close orbit around the stellar remnant, while planets with lower masses would entirely evaporate. This raises the question if planets can affect stellar evolution. Here we report on newly discovered eclipsing or not eclipsing hot subdwarf binaries with brown-dwarf or low-mass main-sequence companions and their spectral and photometric analysis to determine the fundamental parameters of both components.

A Search for Companions to Nearby Brown Dwarfs: The Binary DENIS-P J1228.2-1547

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, E.; Brandner, W.; Basri, G.

1999-01-01

Hubble Space Telescope near infrared camera and multiobject spectrometer (NICMOS) imaging observations of two nearby young brown dwarfs, DENIS-P J1228.2-1547 and Kelu 1, show that the DENIS object is resolved into two components of nearly equal brightness with a projected separation of 0.275 arcsec.

Possible Observational Criteria for Distinguishing Brown Dwarfs From Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, David C.

1997-01-01

The difference in formation process between binary stars and planetary systems is reflected in their composition, as well as orbital architecture, particularly in their orbital eccentricity as a function of orbital period. It is suggested here that this difference can be used as an observational criterion to distinguish between brown dwarfs and planets. Application of the orbital criterion suggests that, with three possible exceptions, all of the recently discovered substellar companions may be brown dwarfs and not planets. These criterion may be used as a guide for interpretation of the nature of substellar-mass companions to stars in the future.

Frontiers of stellar evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambert, David L. (Editor)

1991-01-01

The present conference discusses theoretical and observational views of star formation, spectroscopic constraints on the evolution of massive stars, very low mass stars and brown dwarfs, asteroseismology, globular clusters as tests of stellar evolution, observational tests of stellar evolution, and mass loss from cool evolved giant stars. Also discussed are white dwarfs and hot subdwarfs, neutron stars and black holes, supernovae from single stars, close binaries with evolved components, accretion disks in interacting binaries, supernovae in binary systems, stellar evolution and galactic chemical evolution, and interacting binaries containing compact components.

Precise Ages for the Benchmark Brown Dwarfs HD 19467 B and HD 4747 B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Charlotte; Boyajian, Tabetha; Crepp, Justin; von Braun, Kaspar; Brewer, John; Schaefer, Gail; Adams, Arthur; White, Tim

2018-01-01

Large uncertainty in the age of brown dwarfs, stemming from a mass-age degeneracy, makes it difficult to constrain substellar evolutionary models. To break the degeneracy, we need ''benchmark" brown dwarfs (found in binary systems) whose ages can be determined independent of their masses. HD~19467~B and HD~4747~B are two benchmark brown dwarfs detected through the TRENDS (TaRgeting bENchmark objects with Doppler Spectroscopy) high-contrast imaging program for which we have dynamical mass measurements. To constrain their ages independently through isochronal analysis, we measured the radii of the host stars with interferometry using the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array. Assuming the brown dwarfs have the same ages as their host stars, we use these results to distinguish between several substellar evolutionary models. In this poster, we present new age estimates for HD~19467 and HD~4747 that are more accurate and precise and show our preliminary comparisons to cooling models.

Searching for Unresolved Binary Brown Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albretsen, Jacob; Stephens, Denise

2007-10-01

There are currently L and T brown dwarfs (BDs) with errors in their classification of +/- 1 to 2 spectra types. Metallicity and gravitational differences have accounted for some of these discrepancies, and recent studies have shown unresolved binary BDs may offer some explanation as well. However limitations in technology and resources often make it difficult to clearly resolve an object that may be binary in nature. Stephens and Noll (2006) identified statistically strong binary source candidates from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) that were apparently unresolved using model point-spread functions for single and binary sources. The HST archive contains numerous observations of BDs using the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) that have never been rigorously analyzed for binary properties. Using methods developed by Stephens and Noll (2006), BD observations from the HST data archive are being analyzed for possible unresolved binaries. Preliminary results will be presented. This technique will identify potential candidates for future observations to determine orbital information.

The MUCHFUSS photometric campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaffenroth, V.; Geier, S.; Heber, U.; Gerber, R.; Schneider, D.; Ziegerer, E.; Cordes, O.

2018-06-01

Hot subdwarfs (sdO/Bs) are the helium-burning cores of red giants, which have lost almost all of their hydrogen envelope. This mass loss is often triggered by common envelope interactions with close stellar or even substellar companions. Cool companions like late-type stars or brown dwarfs are detectable via characteristic light-curve variations like reflection effects and often also eclipses. To search for such objects, we obtained multi-band light curves of 26 close sdO/B binary candidates from the MUCHFUSS project with the BUSCA instrument. We discovered a new eclipsing reflection effect system (P = 0.168938 d) with a low-mass M dwarf companion (0.116 M⊙). Three more reflection effect binaries found in the course of the campaign have already been published; two of them are eclipsing systems, and in one system only showing the reflection effect but no eclipses, the sdB primary is found to be pulsating. Amongst the targets without reflection effect a new long-period sdB pulsator was discovered and irregular light variations were found in two sdO stars. The found light variations allowed us to constrain the fraction of reflection effect binaries and the substellar companion fraction around sdB stars. The minimum fraction of reflection effect systems amongst the close sdB binaries might be greater than 15% and the fraction of close substellar companions in sdB binaries may be as high as 8.0%. This would result in a close substellar companion fraction to sdB stars of about 3%. This fraction is much higher than the fraction of brown dwarfs around possible progenitor systems, which are solar-type stars with substellar companions around 1 AU, as well as close binary white dwarfs with brown dwarf companions. This might suggest that common envelope interactions with substellar objects are preferentially followed by a hot subdwarf phase.

A Search for Low Mass Stars and Substellar Companions and A Study of Circumbinary Gas and Dust Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, David R.

2011-01-01

We have searched for nearby low-mass stars and brown dwarfs and have studied the planet-forming environment of binary stars. We have carried out a search for young, low-mass stars in nearby stellar associations using X-ray and UV source catalogs. We discovered a new technique to identify 10-100 Myr-old low-mass stars within 100 pc of the Earth using GALEX-optical/near-IR data. We present candidate young stars found by applying this new method in the 10 Myr old TW Hydrae and Scorpius-Centaurus associations. In addition, we have searched for the coolest brown dwarf class: Y-dwarfs, expected to appear at temperatures <500 K. Using wide-field near infrared imaging with ground (CTIO, Palomar, KPNO) and space (Spitzer, AKARI) observatories, we have looked for companions to nearby, old (2 Gyr or older), high proper motion white dwarfs. We present results for Southern Hemisphere white dwarfs. Additionally, we have characterized how likely planet formation occurs in binary star systems. While 20% of planets have been discovered around one member of a binary system, these binaries have semi-major axes larger than 20 AU. We have performed an AO and spectroscopic search for binary stars among a sample of known debris disk stars, which allows us to indirectly study planet formation and evolution in binary systems. As a case study, we examined the gas and dust present in the circumbinary disk around V4046 Sagittarii, a 2.4-day spectroscopic binary. Our results demonstrate it is unlikely that planets can form in binaries with stellar semi-major axes of 10s of AU. This research has been funded by a NASA ADA grant to UCLA and RIT.

Benchmark Transiting Brown Dwarf LHS 6343 C: Spitzer Secondary Eclipse Observations Yield Brightness Temperature and Mid-T Spectral Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montet, Benjamin T.; Johnson, John Asher; Fortney, Jonathan J.; Desert, Jean-Michel

2016-05-01

There are no field brown dwarf analogs with measured masses, radii, and luminosities, precluding our ability to connect the population of transiting brown dwarfs with measurable masses and radii and field brown dwarfs with measurable luminosities and atmospheric properties. LHS 6343 C, a weakly irradiated brown dwarf transiting one member of an M+M binary in the Kepler field, provides the first opportunity to probe the atmosphere of a non-inflated brown dwarf with a measured mass and radius. Here, we analyze four Spitzer observations of secondary eclipses of LHS 6343 C behind LHS 6343 A. Jointly fitting the eclipses with a Gaussian process noise model of the instrumental systematics, we measure eclipse depths of 1.06 ± 0.21 ppt at 3.6 μm and 2.09 ± 0.08 ppt at 4.5 μm, corresponding to brightness temperatures of 1026 ± 57 K and 1249 ± 36 K, respectively. We then apply brown dwarf evolutionary models to infer a bolometric luminosity {log}({L}\\star /{L}⊙ )=-5.16+/- 0.04. Given the known physical properties of the brown dwarf and the two M dwarfs in the LHS 6343 system, these depths are consistent with models of a 1100 K T dwarf at an age of 5 Gyr and empirical observations of field T5-6 dwarfs with temperatures of 1070 ± 130 K. We investigate the possibility that the orbit of LHS 6343 C has been altered by the Kozai-Lidov mechanism and propose additional astrometric or Rossiter-McLaughlin measurements of the system to probe the dynamical history of the system.

A new benchmark T8-9 brown dwarf and a couple of new mid-T dwarfs from the UKIDSS DR5+ LAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldman, B.; Marsat, S.; Henning, T.; Clemens, C.; Greiner, J.

2010-06-01

Benchmark brown dwarfs are those objects for which fiducial constraints are available, including effective temperature, parallax, age and metallicity. We searched for new cool brown dwarfs in 186deg2 of the new area covered by the data release DR5+ of the UKIRT Deep Infrared Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey. Follow-up optical and near-infrared broad-band photometry, and methane imaging of four promising candidates, revealed three objects with distinct methane absorption, typical of mid- to late-T dwarfs and one possibly T4 dwarf. The latest-type object, classified as T8-9, shares its large proper motion with Ross 458 (BD+13o2618), an active M0.5 binary which is 102arcsec away, forming a hierarchical low-mass star+brown dwarf system. Ross 458C has an absolute J-band magnitude of 16.4, and seems overluminous, particularly in the K band, compared to similar field brown dwarfs. We estimate the age of the system to be less than 1Gyr, and its mass to be as low as 14 Jupiter masses for the age of 1Gyr. At 11.4pc, this new late-T benchmark dwarf is a promising target to constrain the evolutionary and atmospheric models of very low-mass brown dwarfs. We present proper motion measurements for our targets and for 13 known brown dwarfs. Two brown dwarfs have velocities typical of the thick disc and may be old brown dwarfs. Based on observations collected at the German-Spanish Astronomical Center, Calar Alto, jointly operated by the Max-Planck Institut für Astronomie Heidelberg and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andaluc'a (CSIC), and on observations made with ESO/MPG Telescope at the La Silla Observatory under programme ID 081.A-9012 and 081.A-9014. E-mail: goldman@mpia.de

A Very Cool Pair of Brown Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-03-01

Observations with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, along with two other telescopes, have shown that there is a new candidate for the coldest known star: a brown dwarf in a double system with about the same temperature as a freshly made cup of tea - hot in human terms, but extraordinarily cold for the surface of a star. This object is cool enough to begin crossing the blurred line dividing small cold stars from big hot planets. Brown dwarfs are essentially failed stars: they lack enough mass for gravity to trigger the nuclear reactions that make stars shine. The newly discovered brown dwarf, identified as CFBDSIR 1458+10B, is the dimmer member of a binary brown dwarf system located just 75 light-years from Earth [1]. The powerful X-shooter spectrograph on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) was used to show that the composite object was very cool by brown dwarf standards. "We were very excited to see that this object had such a low temperature, but we couldn't have guessed that it would turn out to be a double system and have an even more interesting, even colder component," said Philippe Delorme of the Institut de planétologie et d'astrophysique de Grenoble (CNRS/Université Joseph Fourier), a co-author of the paper. CFBDSIR 1458+10 is the coolest brown dwarf binary found to date. The dimmer of the two dwarfs has now been found to have a temperature of about 100 degrees Celsius - the boiling point of water, and not much different from the temperature inside a sauna [2]. "At such temperatures we expect the brown dwarf to have properties that are different from previously known brown dwarfs and much closer to those of giant exoplanets - it could even have water clouds in its atmosphere," said Michael Liu of the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy, who is lead author of the paper describing this new work. "In fact, once we start taking images of gas-giant planets around Sun-like stars in the near future, I expect that many of them will look like CFBDSIR 1458+10B." Unravelling the secrets of this unique object involved exploiting the power of three different telescopes. CFBDSIR 1458+10 was first found to be a binary using the Laser Guide Star (LGS) Adaptive Optics system on the Keck II Telescope in Hawaii [3]. Liu and his colleagues then employed the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, also in Hawaii, to determine the distance to the brown dwarf duo using an infrared camera [4]. Finally the ESO VLT was used to study the object's infrared spectrum and measure its temperature. The hunt for cool objects is a very active astronomical hot topic. The Spitzer Space Telescope has recently identified two other very faint objects as other possible contenders for the coolest known brown dwarfs, although their temperatures have not been measured so precisely. Future observations will better determine how these objects compare to CFBDSIR 1458+10B. Liu and his colleagues are planning to observe CFBDSIR 1458+10B again to better determine its properties and to begin mapping the binary's orbit, which, after about a decade of monitoring, should allow astronomers to determine the binary's mass. Notes [1] CFBDSIR 1458+10 is the name of the binary system. The two components are known as CFBDSIR 1458+10A and CFBDSIR 1458+10B, with the latter the fainter and cooler of the two. They seem to be orbiting each other at a separation of about three times the distance between the Earth and the Sun in a period of about thirty years. [2] By comparison the temperature of the surface of the Sun is about 5500 degrees Celsius. [3] Adaptive optics cancels out much of Earth's atmospheric interference, improving the image sharpness by a factor of ten and enabling the very small separation binary to be resolved. [4] The astronomers measured the apparent motion of the brown dwarfs against the background of more distant stars caused by Earth's changing position in its orbit around the Sun. The effect, known as parallax, allowed them to determine the distance to the brown dwarfs. More information This research was presented in a paper, "CFBDSIR J1458+1013B: A Very Cold (>T10) Brown Dwarf in a Binary System", Liu et al. to appear in the Astrophysical Journal. The team is composed of Michael C. Liu (Institute for Astronomy [IfA], University of Hawaii, USA), Philippe Delorme (Institut de planétologie et d'astrophysique de Grenoble, CNRS/Université Joseph Fourier, France [IPAG]), Trent J. Dupuy (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA), Brendan P. Bowler (IfA), Loic Albert (Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Corporation, Hawaii, USA), Etienne Artigau (Université de Montréal, Canada), Celine Reylé (Observatoire de Besançon, France), Thierry Forveille (IPAG) and Xavier Delfosse (IPAG). ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive astronomical observatory. It is supported by 15 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and VISTA, the world's largest survey telescope. ESO is the European partner of a revolutionary astronomical telescope ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. ESO is currently planning a 42-metre European Extremely Large optical/near-infrared Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".

Discovery of a Free-Floating Double Planet?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-07-01

An object previously identified as a free-floating, large Jupiter analogturns out to be two objects each with the mass of a few Jupiters. This system is the lowest-mass binary weve ever discovered.Tracking Down Ages2MASS J111932541137466 is thought to be a member of the TW Hydrae Association, a group of roughly two dozen young stars moving together in the solar neighborhood. [University of Western Ontario/Carnegie Institution of Washington DTM/David Rodriguez]Brown dwarfs represent the bottom end of the stellar mass spectrum, with masses too low to fuse hydrogen (typically below 75-80 Jupiter masses). Observing these objects provides us a unique opportunity to learn about stellar evolution and atmospheric models but to properly understand these observations, we need to determine the dwarfs masses and ages.This is surprisingly difficult, however. Brown dwarfs cool continuously as they age, which creates an observational degeneracy: dwarfs of different masses and ages can have the same luminosity, making it difficult to infer their physical properties from observations.We can solve this problem with an independent measurement of the dwarfs masses. One approach is to find brown dwarfs that are members of nearby stellar associations called moving groups. The stars within the association share the same approximate age, so a brown dwarfs age can be estimated based on the easier-to-identify ages of other stars in the group.An Unusual BinaryRecently, a team of scientists led by William Best (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii) were following up on such an object: the extremely red, low-gravity L7 dwarf 2MASS J111932541137466, possibly a member of the TW Hydrae Association. With the help of the powerful adaptive optics on the Keck II telescope in Hawaii, however, the team discovered that this Jupiter-like objectwas hiding something: its actually two objects of equal flux orbiting each other.Keck images of 2MASS J111932541137466 reveal that this object is actually a binary system. A similar image of another dwarf, WISEA J1147-2040, is shown at bottom left for contrast: this one does not show signs of being a binary at this resolution. [Best et al. 2017]To learn more about this unusual binary, Best and collaborators began by using observed properties like sky position, proper motion, and radial velocity to estimate the likelihood that 2MASS J111932541137466AB is, indeed, a member of the TW Hydrae Association of stars. They found roughly an 80% chance that it belongs to this group.Under this assumption, the authors then used the distance to the group around 160 light-years to estimate that the binarys separation is 3.9 AU. The assumed membership in the TW Hydrae Association also provides binarys age: roughly 10 million years. This allowed Best and collaborators to estimate the masses and effective temperatures of the components from luminosities and evolutionary models.Planetary-Mass ObjectsThe positions of 2MASS J111932541137466A and B on a color-magnitude diagram for ultracool dwarfs. The binary components lie among the faintest and reddest planetary-mass L dwarfs. [Best et al. 2017]The team found that each component is a mere 3.7 Jupiter masses, placing them in the fuzzy region between planets and stars. While the International Astronomical Union considers objects below the minimum mass to fuse deuterium (around 13 Jupiter masses) to be planets, other definitions vary, depending on factors such as composition, temperature, and formation. The authors describe the binary as consisting of two planetary-mass objects.Regardless of its definition, 2MASS J111932541137466AB qualifies as the lowest-mass binary discovered to date. The individual masses of the components also place them among the lowest-mass free-floating brown dwarfs known. This system will therefore be a crucial benchmark for tests of evolutionary and atmospheric models for low-mass stars in the future.CitationWilliam M. J. Best et al 2017 ApJL 843 L4. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa76df

Using Model Point Spread Functions to Identifying Binary Brown Dwarf Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matt, Kyle; Stephens, Denise C.; Lunsford, Leanne T.

2017-01-01

A Brown Dwarf (BD) is a celestial object that is not massive enough to undergo hydrogen fusion in its core. BDs can form in pairs called binaries. Due to the great distances between Earth and these BDs, they act as point sources of light and the angular separation between binary BDs can be small enough to appear as a single, unresolved object in images, according to Rayleigh Criterion. It is not currently possible to resolve some of these objects into separate light sources. Stephens and Noll (2006) developed a method that used model point spread functions (PSFs) to identify binary Trans-Neptunian Objects, we will use this method to identify binary BD systems in the Hubble Space Telescope archive. This method works by comparing model PSFs of single and binary sources to the observed PSFs. We also use a method to compare model spectral data for single and binary fits to determine the best parameter values for each component of the system. We describe these methods, its challenges and other possible uses in this poster.

Identification and characterization of low mass stars and brown dwarfs using Virtual Observatory tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aberasturi, Miriam

2015-11-01

Context: Two thirds of the stars in our galactic neighborhood (d < 10 pc) are M-dwarfs which also constitute the most common stellar objects in the Milky Way. This property, combined with their small stellar masses and radii, increases the likelihood of detecting terrestrial planets through radial velocity and transit techniques, making them very adequate targets for the exoplanet hunting projects. Nevertheless, M dwarfs have associated different observational difficulties. They are cool objects whose emission radiation peaks at infrared wavelengths and, thus, with a low surface brightness in the optical range. Also, the photometric variability as well as the significant chromospheric activity hinder the radial velocity and transit determinations. It is necessary, therefore, to carry out a detailed characterization of M-dwarfs before building a shortlist with the best possible candidates for exoplanet searches. Brown dwarfs (BDs) are self-gravitating objects that do not get enough mass to maintain a sufficiently high temperature in their core for stable hydrogen fusion. They represent the link between low-mass stars and giant planets. Due to their low temperatures, BDs emit significant flux at mid-infrared wavelength which makes this range very adequate to look for this type of objects. The Virtual Observatory (VO) is an international initiative designed to help the astronomical community in the exploitation of the multi-wavelength information that resides in data archives. In the last years the Spanish Virtual Observatory is conducting a number of projects focused on the study of substellar objects taking advantage of Virtual Observatory tools for an easy data access and analysis of large area surveys. This is the framework where this thesis has been carried out. This dissertation addresses three problems in the framework of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, namely, the search for brown dwarf candidates crossmatching catalogues (Chapter 4), the search for nearby bright M dwarfs and the subsequent spectroscopic characterization (Chapter 5), and a study of binarity in mid to late-T brown dwarfs (Chapter 6); the first two topics use Virtual Observatory tools. Aims and methodology:In the first paper we carried out a search of brown dwarfs in the sky area in common to the WISE, 2MASS Point Source and SDSS catalogues. A VO-workflow with the criteria that must accomplish our candidates was built using STILTS. The workflow returned 138 sources that were visually inspected. For the six new candidates that passed the inspection, proper motions were calculated using the positions and the different observing epochs of the catalogues previously quoted. Effective temperatures were estimated using VOSA and spectral types and distances using appropriate photometric calibrations. In the second publication we conducted an all-sky photometric search by cross correlating the Carlsberg Meridian Catalogue (CMC14) and the 2MASS Point Source Catalogue with the aim of increasing the number of known, nearby M dwarfs that could be used as targets for exoplanet searches in general and CARMENES in particular. This VO search was combined with low-resolution spectroscopic followup of 27 objects using the IDS spectrograph at the Isaac Newton telescope at La Palma, as well as with an astrometric and photometric study. In the third paper we attempted to refine the multiplicity properties of T dwarfs studying the largest sample so far observed with high angular resolution imaging. We undertook two parallel programs using the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) installed on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We used a PSF-fitting subtraction technique to reveal the presence of any close companion to the sources in our sample. Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to estimate the capability of WFC3 to detect close binaries in terms of angular separation and magnitude difference. Simulations were also used to determine the fraction of binaries that would have been detected around each source based on assumed separations, mass ratio distributions and orientations of the systems. Results: The main conclusion from this dissertation is that the Virtual Observatory has proved to be an excellent research methodology in the field of low mass stars and brown dwarfs. In particular, it allowed an efficient management of the queries to different catalogues and archives as well as the estimation of physical parameters through VO-tools. In the first publication we present the identification of 31 brown dwarf (25 known and 6 strong candidates not previously reported in the literature) identified in the sky area in common toWISE, 2MASS and SDSS. This is a remarkable number considering that 2MASS has been extensively searched for ultracool dwarfs and clearly show how new surveys and the use of VO tools can help to mine older surveys. The robustness of our methodology was confirmed with the spectroscopic confirmation of our candidate targets making it an ideal technique to identify brown dwarfs and, by extension, other rare objects. In the second paper, we show the potential of the VO and a purely photometric approach for finding new bright, nearby M dwarfs that escaped previous surveys mostly based on proper motions. We discover 24 new potential targets for exoplanet hunting (7 at less than 20 pc), 12 of which have been included in the CARMENES input catalogue of M dwarfs. We also identify three young very low-mass stars (M4-M5 spectral types) in the Taurus-Auriga region and a wide (110 AU) binary system. In the third paper we infer an upper limit for the binary fraction of >T5 dwarfs of <16 - < 25% depending of the underlying mass ratio distribution. This binary fraction is consistent with previous estimations. From this work we also conclude that theWFC3 is more sensitive to cool companions than otherHST instruments like NICMOS or WFPC2 but its lower angular resolution makes it unsuitable to detect tight brown dwarf binary systems.

Cloud structure of the nearest brown dwarfs. II: High-amplitude variability for Luhman 16 A and B in and out of the 0.99 μm FeH feature

DOE PAGES

Buenzli, Esther; Marley, Mark S.; Apai, Daniel; ...

2015-10-20

The re-emergence of the 0.99 μm FeH feature in brown dwarfs of early- to mid-T spectral type has been suggested as evidence for cloud disruption where flux from deep, hot regions below the Fe cloud deck can emerge. The same mechanism could account for color changes at the L/T transition and photometric variability. We present the first observations of spectroscopic variability of brown dwarfs covering the 0.99 μm FeH feature. We observed the spatially resolved very nearby brown dwarf binary WISE J104915.57–531906.1 (Luhman 16AB), a late-L and early-T dwarf, with Hubble Space Telescope/WFC3 in the G102 grism at 0.8–1.15 μm.more » We find significant variability at all wavelengths for both brown dwarfs, with peak-to-valley amplitudes of 9.3% for Luhman 16B and 4.5% for Luhman 16A. This represents the first unambiguous detection of variability in Luhman 16A. We estimate a rotational period between 4.5 and 5.5 hr, very similar to Luhman 16B. Variability in both components complicates the interpretation of spatially unresolved observations. The probability for finding large amplitude variability in any two brown dwarfs is less than 10%. Our finding may suggest that a common but yet unknown feature of the binary is important for the occurrence of variability. For both objects, the amplitude is nearly constant at all wavelengths except in the deep K i feature below 0.84 μm. No variations are seen across the 0.99 μm FeH feature. The observations lend strong further support to cloud height variations rather than holes in the silicate clouds, but cannot fully rule out holes in the iron clouds. Here, we re-evaluate the diagnostic potential of the FeH feature as a tracer of cloud patchiness.« less

Multiplicity among Young Brown Dwarfs and Very Low Mass Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmic, Mirza; Jayawardhana, Ray; Brandeker, Alexis; Scholz, Alexander; van Kerkwijk, Marten H.; Delgado-Donate, Eduardo; Froebrich, Dirk

2007-12-01

We report on a near-infrared adaptive optics imaging survey of 31 young brown dwarfs and very low mass (VLM) stars, 28 of which are in the Chamaeleon I star-forming region, using the ESO Very Large Telescope. We resolve the suspected 0.16'' (~26 AU) binary Cha Hα 2 and present two new binaries, Hn 13 and CHXR 15, with separations of 0.13'' (~20 AU) and 0.30'' (~50 AU), respectively; the latter is one of the widest VLM systems known. We find a binary frequency of 11+9-6%, thus confirming the trend for a lower binary frequency with decreasing mass. By combining our work with previous surveys, we arrive at the largest sample of young VLM objects (72) with high angular resolution imaging to date. Its multiplicity fraction is in statistical agreement with that for VLM objects in the field. Furthermore, we note that many field stellar binaries with lower binding energies and/or wider cross sections have survived dynamical evolution and that statistical models suggest tidal disruption by passing stars is unlikely to affect the binary properties of our systems. Thus, we argue that there is no significant evolution of multiplicity with age among brown dwarfs and VLM stars in OB and T associations between a few megayears to several gigayears. Instead, the observations so far suggest that VLM objects are either less likely to be born in fragile multiple systems than solar-mass stars or such systems are disrupted very early. We dedicate this paper to the memory of our coauthor, Eduardo Delgado-Donate, who died in a hiking accident in Tenerife earlier this year.

Individual Dynamical Masses of Ultracool Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupuy, Trent J.; Liu, Michael C.

2017-08-01

We present the full results of our decade-long astrometric monitoring programs targeting 31 ultracool binaries with component spectral types M7-T5. Joint analysis of resolved imaging from Keck Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope and unresolved astrometry from CFHT/WIRCam yields parallactic distances for all systems, robust orbit determinations for 23 systems, and photocenter orbits for 19 systems. As a result, we measure 38 precise individual masses spanning 30-115 {M}{Jup}. We determine a model-independent substellar boundary that is ≈70 {M}{Jup} in mass (≈L4 in spectral type), and we validate Baraffe et al. evolutionary model predictions for the lithium-depletion boundary (60 {M}{Jup} at field ages). Assuming each binary is coeval, we test models of the substellar mass-luminosity relation and find that in the L/T transition, only the Saumon & Marley “hybrid” models accounting for cloud clearing match our data. We derive a precise, mass-calibrated spectral type-effective temperature relation covering 1100-2800 K. Our masses enable a novel direct determination of the age distribution of field brown dwarfs spanning L4-T5 and 30-70 {M}{Jup}. We determine a median age of 1.3 Gyr, and our population synthesis modeling indicates our sample is consistent with a constant star formation history modulated by dynamical heating in the Galactic disk. We discover two triple-brown-dwarf systems, the first with directly measured masses and eccentricities. We examine the eccentricity distribution, carefully considering biases and completeness, and find that low-eccentricity orbits are significantly more common among ultracool binaries than solar-type binaries, possibly indicating the early influence of long-lived dissipative gas disks. Overall, this work represents a major advance in the empirical view of very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs.

A CAUTIONARY TALE: MARVELS BROWN DWARF CANDIDATE REVEALS ITSELF TO BE A VERY LONG PERIOD, HIGHLY ECCENTRIC SPECTROSCOPIC STELLAR BINARY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mack, Claude E. III; Stassun, Keivan G.; De Lee, Nathan

2013-05-15

We report the discovery of a highly eccentric, double-lined spectroscopic binary star system (TYC 3010-1494-1), comprising two solar-type stars that we had initially identified as a single star with a brown dwarf companion. At the moderate resolving power of the MARVELS spectrograph and the spectrographs used for subsequent radial-velocity (RV) measurements (R {approx}< 30, 000), this particular stellar binary mimics a single-lined binary with an RV signal that would be induced by a brown dwarf companion (Msin i {approx} 50 M{sub Jup}) to a solar-type primary. At least three properties of this system allow it to masquerade as a singlemore » star with a very-low-mass companion: its large eccentricity (e {approx} 0.8), its relatively long period (P {approx} 238 days), and the approximately perpendicular orientation of the semi-major axis with respect to the line of sight ({omega} {approx} 189 Degree-Sign ). As a result of these properties, for {approx}95% of the orbit the two sets of stellar spectral lines are completely blended, and the RV measurements based on centroiding on the apparently single-lined spectrum is very well fit by an orbit solution indicative of a brown dwarf companion on a more circular orbit (e {approx} 0.3). Only during the {approx}5% of the orbit near periastron passage does the true, double-lined nature and large RV amplitude of {approx}15 km s{sup -1} reveal itself. The discovery of this binary system is an important lesson for RV surveys searching for substellar companions; at a given resolution and observing cadence, a survey will be susceptible to these kinds of astrophysical false positives for a range of orbital parameters. Finally, for surveys like MARVELS that lack the resolution for a useful line bisector analysis, it is imperative to monitor the peak of the cross-correlation function for suspicious changes in width or shape, so that such false positives can be flagged during the candidate vetting process.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buenzli, Esther; Marley, Mark S.; Apai, Daniel

The re-emergence of the 0.99 μm FeH feature in brown dwarfs of early- to mid-T spectral type has been suggested as evidence for cloud disruption where flux from deep, hot regions below the Fe cloud deck can emerge. The same mechanism could account for color changes at the L/T transition and photometric variability. We present the first observations of spectroscopic variability of brown dwarfs covering the 0.99 μm FeH feature. We observed the spatially resolved very nearby brown dwarf binary WISE J104915.57–531906.1 (Luhman 16AB), a late-L and early-T dwarf, with Hubble Space Telescope/WFC3 in the G102 grism at 0.8–1.15 μm.more » We find significant variability at all wavelengths for both brown dwarfs, with peak-to-valley amplitudes of 9.3% for Luhman 16B and 4.5% for Luhman 16A. This represents the first unambiguous detection of variability in Luhman 16A. We estimate a rotational period between 4.5 and 5.5 hr, very similar to Luhman 16B. Variability in both components complicates the interpretation of spatially unresolved observations. The probability for finding large amplitude variability in any two brown dwarfs is less than 10%. Our finding may suggest that a common but yet unknown feature of the binary is important for the occurrence of variability. For both objects, the amplitude is nearly constant at all wavelengths except in the deep K i feature below 0.84 μm. No variations are seen across the 0.99 μm FeH feature. The observations lend strong further support to cloud height variations rather than holes in the silicate clouds, but cannot fully rule out holes in the iron clouds. Here, we re-evaluate the diagnostic potential of the FeH feature as a tracer of cloud patchiness.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buenzli, Esther; Marley, Mark S.; Apai, Dániel

The re-emergence of the 0.99 μm FeH feature in brown dwarfs of early- to mid-T spectral type has been suggested as evidence for cloud disruption where flux from deep, hot regions below the Fe cloud deck can emerge. The same mechanism could account for color changes at the L/T transition and photometric variability. We present the first observations of spectroscopic variability of brown dwarfs covering the 0.99 μm FeH feature. We observed the spatially resolved very nearby brown dwarf binary WISE J104915.57–531906.1 (Luhman 16AB), a late-L and early-T dwarf, with Hubble Space Telescope/WFC3 in the G102 grism at 0.8–1.15 μm.more » We find significant variability at all wavelengths for both brown dwarfs, with peak-to-valley amplitudes of 9.3% for Luhman 16B and 4.5% for Luhman 16A. This represents the first unambiguous detection of variability in Luhman 16A. We estimate a rotational period between 4.5 and 5.5 hr, very similar to Luhman 16B. Variability in both components complicates the interpretation of spatially unresolved observations. The probability for finding large amplitude variability in any two brown dwarfs is less than 10%. Our finding may suggest that a common but yet unknown feature of the binary is important for the occurrence of variability. For both objects, the amplitude is nearly constant at all wavelengths except in the deep K i feature below 0.84 μm. No variations are seen across the 0.99 μm FeH feature. The observations lend strong further support to cloud height variations rather than holes in the silicate clouds, but cannot fully rule out holes in the iron clouds. We re-evaluate the diagnostic potential of the FeH feature as a tracer of cloud patchiness.« less

Identification and characterization of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs using Virtual Observatory tools.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aberasturi, M.; Solano, E.; Martín, E.

2015-05-01

Low-mass stars and brown dwarfs (with spectral types M, L, T and Y) are the most common objects in the Milky Way. A complete census of these objects is necessary to understand the theories about their complex structure and formation processes. In order to increase the number of known objects in the Solar neighborhood (d<30 pc), we have made use of the Virtual Observatory which allows an efficient handling of the huge amount of information available in astronomical databases. We also used the WFC3 installed in the Hubble Space Telescope to look for T5+ dwarfs binaries.

Low-Mass Stars and Their Companions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montet, Benjamin Tyler

In this thesis, I present seven studies aimed towards better understanding the demographics and physical properties of M dwarfs and their companions. These studies focus in turn on planetary, brown dwarf, and stellar companions to M dwarfs. I begin with an analysis of radial velocity and transit timing analyses of multi-transiting planetary systems, finding that if both signals are measured to sufficiently high precision the stellar and planetary masses can be measured to a high precision, eliminating a need for stellar models which may have systematic errors. I then combine long-term radial velocity monitoring and a direct imaging campaign to measure the occurrence rate of giant planets around M dwarfs. I find that 6.5 +/- 3.0% of M dwarfs host a Jupiter mass or larger planet within 20 AU, with a strong dependence on stellar metallicity. I then present two papers analyzing the LHS 6343 system, which contains a widely separated M dwarf binary (AB). Star A hosts a transiting brown dwarf (LHS 6343 C) with a 12.7 day period. By combining radial velocity data with transit photometry, I am able to measure the mass and radius of the brown dwarf to 2% precision, the most precise measurement of a brown dwarf to date. I then analyze four secondary eclipses of the LHS 6343 AC system as observed by Spitzer in order to measure the luminosity of the brown dwarf in both Spitzer bandpasses. I find the brown dwarf is consistent with theoretical models of an 1100 K T dwarf at an age of 5 Gyr and empirical observations of field T5-6 dwarfs with temperatures of 1070 +/- 130 K. This is the first non-inflated brown dwarf with a measured mass, radius, and multi-band photometry, making it an ideal test of evolutionary models of field brown dwarfs. Next, I present the results of an astrometric and radial velocity campaign to measure the orbit and masses of both stars in the GJ 3305 AB system, an M+M binary comoving with 51 Eridani, a more massive star with a directly imaged planetary companion. I compare the masses of both stars to largely untested theoretical models of young M dwarfs, finding that the models are consistent with the measured mass of star A but slightly overpredict the luminosity of star B. In the final two science chapters I focus on space-based transit surveys, present and future. First, I present the first catalog of statistically validated planets from the K2 mission, as well as updated stellar and planetary parameters for all systems with candidate planets in the first K2 field. The catalog includes K2-18b, a ``mini-Neptune'' planet that receives a stellar insolation consistent with the level that the Earth receives from the Sun, making it a useful comparison against planets of a similar size that are highly irradiated, such as GJ 1214 b. Finally, I present predictions for the WFIRST mission. While designed largely as a microlensing mission, I find it will be able to detect as many as 30,000 transiting planets towards the galactic bulge, providing information about how planet occurrence changes across the galaxy. These planets will be able to be confirmed largely through direct detection of their secondary eclipses. Moreover, I find that more than 50% of the planets it detects smaller than Neptune will be found around M dwarf hosts.

Parallax measurements of six brown dwarfs.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manjavacas, E.; Goldman, B.; Reffert, S.; Henning, T.

Accurate parallax measurements allow us to determine physical properties of brown dwarfs, and help us to constrain evolutionary and atmospheric models and reveal unresolved binaries. We measured absolute trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions of six cool brown dwarfs using background galaxies to establish an absolute reference frame. The brown dwarfs in our sample have spectral types between T2.5 and T7.5. The observations were taken in the J-band with the Omega2000 camera at the 3.5 m telescope at CAHA during a time period of 27 months. We obtained absolute parallaxes for our 6 brown dwarfs with a precision between 3 and 6 mas. We compared our results with the study by \\cite{Dupuy} and with the evolutionary models of \\cite{Allard}. For four of the six targets we found a good agreement in luminosity among objects of similar spectral types. The object 2MASS J11061197+2754225 is more than 1 mag overluminous in all bands pointing to binarity or higher order multiplicity. Based on observations taken with Omega-2000 at the 3.5 m telescope at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated by the Max Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).

Characterizing the Resolved M6 Dwarf Twin LP 318-218AB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno Hilario, Elizabeth; Burgasser, Adam J.; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella; Tamiya, Tomoki

2017-01-01

The lowest-mass stars and brown dwarfs are among the most common objects in the Milky Way Galaxy, but theories of their formation and evolution remain poorly constrained. Binary systems are important for understanding the formation of these objects and for making direct orbit and mass measurements to validate evolutionary theories. We report the discovery of LP 318-218, a high proper motion late M dwarf, as a near equal-brightness binary system with a separation of 0.72 arcseconds. Resolved near-infrared spectroscopy confirms the components as nearly identical M6 twins. We using our resolved photometry and spectroscopy to estimate the distance, projected separation and tangential velocity of the system, and confirm common proper motion. We also perform atmosphere model fits to the resolved spectra to assess their physical properties. We place LP 318-218 in context with other widely-separated late M dwarf binaries.

Direct Test of the Brown Dwarf Evolutionary Models Through Secondary Eclipse Spectroscopy of LHS 6343

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albert, Loic

2015-10-01

As the number of field Brown Dwarfs counts in the thousands, interpreting their physical parameters (mass, temperature, radius, luminosity, age, metallicity) relies as heavily as ever on atmosphere and evolutionary models. Fortunately, models are largely successful in explaining observations (colors, spectral types, luminosity), so they appear well calibrated in a relative sense. However, an absolute model-independent calibration is still lacking. Eclipsing BDs systems are a unique laboratory in this respect but until recently only one such system was known, 2M0535-05 - a very young (<3 Myr) binary Brown Dwarfs showing a peculiar temperature reversal (Stassun et al. 2006). Due to its young age, 2M0535-05 is an ill-suited test for Gyr-old field Brown Dwarfs whose population is by far the most common in the solar neighborhood. Recently, a second system - an evolved BD (>1 Gyr) - was identified (62.1+/-1.2 MJup, 0.783+/-0.011 RJup) transiting LHS6343 with a 12.7-day period. We propose to use WFC3 in drift scan mode and 5 HST orbits to determine the spectral type (a proxy for temperature) as well as the near-infrared luminosity of this brown dwarf. We conducted simulations that predict a signal-to-noise ratio ranging between 10 and 30 per resolution element in the peaks of the spectrum. These measurements, coupled with existing luminosity measurements with Spitzer at 3.6 and 4.5 microns, will allow us to trace the spectral energy distribution of the Brown Dwarf and directly calculate its blackbody temperature. It will be the first field Brown Dwarfs with simultaneous measurements of its radius, mass, luminosity and temperature all measured independently of models.

HIGH RESOLUTION H{alpha} IMAGES OF THE BINARY LOW-MASS PROPLYD LV 1 WITH THE MAGELLAN AO SYSTEM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Y.-L.; Close, L. M.; Males, J. R.

2013-09-01

We utilize the new Magellan adaptive optics system (MagAO) to image the binary proplyd LV 1 in the Orion Trapezium at H{alpha}. This is among the first AO results in visible wavelengths. The H{alpha} image clearly shows the ionization fronts, the interproplyd shell, and the cometary tails. Our astrometric measurements find no significant relative motion between components over {approx}18 yr, implying that LV 1 is a low-mass system. We also analyze Large Binocular Telescope AO observations, and find a point source which may be the embedded protostar's photosphere in the continuum. Converting the H magnitudes to mass, we show thatmore » the LV 1 binary may consist of one very-low-mass star with a likely brown dwarf secondary, or even plausibly a double brown dwarf. Finally, the magnetopause of the minor proplyd is estimated to have a radius of 110 AU, consistent with the location of the bow shock seen in H{alpha}.« less

Further Evidence of a Brown Dwarf Orbiting the Post-Common Envelope Eclipsing Binary V470 Cam (HS 0705+6700)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogensberger, David; Clarke, Fraser; Lynas-Gray, Anthony Eugene

2017-12-01

Several post-common envelope binaries have slightly increasing, decreasing or oscillating orbital periods. One of several possible explanations is light travel-time changes, caused by the binary centre-of-mass being perturbed by the gravitational pull of a third body. Further studies are necessary because it is not clear how a third body could have survived subdwarf progenitor mass-loss at the tip of the Red Giant Branch, or formed subsequently. Thirty-nine primary eclipse times for V470 Cam were secured with the Philip Wetton Telescope during the period 2016 November 25th to 2017 January 27th. Available eclipse timings suggest a brown dwarf tertiary having a mass of at least 0.0236(40) M⊙, an elliptical orbit with an eccentricity of 0.376(98) and an orbital period of 11.77(67) years about the binary centreof- mass. The mass and orbit suggest a hybrid formation, in which some ejected material from the subdwarf progenitor was accreted on to a precursor tertiary component, although additional observations would be needed to confirm this interpretation and investigate other possible origins for the binary orbital period change.

A survey of stellar families: Multiplicity of solar-type stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raghavan, Deepak

I present the results of a comprehensive assessment of companions to 454 solar- type stars within 25 pc. New observational aspects of this work include surveys for (1) very close companions with long-baseline interferometry at the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array, (2) close companions with speckle interferometry, and (3) wide proper motion companions identified by blinking multi-epoch archival images. I have also obtained and included unpublished results from extensive radial velocity monitoring programs. The many sources utilized enable a thorough evaluation of stellar and brown dwarf companions. The results presented here include eight new companion discoveries, four of which are wide common proper motion pairs discovered by blinking archival images, and four more are from the spectroscopic data. The overall observed fractions of single, double, triple, and higher order systems are 57%±3%, 33%±2%, 8%±1%, and 3%±1%, respectively, counting all stellar and brown dwarf companions. The incompleteness analysis indicates that only a few undiscovered companions remain in this well-studied sample, showing that a majority of the solar-type stars are single. Bluer, more massive stars are more likely to have companions than redder, less massive ones. I confirm earlier expectations that more active stars are more likely to have companions. A preliminary, but important indication is that brown dwarfs, like planets, prefer stars with higher metallicity, tentatively suggesting that brown dwarfs may form like planets when they are companions to stars. The period distribution is unimodal and roughly Gaussian with peak and median values of about 300 years. The period-eccentricity relation shows a roughly flat distribution beyond the circularization limit of about 12 days. The mass- ratio distribution shows a clear discontinuity near a value of one, indicating a preference for twins, which are not confined to short orbital periods, suggesting that stars form by multiple formation mechanisms. The ratio of planet hosts among single, binary, and multiple systems are statistically indistinguishable, suggesting that planets are as likely to form around single stars as they are around components of binary or multiple systems at sufficiently wide separations. INDEX WORDS: Stellar multiplicity, Binary stars, Solar-type stars, Solar neighborhood, Exoplanet systems, Brown dwarfs, Survey, Long baseline interferometry, Radial velocity

X-Rays Found From a Lightweight Brown Dwarf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-04-01

Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, scientists have detected X-rays from a low mass brown dwarf in a multiple star system, which is as young as 12 million years old. This discovery is an important piece in an increasingly complex picture of how brown dwarfs - and perhaps the very massive planets around other stars - evolve. Chandra's observations of the brown dwarf, known as TWA 5B, clearly resolve it from a pair of Sun-like stars known as TWA 5A. The system is about 180 light years from the Sun and a member of a group of about a dozen young stars in the southern constellation Hydra. The brown dwarf orbits the binary stars at a distance about 2.75 times that of Pluto's orbit around the Sun. This is first time that a brown dwarf this close to its parent star(s) has been resolved in X-rays. "Our Chandra data show that the X-rays originate from the brown dwarf's coronal plasma which is some 3 million degrees Celsius," said Yohko Tsuboi of Chuo University in Tokyo and lead author of the April 10th issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters paper describing these results. "The brown dwarf is sufficiently far from the primary stars that the reflection of X-rays is unimportant, so the X-rays must come the brown dwarf itself." TWA 5B is estimated to be only between 15 and 40 times the mass of Jupiter, making it one of the least massive brown dwarfs known. Its mass is rather near the currently accepted boundary (about 12 Jupiter masses) between planets and brown dwarfs. Therefore, these results may also have implications for very massive planets, including those that have been discovered as extrasolar planets in recent years. Brown Dwarf size comparison schematic Brown Dwarf size comparison schematic "This brown dwarf is as bright as the Sun today in X-ray light, while it is fifty times less massive than the Sun," said Tsuboi. "This observation, thus, raises the possibility that even massive planets might emit X-rays by themselves during their youth!" This research on TWA 5B also provides a link between an active X-ray state in young brown dwarfs (about 1 million years old) and a later, quieter period of brown dwarfs when they reach ages of 500 million to a billion years. Brown dwarfs are often referred to as "failed stars," as they are believed to be under the mass limit (about 80 Jupiter masses) needed to spark the nuclear fusion of hydrogen to helium, which characterizes traditional stars. Scientists hope to better understand the evolution of magnetic activity in brown dwarfs through the X-ray behavior. Chandra observed TWA 5B for about three hours on April 15, 2001, with its Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS). Along with Chandra's mirrors, ACIS can achieve the angular resolution of a half arc second. TWA 5B Optical image of TWA 5B "This brown dwarf is about 200 times dimmer than the primary and located just two arcseconds away," said Gordon Garmire of Penn State University who led the ACIS team. "It's quite an achievement that Chandra was able to resolve it." Other members of the research team included Yoshitomo Maeda (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Kanagawa, Japan), Eric Feigelson, Gordon Garmire, George Chartas, and Koji Mori (Penn State University), and Steve Prado (Jet Propulsion Laboratory). NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the Chandra program, and TRW, Inc., Redondo Beach, Calif., is the prime contractor for the spacecraft. The Smithsonian's Chandra X-ray Center controls science and flight operations from Cambridge, Mass., for the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, Washington. Images and additional information about this result are available at: http://chandra.harvard.edu and http://chandra.nasa.gov

Young Brown Dwarfs and Giant Planets as Companions to Weak-Line T Tauri Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandner, Wolfgang; Frink, Sabine; Kohler, Rainer; Kunkel, Michael

Weak-line T Tauri stars, contrary to classical T Tauri stars, no longer possess massive circumstellar disks. In weak-line T Tauri stars, the circumstellar matter was either accreted onto the T Tauri star or has been redistributed. Disk instabilities in the outer disk might result in the formation of brown dwarfs and giant planets. Based on photometric and spectroscopic studies of ROSAT sources, we have selected an initial sample of 200 weak-line T Tauri stars in the Chamaeleon T association and the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association. In the course of follow-up observations, we identified visual and spectroscopic binary stars and excluded them from our final list, as the complex dynamics and gravitational interaction in binary systems might aggravate or even completely inhibit the formation of planets (depending on physical separation of the binary components and their mass ratio). The membership of individual stars to the associations was established from proper motion studies and radial velocity surveys. Our final sample consists of 70 single weak-line T Tauri stars. We have initiated a program to spatially resolve young brown dwarfs and young giant planets as companions to single weak-line T Tauri stars using adaptive optics at the ESO 3.6 m telescope and HST/NICMOS. In this poster we describe the observing strategy and present first results of our adaptive optics observations. An update on the program status can be found at http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~brandner/text/bd/bd.html

The Scorched Atmosphere of a Low Mass Star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hines, Dean; Schmidt, Gary

2006-05-01

The recent detection of mid-IR emission from the brown dwarf companion to the white dwarf GD1400 (Farihi & Christopher 2005) demonstrates the power of IRAC for characterizing low-mass companions to white dwarf (WD) stars. Compared with GD1400, the close binary system SDSS121209.31+013627.7 (hereafter SDSS1212) is potentially a far more significant target in this effort. SDSS1212 consists of a magnetic WD plus a low-mass companion in a very close (tidally-locked) orbit (a ~ 0.6 Rsun, P ~ 90 mins). The companion shows the effects of irradiation of its atmosphere by the WD, and the tidal lock (and inclination) ensures that we view the illuminated and far-side hemispheres during each orbit. Ground-based, J-band upper limits constrain the companion to be a late-type brown dwarf (L5 or later). Thus, SDSS1212 is an ideal system for studying the atmosphere of a sub-stellar object heated by a strong continuum. Indeed, the total irradiating flux at ~1 Rsun from a T ~ 10,000K WD is comparable to that at r ~ 0.1 AU from a sun-like main sequence star, and SDSS1212 is the only WD + brown dwarf binary whose orbital period is known. Given its importance for the characterization of planetary atmosphere and binary star evolution, we propose to carry out phase-resolved 3.6?8 micron imaging of the SDSS1212 system with the dual goals of: 1) characterizing the orbit-averaged photometric properties of the low-mass companion, and thus discerning its placement within the ever-expanding zoo of substellar objects; and 2) measuring what is expected to be a modulation of up to 0.4 mag in the net mid-IR brightness of the binary, thereby providing an empirical point of comparison for current theoretical efforts to predict the response of "hot Jupiters" to irradiation by their parent stars. Coupled with the exquisite photometric stability of IRAC and the benign environment of Spitzer, this unique target offers an exceptional opportunity to study the effects of irradiation from host stars on their substellar companions.

New neighbours. III. 21 new companions to nearby dwarfs, discovered with adaptive optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beuzit, J.-L.; Ségransan, D.; Forveille, T.; Udry, S.; Delfosse, X.; Mayor, M.; Perrier, C.; Hainaut, M.-C.; Roddier, C.; Roddier, F.; Martín, E. L.

2004-10-01

We present some results of a CFHT adaptive optics search for companions to nearby dwarfs. We identify 21 new components in solar neighbourhood systems, of which 13 were found while surveying a volume-limited sample of M dwarfs within 12 pc. We are obtaining complete observations for this subsample, to derive unbiased multiplicity statistics for the very-low-mass disk population. Additionally, we resolve for the first time 6 known spectroscopic or astrometric binaries, for a total of 27 newly resolved companions. A significant fraction of the new binaries has favourable parameters for accurate mass determinations. The newly resolved companion of Gl 120.1C was thought to have a spectroscopic minimum mass in the brown-dwarf range (Duquennoy & Mayor \\cite{duquennoy91}), and it contributed to the statistical evidence that a few percent of solar-type stars might have close-in brown-dwarf companions. We find that Gl 120.1C actually is an unrecognised double-lined spectroscopic pair. Its radial-velocity amplitude had therefore been strongly underestimated by Duquennoy & Mayor (\\cite{duquennoy91}), and it does not truly belong to their sample of single-lined systems with minimum spectroscopic mass below the substellar limit. We also present the first direct detection of Gl 494B, an astrometric brown-dwarf candidate. Its luminosity straddles the substellar limit, and it is a brown dwarf if its age is less than ˜300 Myr. A few more years of observations will ascertain its mass and status from first principles. Based on observations made at Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, operated by the National Research Council of Canada, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique de France and the University of Hawaii. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Spitzer Photometry of WISE-Selected Brown Dwarf and Hyper-Lumninous Infrared Galaxy Candidates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffith, Roger L.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Eisenhardt, Peter R. M.; Gelino, Christopher R.; Cushing, Michael C.; Benford, Dominic; Blain, Andrew; Bridge, Carrie R.; Cohen, Martin; Cutri, Roc M.;

Formation of high-field magnetic white dwarfs from common envelopes

PubMed Central

Nordhaus, Jason; Wellons, Sarah; Spiegel, David S.; Metzger, Brian D.; Blackman, Eric G.

2011-01-01

The origin of highly magnetized white dwarfs has remained a mystery since their initial discovery. Recent observations indicate that the formation of high-field magnetic white dwarfs is intimately related to strong binary interactions during post-main-sequence phases of stellar evolution. If a low-mass companion, such as a planet, brown dwarf, or low-mass star, is engulfed by a post-main-sequence giant, gravitational torques in the envelope of the giant lead to a reduction of the companion’s orbit. Sufficiently low-mass companions in-spiral until they are shredded by the strong gravitational tides near the white dwarf core. Subsequent formation of a super-Eddington accretion disk from the disrupted companion inside a common envelope can dramatically amplify magnetic fields via a dynamo. Here, we show that these disk-generated fields are sufficiently strong to explain the observed range of magnetic field strengths for isolated, high-field magnetic white dwarfs. A higher-mass binary analogue may also contribute to the origin of magnetar fields. PMID:21300910

A BROWN DWARF CENSUS FROM THE SIMP SURVEY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robert, Jasmin; Gagné, Jonathan; Artigau, Étienne

We have conducted a near-infrared (NIR) proper motion survey, the Sondage Infrarouge de Mouvement Propre, in order to discover field ultracool dwarfs (UCD) in the solar neighborhood. The survey was conducted by imaging ∼28% of the sky with the Caméra PAnoramique Proche-InfraRouge both in the southern hemisphere at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 1.5 m telescope, and in the northern hemisphere at the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic 1.6 m telescope and comparing the source positions from these observations with the Two Micron All-Sky Survey Point Source Catalog (2MASS PSC). Additional color criteria were used to further discriminate unwanted astrophysical sources. Wemore » present the results of an NIR spectroscopic follow-up of 169 M, L, and T dwarfs. Among the sources discovered are 2 young field brown dwarfs, 6 unusually red M and L dwarfs, 25 unusually blue M and L dwarfs, 2 candidate unresolved L+T binaries, and 24 peculiar UCDs. Additionally, we add 9 L/T transition dwarfs (L6–T4.5) to the already known objects.« less

A Brown Dwarf Census from the SIMP Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robert, Jasmin; Gagné, Jonathan; Artigau, Étienne; Lafrenière, David; Nadeau, Daniel; Doyon, René; Malo, Lison; Albert, Loïc; Simard, Corinne; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella C.; Burgasser, Adam J.

2016-10-01

We have conducted a near-infrared (NIR) proper motion survey, the Sondage Infrarouge de Mouvement Propre, in order to discover field ultracool dwarfs (UCD) in the solar neighborhood. The survey was conducted by imaging ˜28% of the sky with the Caméra PAnoramique Proche-InfraRouge both in the southern hemisphere at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 1.5 m telescope, and in the northern hemisphere at the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic 1.6 m telescope and comparing the source positions from these observations with the Two Micron All-Sky Survey Point Source Catalog (2MASS PSC). Additional color criteria were used to further discriminate unwanted astrophysical sources. We present the results of an NIR spectroscopic follow-up of 169 M, L, and T dwarfs. Among the sources discovered are 2 young field brown dwarfs, 6 unusually red M and L dwarfs, 25 unusually blue M and L dwarfs, 2 candidate unresolved L+T binaries, and 24 peculiar UCDs. Additionally, we add 9 L/T transition dwarfs (L6-T4.5) to the already known objects.

OGLE-2016-BLG-1266: A Probable Brown Dwarf/Planet Binary at the Deuterium Fusion Limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albrow, M. D.; Yee, J. C.; Udalski, A.; Calchi Novati, S.; Carey, S.; Henderson, C. B.; Beichman, C.; Bryden, G.; Gaudi, B. S.; Shvartzvald, Y.; Spitzer team; Szymański, M. K.; Mróz, P.; Skowron, J.; Poleski, R.; Soszyński, I.; Kozłowski, S.; Pietrukowicz, P.; Ulaczyk, K.; Pawlak, M.; OGLE Collaboration; Chung, S.-J.; Gould, A.; Han, C.; Hwang, K.-H.; Jung, Y. K.; Ryu, Y.-H.; Shin, I.-G.; Zhu, W.; Cha, S.-M.; Kim, D.-J.; Kim, H.-W.; Kim, S.-L.; Lee, C.-U.; Lee, D.-J.; Lee, Y.; Park, B.-G.; Pogge, R. W.; KMTNet Collaboration

2018-05-01

We report the discovery, via the microlensing method, of a new very low mass binary system. By combining measurements from Earth and from the Spitzer telescope in Earth-trailing orbit, we are able to measure the microlensing parallax of the event, and we find that the lens likely consists of a (12.0 ± 0.6)M J + (15.7 ± 1.5)M J super-Jupiter/brown dwarf pair. The binary is located at a distance of 3.08 ± 0.18 kpc in the Galactic plane, and the components have a projected separation of 0.43 ± 0.03 au. Two alternative solutions with much lower likelihoods are also discussed, an 8M J and 6M J model and a 90M J and 70M J model. If all photometric measurements were independent and Gaussian distributed with known variances, these alternative solutions would be formally disfavored at the 3σ and 5σ levels. We show how the more massive of these models could be tested with future direct imaging.

Probing Ultracool Atmospheres and Substellar Interiors with Dynamical Masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupuy, Trent

2010-09-01

After years of patient orbital monitoring, there is now a large sample of very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs with precise { 5%} dynamical masses. These binaries represent the gold standard for testing substellar theoretical models. Work to date has identified problems with the model-predicted broad-band colors, effective temperatures, and possibly even luminosity evolution with age. However, our ability to test models is currently limited by how well the individual components of these highly prized binaries are characterized. To solve this problem, we propose to use NICMOS and STIS to characterize this first large sample of ultracool binaries with well-determined dynamical masses. We will use NICMOS multi-band photometry to measure the SEDs of the binary components and thereby precisely estimate their spectral types and effective temperatures. We will use STIS to obtain resolved spectroscopy of the Li I doublet at 6708 A for a subset of three binaries whose masses lie very near the theoretical mass limit for lithium burning. The STIS data will provide the first ever resolved lithium measurements for brown dwarfs of known mass, enabling a direct probe of substellar interiors. Our proposed HST observations to characterize the components of these binaries is much less daunting in comparison to the years of orbital monitoring needed to yield dynamical masses, but these HST data are equally vital for robust tests of theory.

Searching for planets around eclipsing binary stars using timing method: NSVS 14256825

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasiroglu, Ilham; Goździewski, Krzysztof; Słowikowska, Aga; Krzeszowski, Krzysztof; Żejmo, Michal; Zola, Staszek; Er, Huseyin

2018-04-01

We present four new mid eclipse times and an updated O-C diagram of the short period eclipsing binary NSVS14256825. The new data follow the (O-C) trend and its model proposed in Nasiroglu et al. (2017). The (O-C) diagram shows quasi-periodic variations that can be explained with the presence of a brown-dwarf in a quasi-circular circumbinary orbit.

New frontiers of high-resolution spectroscopy: Probing the atmospheres of brown dwarfs and reflected light from exoplanets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkby, Jayne; Alonso, Roi; Brogi, Matteo; Charbonneau, David; Fortney, Jonathan; Hoyer, Sergio; Johnson, John Asher; de Kok, Remco; Lopez-Morales, Mercedes; Montet, Ben; Snellen, Ignas

2015-12-01

High-resolution spectroscopy (R>25,000) is a robust and powerful tool in the near-infrared characterization of exoplanet atmospheres. It has unambiguously revealed the presence of carbon monoxide and water in several hot Jupiters, measured the rotation rate of beta Pic b, and suggested the presence of fast day-to-night winds in one atmosphere. The method is applicable to transiting, non-transiting, and directly-imaged planets. It works by resolving broad molecular bands in the planetary spectrum into a dense, unique forest of individual lines and tracing them directly by their Doppler shift, while the star and tellurics remain essentially stationary. I will focus on two ongoing efforts to expand this technique. First, I will present new results on 51 Peg b revealing its infrared atmospheric compositional properties, then I will discuss an ongoing optical HARPS-N/TNG campaign (due mid October 2015) to obtain a detailed albedo spectrum of 51 Peg b at 387-691 nm in bins of 50nm. This spectrum would provide strong constraints on the previously claimed high albedo and potentially cloudy nature of this planet. Second, I will discuss preliminary results from Keck/NIRSPAO observations (due late September 2015) of LHS 6343 C, a 1000 K transiting brown dwarf with an M-dwarf host star. The high-resolution method converts this system into an eclipsing, double-lined spectroscopic binary, thus allowing dynamical mass and radius estimates of the components, free from astrophysical assumptions. Alongside probing the atmospheric composition of the brown dwarf, these data would provide the first model-independent study of the bulk properties of an old brown dwarf, with masses accurate to <5%, placing a crucial constraint on brown dwarf evolution models.

2MASS J13243553+6358281 Is an Early T-type Planetary-mass Object in the AB Doradus Moving Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gagné, Jonathan; Allers, Katelyn N.; Theissen, Christopher A.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella; Artigau, Étienne

2018-02-01

We present new radial velocity and trigonometric distance measurements indicating that the unusually red and photometrically variable T2 dwarf 2MASS J13243553+6358281 is a member of the young (∼150 Myr) AB Doradus moving group (ABDMG) based on its space velocity. We estimate its model-dependent mass in the range 11–12 M Jup at the age of the ABDMG, and its trigonometric distance of 12.7 ± 1.5 pc makes it one of the nearest known isolated planetary-mass objects. The unusually red continuum of 2MASS J13243553+6358281 in the near-infrared was previously suspected to be caused by an unresolved L + T brown dwarf binary, although it was never observed with high spatial resolution imaging. This new evidence of youth suggests that a low surface gravity may be sufficient to explain this peculiar feature. Using the new parallax we find that its absolute J-band magnitude is ∼0.4 mag fainter than equivalent-type field brown dwarfs, suggesting that the binary hypothesis is unlikely. The fundamental properties of 2MASS J13243553+6358281 follow the spectral type sequence of other known high-likelihood members of the ABDMG. The effective temperature of 2MASS J13243553+6358281 provides the first precise constraint on the L/T transition at a known young age and indicates that it happens at a temperature of ∼1150 K at ∼150 Myr, compared to ∼1250 K for field brown dwarfs.

Brown Dwarfs in our Backyard

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-07

The third closest star system to the sun, called WISE J104915.57-531906, center of large image, which was taken by NASA WISE. It appeared to be a single object, but a sharper image from Gemini Observatory, revealed that it was binary star system.

CFBDSIR J1458+1013B: A Very Cold (>T10) Brown Dwarf in a Binary System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Michael C.; Delorme, Philippe; Dupuy, Trent J.; Bowler, Brendan P.; Albert, Loic; Artigau, Etienne; Reylé, Celine; Forveille, Thierry; Delfosse, Xavier

2011-10-01

We have identified CFBDSIR J1458+1013 as a 0farcs11 (2.6 AU) physical binary using Keck laser guide star adaptive optics imaging and have measured a distance of 23.1 ± 2.4 pc to the system based on near-IR parallax data from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The integrated-light near-IR spectrum indicates a spectral type of T9.5, and model atmospheres suggest a slightly higher temperature and surface gravity than the T10 dwarf UGPS J0722-05. Thus, CFBDSIR J1458+1013AB is the coolest brown dwarf binary found to date. Its secondary component has an absolute H-band magnitude that is 1.9 ± 0.3 mag fainter than UGPS J0722-05, giving an inferred spectral type of >T10. The secondary's bolometric luminosity of ~2 × 10-7 L sun makes it the least luminous known brown dwarf by a factor of 4-5. By comparing to evolutionary models and T9-T10 objects, we estimate a temperature of 370 ± 40 K and a mass of 6-15 M Jup for CFBDSIR J1458+1013B. At such extremes, atmospheric models predict the onset of novel photospheric processes, namely, the appearance of water clouds and the removal of strong alkali lines, but their impact on the emergent spectrum is highly uncertain. Our photometry shows that strong CH4 absorption persists in the H band, the J - K color is bluer than the latest known T dwarfs but not as blue as predicted by current models, and the J - H color delineates a possible inflection in the blueward trend for the latest T dwarfs. Given its low luminosity, atypical colors, and cold temperature, CFBDSIR J1458+1013B is a promising candidate for the hypothesized Y spectral class. However, regardless of its ultimate classification, CFBDSIR J1458+1013AB provides a new benchmark for measuring the properties of brown dwarfs and gas-giant planets, testing substellar models, and constraining the low-mass limit for star formation. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. Based on observations obtained with WIRCam, a joint project of CFHT, Taiwan, Korea, Canada, France, and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) which is operated by the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, the Institute National des Sciences de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of France, and the University of Hawaii.

The UKIDSS-2MASS proper motion survey - I. Ultracool dwarfs from UKIDSS DR4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deacon, N. R.; Hambly, N. C.; King, R. R.; McCaughrean, M. J.

2009-04-01

The UK Infrared Telescope Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) is the first of a new generation of infrared surveys. Here, we combine the data from two UKIDSS components, the Large Area Survey (LAS) and the Galactic Cluster Survey (GCS), with Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) data to produce an infrared proper motion survey for low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. In total, we detect 267 low-mass stars and brown dwarfs with significant proper motions. We recover all 10 known single L dwarfs and the one known T dwarf above the 2MASS detection limit in our LAS survey area and identify eight additional new candidate L dwarfs. We also find one new candidate L dwarf in our GCS sample. Our sample also contains objects from 11 potential common proper motion binaries. Finally, we test our proper motions and find that while the LAS objects have proper motions consistent with absolute proper motions, the GCS stars may have proper motions which are significantly underestimated. This is possibly due to the bulk motion of some of the local astrometric reference stars used in the proper motion determination.

Using binary statistics in Taurus-Auriga to distinguish between brown dwarf formation processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marks, M.; Martín, E. L.; Béjar, V. J. S.; Lodieu, N.; Kroupa, P.; Manjavacas, E.; Thies, I.; Rebolo López, R.; Velasco, S.

2017-08-01

Context. One of the key questions of the star formation problem is whether brown dwarfs (BDs) form in the manner of stars directly from the gravitational collapse of a molecular cloud core (star-like) or whether BDs and some very low-mass stars (VLMSs) constitute a separate population that forms alongside stars comparable to the population of planets, for example through circumstellar disk (peripheral) fragmentation. Aims: For young stars in Taurus-Auriga the binary fraction has been shown to be large with little dependence on primary mass above ≈ 0.2 M⊙, while for BDs the binary fraction is < 10%. Here we investigate a case in which BDs in Taurus formed dominantly, but not exclusively, through peripheral fragmentation, which naturally results in small binary fractions. The decline of the binary frequency in the transition region between star-like formation and peripheral formation is modelled. Methods: We employed a dynamical population synthesis model in which stellar binary formation is universal with a large binary fraction close to unity. Peripheral objects form separately in circumstellar disks with a distinctive initial mass function (IMF), their own orbital parameter distributions for binaries, and small binary fractions, according to observations and expectations from smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) and grid-based computations. A small amount of dynamical processing of the stellar component was accounted for as appropriate for the low-density Taurus-Auriga embedded clusters. Results: The binary fraction declines strongly in the transition region between star-like and peripheral formation, exhibiting characteristic features. The location of these features and the steepness of this trend depend on the mass limits for star-like and peripheral formation. Such a trend might be unique to low density regions, such as Taurus, which host binary populations that are largely unprocessed dynamically in which the binary fraction is large for stars down to M-dwarfs and small for BDs. Conclusions: The existence of a strong decline in the binary fraction - primary mass diagram will become verifiable in future surveys on BD and VLMS binarity in the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region. The binary fraction - primary mass diagram is a diagnostic of the (non-)continuity of star formation along the mass scale, the separateness of the stellar and BD populations, and the dominant formation channel for BDs and BD binaries in regions of low stellar density hosting dynamically unprocessed populations.

The EBLM project. I. Physical and orbital parameters, including spin-orbit angles, of two low-mass eclipsing binaries on opposite sides of the brown dwarf limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Triaud, A. H. M. J.; Hebb, L.; Anderson, D. R.; Cargile, P.; Collier Cameron, A.; Doyle, A. P.; Faedi, F.; Gillon, M.; Gomez Maqueo Chew, Y.; Hellier, C.; Jehin, E.; Maxted, P.; Naef, D.; Pepe, F.; Pollacco, D.; Queloz, D.; Ségransan, D.; Smalley, B.; Stassun, K.; Udry, S.; West, R. G.

2013-01-01

This paper introduces a series of papers aiming to study the dozens of low-mass eclipsing binaries (EBLM), with F, G, K primaries, that have been discovered in the course of the WASP survey. Our objects are mostly single-line binaries whose eclipses have been detected by WASP and were initially followed up as potential planetary transit candidates. These have bright primaries, which facilitates spectroscopic observations during transit and allows the study of the spin-orbit distribution of F, G, K+M eclipsing binaries through the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect. Here we report on the spin-orbit angle of WASP-30b, a transiting brown dwarf, and improve its orbital parameters. We also present the mass, radius, spin-orbit angle and orbital parameters of a new eclipsing binary, J1219-39b (1SWAPJ121921.03-395125.6, TYC 7760-484-1), which, with a mass of 95 ± 2 Mjup, is close to the limit between brown dwarfs and stars. We find that both objects have projected spin-orbit angles aligned with their primaries' rotation. Neither primaries are synchronous. J1219-39b has a modestly eccentric orbit and is in agreement with the theoretical mass-radius relationship, whereas WASP-30b lies above it. Using WASP-South photometric observations (Sutherland, South Africa) confirmed with radial velocity measurement from the CORALIE spectrograph, photometry from the EulerCam camera (both mounted on the Swiss 1.2 m Euler Telescope), radial velocities from the HARPS spectrograph on the ESO's 3.6 m Telescope (prog ID 085.C-0393), and photometry from the robotic 60 cm TRAPPIST telescope, all located at ESO, La Silla, Chile. The data is publicly available at the CDS Strasbourg and on demand to the main author.Tables A.1-A.3 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgPhotometry tables are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/549/A18

The AstraLux Multiplicity Survey: Extension to Late M-dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janson, Markus; Bergfors, Carolina; Brandner, Wolfgang; Kudryavtseva, Natalia; Hormuth, Felix; Hippler, Stefan; Henning, Thomas

2014-07-01

The distribution of multiplicity among low-mass stars is a key issue to understanding the formation of stars and brown dwarfs, and recent surveys have yielded large enough samples of nearby low-mass stars to study this issue statistically to good accuracy. Previously, we have presented a multiplicity study of ~700 early/mid M-type stars observed with the AstraLux high-resolution Lucky Imaging cameras. Here, we extend the study of multiplicity in M-type stars through studying 286 nearby mid/late M-type stars, bridging the gap between our previous study and multiplicity studies of brown dwarfs. Most of the targets have been observed more than once, allowing us to assess common proper motion to confirm companionship. We detect 68 confirmed or probable companions in 66 systems, of which 41 were previously undiscovered. Detections are made down to the resolution limit of ~100 mas of the instrument. The raw multiplicity in the AstraLux sensitivity range is 17.9%, leading to a total multiplicity fraction of 21%-27% depending on the mass ratio distribution, which is consistent with being flat down to mass ratios of ~0.4, but cannot be stringently constrained below this value. The semi-major axis distribution is well represented by a log-normal function with μa = 0.78 and σa = 0.47, which is narrower and peaked at smaller separations than for a Sun-like sample. This is consistent with a steady decrease in average semi-major axis from the highest-mass binary stars to the brown dwarf binaries. Based on observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by the Max-Planck Institute for Astronomy and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).

Finding binaries from phase modulation of pulsating stars with Kepler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibahashi, Hiromoto; Murphy, Simon; Bedding, Tim

2017-09-01

Binary orbital motion causes a periodic variation in the path length travelled by light emitted from a star towards us. Hence, if the star is pulsating, the observed phase of the pulsation varies over the orbit. Conversely, once we have observed such phase variation, we can extract information about the binary orbit from photometry alone. Continuous and precise space-based photometry has made it possible to measure these light travel time effects on the pulsating stars in binary systems. This opens up a new way of finding unseen brown dwarfs, planets, or massive compact stellar remnants: neutron stars and black holes.

Discovery and Characterization of Wide Binary Systems with a Very Low Mass Component

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baron, Frédérique; Lafrenière, David; Artigau, Étienne; Doyon, René; Gagné, Jonathan; Davison, Cassy L.; Malo, Lison; Robert, Jasmin; Nadeau, Daniel; Reylé, Céline

2015-03-01

We report the discovery of 14 low-mass binary systems containing mid-M to mid-L dwarf companions with separations larger than 250 AU. We also report the independent discovery of nine other systems with similar characteristics that were recently discovered in other studies. We have identified these systems by searching for common proper motion sources in the vicinity of known high proper motion stars, based on a cross-correlation of wide area near-infrared surveys (2MASS, SDSS, and SIMP). An astrometric follow-up, for common proper motion confirmation, was made with SIMON and/or CPAPIR at the Observatoire du Mont Mégantic 1.6 m and CTIO 1.5 m telescopes for all the candidates identified. A spectroscopic follow-up was also made with GMOS or GNIRS at Gemini to determine the spectral types of 11 of our newly identified companions and 10 of our primaries. Statistical arguments are provided to show that all of the systems we report here are very likely to be physical binaries. One of the new systems reported features a brown dwarf companion: LSPM J1259+1001 (M5) has an L4.5 (2M1259+1001) companion at ˜340 AU. This brown dwarf was previously unknown. Seven other systems have a companion of spectral type L0-L1 at a separation in the 250-7500 AU range. Our sample includes 14 systems with a mass ratio below 0.3.

DISCOVERY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF WIDE BINARY SYSTEMS WITH A VERY LOW MASS COMPONENT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baron, Frédérique; Lafrenière, David; Artigau, Étienne

2015-03-20

We report the discovery of 14 low-mass binary systems containing mid-M to mid-L dwarf companions with separations larger than 250 AU. We also report the independent discovery of nine other systems with similar characteristics that were recently discovered in other studies. We have identified these systems by searching for common proper motion sources in the vicinity of known high proper motion stars, based on a cross-correlation of wide area near-infrared surveys (2MASS, SDSS, and SIMP). An astrometric follow-up, for common proper motion confirmation, was made with SIMON and/or CPAPIR at the Observatoire du Mont Mégantic 1.6 m and CTIO 1.5more » m telescopes for all the candidates identified. A spectroscopic follow-up was also made with GMOS or GNIRS at Gemini to determine the spectral types of 11 of our newly identified companions and 10 of our primaries. Statistical arguments are provided to show that all of the systems we report here are very likely to be physical binaries. One of the new systems reported features a brown dwarf companion: LSPM J1259+1001 (M5) has an L4.5 (2M1259+1001) companion at ∼340 AU. This brown dwarf was previously unknown. Seven other systems have a companion of spectral type L0–L1 at a separation in the 250–7500 AU range. Our sample includes 14 systems with a mass ratio below 0.3.« less

The Pan-STARRS1 Proper-motion Survey for Young Brown Dwarfs in Nearby Star-forming Regions. I. Taurus Discoveries and a Reddening-free Classification Method for Ultracool Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhoujian; Liu, Michael C.; Best, William M. J.; Magnier, Eugene A.; Aller, Kimberly M.; Chambers, K. C.; Draper, P. W.; Flewelling, H.; Hodapp, K. W.; Kaiser, N.; Kudritzki, R.-P.; Metcalfe, N.; Wainscoat, R. J.; Waters, C.

2018-05-01

We are conducting a proper-motion survey for young brown dwarfs in the Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud based on the Pan-STARRS1 3π Survey. Our search uses multi-band photometry and astrometry to select candidates, and is wider (370 deg2) and deeper (down to ≈3 M Jup) than previous searches. We present here our search methods and spectroscopic follow-up of our high-priority candidates. Since extinction complicates spectral classification, we have developed a new approach using low-resolution (R ≈ 100) near-infrared spectra to quantify reddening-free spectral types, extinctions, and gravity classifications for mid-M to late-L ultracool dwarfs (≲100–3 M Jup in Taurus). We have discovered 25 low-gravity (VL-G) and the first 11 intermediate-gravity (INT-G) substellar (M6–L1) members of Taurus, constituting the largest single increase of Taurus brown dwarfs to date. We have also discovered 1 new Pleiades member and 13 new members of the Perseus OB2 association, including a candidate very wide separation (58 kau) binary. We homogeneously reclassify the spectral types and extinctions of all previously known Taurus brown dwarfs. Altogether our discoveries have thus far increased the substellar census in Taurus by ≈40% and added three more L-type members (≲5–10 M Jup). Most notably, our discoveries reveal an older (>10 Myr) low-mass population in Taurus, in accord with recent studies of the higher-mass stellar members. The mass function appears to differ between the younger and older Taurus populations, possibly due to incompleteness of the older stellar members or different star formation processes.

A large spectroscopic sample of L and T dwarfs from UKIDSS LAS: peculiar objects, binaries, and space density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marocco, F.; Jones, H. R. A.; Day-Jones, A. C.; Pinfield, D. J.; Lucas, P. W.; Burningham, B.; Zhang, Z. H.; Smart, R. L.; Gomes, J. I.; Smith, L.

2015-06-01

We present the spectroscopic analysis of a large sample of late-M, L, and T dwarfs from the United Kingdom Deep Infrared Sky Survey. Using the YJHK photometry from the Large Area Survey and the red-optical photometry from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey we selected a sample of 262 brown dwarf candidates and we have followed-up 196 of them using the echelle spectrograph X-shooter on the Very Large Telescope. The large wavelength coverage (0.30-2.48 μm) and moderate resolution (R ˜ 5000-9000) of X-shooter allowed us to identify peculiar objects including 22 blue L dwarfs, 2 blue T dwarfs, and 2 low-gravity M dwarfs. Using a spectral indices-based technique, we identified 27 unresolved binary candidates, for which we have determined the spectral type of the potential components via spectral deconvolution. The spectra allowed us to measure the equivalent width of the prominent absorption features and to compare them to atmospheric models. Cross-correlating the spectra with a radial velocity standard, we measured the radial velocity of our targets, and we determined the distribution of the sample, which is centred at -1.7 ± 1.2 km s-1 with a dispersion of 31.5 km s-1. Using our results, we estimated the space density of field brown dwarfs and compared it with the results of numerical simulations. Depending on the binary fraction, we found that there are (0.85 ± 0.55) × 10-3 to (1.00 ± 0.64) × 10-3 objects per cubic parsec in the L4-L6.5 range, (0.73 ± 0.47) × 10-3 to (0.85 ± 0.55) × 10-3 objects per cubic parsec in the L7-T0.5 range, and (0.74 ± 0.48) × 10-3 to (0.88 ± 0.56) × 10-3 objects per cubic parsec in the T1-T4.5 range. We notice that there seems to be an excess of objects in the L-T transition with respect to the late-T dwarfs, a discrepancy that could be explained assuming a higher binary fraction than expected for the L-T transition, or that objects in the high-mass end and low-mass end of this regime form in different environments, i.e. following different initial mass functions.

News From The Erebos Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaffenroth, Veronika; Barlow, Brad; Geier, Stephan; Vučković, Maja; Kilkenny, Dave; Schaffenroth, Johannes

2017-12-01

Planets and brown dwarfs in close orbits will interact with their host stars, as soon as the stars evolve to become red giants. However, the outcome of those interactions is still unclear. Recently, several brown dwarfs have been discovered orbiting hot subdwarf stars at very short orbital periods of 0.065 - 0.096 d. More than 8% of the close hot subdwarf binaries might have sub-stellar companions. This shows that such companions can significantly affect late stellar evolution and that sdB binaries are ideal objects to study this influence. Thirty-eight new eclipsing sdB binary systems with cool low-mass companions and periods from 0.05 to 0.5 d were discovered based on their light curves by the OGLE project. In the recently published catalog of eclipsing binaries in the Galactic bulge, we discovered 75 more systems. We want to use this unique and homogeneously selected sample to derive the mass distribution of the companions, constrain the fraction of sub-stellar companions and determine the minimum mass needed to strip off the red-giant envelope. We are especially interested in testing models that predict hot Jupiter planets as possible companions. Therefore, we started the EREBOS (Eclipsing Reflection Effect Binaries from the OGLE Survey) project, which aims at analyzing those new HW Vir systems based on a spectroscopic and photometric follow up. For this we were granted an ESO Large Program for ESO-VLT/FORS2. Here we give an update on the the current status of the project and present some preliminary results.

Direct imaging of an ultracool substellar companion to the exoplanet host star HD 4113 A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheetham, A.; Ségransan, D.; Peretti, S.; Delisle, J.-B.; Hagelberg, J.; Beuzit, J.-L.; Forveille, T.; Marmier, M.; Udry, S.; Wildi, F.

2018-06-01

Using high-contrast imaging with the SPHERE instrument at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), we report the first images of a cold brown dwarf companion to the exoplanet host star HD 4113A. The brown dwarf HD 4113C is part of a complex dynamical system consisting of a giant planet, a stellar host, and a known wide M-dwarf companion. Its separation of 535 ± 3 mas and H-band contrast of 13.35 ± 0.10 mag correspond to a projected separation of 22 AU and an isochronal mass estimate of 36 ± 5 MJ based on COND models. The companion shows strong methane absorption, and through fitting an atmosphere model, we estimate a surface gravity of logg = 5 and an effective temperature of 500-600 K. A comparison of its spectrum with observed T dwarfs indicates a late-T spectral type, with a T9 object providing the best match. By combining the observed astrometry from the imaging data with 27 years of radial velocities, we use orbital fitting to constrain its orbital and physical parameters, as well as update those of the planet HD 4113A b, discovered by previous radial velocity measurements. The data suggest a dynamical mass of 66-4+5 MJ and moderate eccentricity of 0.44-0.07+0.08 for the brown dwarf. This mass estimate appears to contradict the isochronal estimate and that of objects with similar temperatures, which may be caused by the newly detected object being an unresolved binary brown dwarf system or the presence of an additional object in the system. Through dynamical simulations, we show that the planet may undergo strong Lidov-Kozai cycles, raising the possibility that it formed on a quasi-circular orbit and gained its currently observed high eccentricity (e 0.9) through interactions with the brown dwarf. Follow-up observations combining radial velocities, direct imaging, and Gaia astrometry will be crucial to precisely constrain the dynamical mass of the brown dwarf and allow for an in-depth comparison with evolutionary and atmosphere models. Based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere under ESO programmes 097.C-0893(A), 077.C-0293(A), 279.C-5052(A), 081.C-0653(A) and 091.C-0721(B).

New spectroscopic binary companions of giant stars and updated metallicity distribution for binary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bluhm, P.; Jones, M. I.; Vanzi, L.; Soto, M. G.; Vos, J.; Wittenmyer, R. A.; Drass, H.; Jenkins, J. S.; Olivares, F.; Mennickent, R. E.; Vučković, M.; Rojo, P.; Melo, C. H. F.

2016-10-01

We report the discovery of 24 spectroscopic binary companions to giant stars. We fully constrain the orbital solution for 6 of these systems. We cannot unambiguously derive the orbital elements for the remaining stars because the phase coverage is incomplete. Of these stars, 6 present radial velocity trends that are compatible with long-period brown dwarf companions. The orbital solutions of the 24 binary systems indicate that these giant binary systems have a wide range in orbital periods, eccentricities, and companion masses. For the binaries with restricted orbital solutions, we find a range of orbital periods of between ~97-1600 days and eccentricities of between ~0.1-0.4. In addition, we studied the metallicity distribution of single and binary giant stars. We computed the metallicity of a total of 395 evolved stars, 59 of wich are in binary systems. We find a flat distribution for these binary stars and therefore conclude that stellar binary systems, and potentially brown dwarfs, have a different formation mechanism than planets. This result is confirmed by recent works showing that extrasolar planets orbiting giants are more frequent around metal-rich stars. Finally, we investigate the eccentricity as a function of the orbital period. We analyzed a total of 130 spectroscopic binaries, including those presented here and systems from the literature. We find that most of the binary stars with periods ≲30 days have circular orbits, while at longer orbital periods we observe a wide spread in their eccentricities. Based on observations collected at La Silla - Paranal Observatory under programs IDs IDs 085.C-0557, 087.C.0476, 089.C-0524, 090.C-0345, 096.A-9020 and through the Chilean Telescope Time under programs IDs CN2012A-73, CN2012B-47, CN2013A-111, CN2013B-51, CN2014A-52 and CN2015A-48.

Exploring Substellar Evolution with the Coldest Brown Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupuy, Trent J.

2017-01-01

The coldest brown dwarfs are our best analogs to extrasolar gas-giant planets, representing the lowest mass products of star formation. Our view of such objects has been transformed over the last few years as new observations have revealed that the solar neighborhood is populated by much colder objects than previously recognized. At the center of efforts to discover and characterize these coldest substellar objects have been observations from NASA missions (WISE, Spitzer, HST) and the Keck Telescopes. I will review the tremendous progress made in this field over just the last few years thanks to major community efforts to overcome observational challenges in obtaining spectroscopy, photometry, and astrometry of these infrared-faint, optically invisible objects. Spectra from HST and Keck were key in establishing the much anticipated "Y" spectral type, extending the classic stellar classification scheme to atmospheres as cool as 300-400 K. Parallaxes and photometry from Spitzer and Keck have provided absolute fluxes, enabling robust temperature determinations and critical tests of model atmopheres. High-resolution imaging with Keck laser guide star adaptive optics (LGS AO) has been the most prolific resource for revealing tight companions among the coldest brown dwarfs. In fact, with continued orbit monitoring with Keck LGS AO and HST, these binary systems will ultimately provide dynamical masses that will allow the strongest tests of models and reveal if the coldest brown dwarfs are indeed "planetary mass" (less than about 13 Jupiter masses) as is currently thought.

Initial Results from the Palomar Adaptive Optics Survey of Young Solar-Type Stars: A Brown Dwarf and Three Stellar Companions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metchev, Stanimir A.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.

2004-12-01

We present first results from the Palomar Adaptive Optics Survey of Young Stars conducted at the Hale 5 m telescope. Through direct imaging we have discovered a brown dwarf and two low-mass stellar companions to the young solar-type stars HD 49197, HD 129333 (EK Dra), and V522 Per and confirmed a previously suspected companion to RX J0329.1+0118 (Sterzik et al.), at respective separations of 0.95" (43 AU), 0.74" (25 AU), 2.09" (400 AU), and 3.78" (380 AU). Physical association of each binary system is established through common proper motion and/or low-resolution infrared spectroscopy. Based on the companion spectral types, we estimate their masses at 0.06, 0.20, 0.13, and 0.20 Msolar, respectively. From analysis of our imaging data combined with archival radial velocity data, we find that the spatially resolved companion to HD 129333 is potentially identical to the previously identified spectroscopic companion to this star (Duquennoy & Mayor). However, a discrepancy with the absolute magnitude suggests that the two companions could also be distinct, with the resolved one being the outermost component of a triple system. The brown dwarf HD 49197B is a new member of a growing list of directly imaged substellar companions at 10-1000 AU separations from main-sequence stars, indicating that such brown dwarfs may be more common than initially speculated.

Parallax measurements of cool brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manjavacas, E.; Goldman, B.; Reffert, S.; Henning, T.

2013-12-01

Context. Accurate parallax measurements allow us to determine physical properties of brown dwarfs and help us constrain evolutionary and atmospheric models, break age-mass degeneracy, and reveal unresolved binaries. Aims: We measured absolute trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions of six cool brown dwarfs using background galaxies to establish an absolute reference frame. We derive the absolute J-band magnitude. The six T brown dwarfs in our sample have spectral types between T2.5 and T8 and magnitudes between 13.9 and 18.0 in the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) with photometric distances below 25 pc. Methods: The observations were taken in the J-band with the Omega-2000 camera on the 3.5 m telescope at Calar Alto during a time period of 27 months between March 2011 and June 2013. The number of epochs varied between 11 and 12 depending on the object. The reduction of the astrometric measurements was carried out with respect to the field stars. The relative parallax and proper motions were transformed into absolute measurements using the background galaxies in our fields. Results: We obtained absolute parallaxes for our six brown dwarfs with a precision between 3 and 6 mas. We compared our results in a color-magnitude diagram with other brown dwarfs with determined parallax and with the BT-Settl 2012 atmospheric models. For four of the six targets, we found a good agreement in luminosity with objects of similar spectral types. We obtained an improved accuracy in the parallaxes and proper motions in comparison to previous works. The object 2MASS J11061197+2754225 is more than 1 mag overluminous in all bands, which point to binarity or high order multiplicity. Based on observations taken with Omega-2000 at the 3.5 m telescope at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated by the Max Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

The Young L Dwarf 2MASS J11193254-1137466 Is a Planetary-mass Binary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Best, William M. J.; Liu, Michael C.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Magnier, Eugene A.

2017-07-01

We have discovered that the extremely red, low-gravity L7 dwarf 2MASS J11193254-1137466 is a 0.″14 (3.6 au) binary using Keck laser guide star adaptive optics imaging. 2MASS J11193254-1137466 has previously been identified as a likely member of the TW Hydrae Association (TWA). Using our updated photometric distance and proper motion, a kinematic analysis based on the BANYAN II model gives an 82% probability of TWA membership. At TWA’s 10 ± 3 Myr age and using hot-start evolutionary models, 2MASS J11193254-1137466AB is a pair of {3.7}-0.9+1.2 {M}{Jup} brown dwarfs, making it the lowest-mass binary discovered to date. We estimate an orbital period of {90}-50+80 years. One component is marginally brighter in K band but fainter in J band, making this a probable flux-reversal binary, the first discovered with such a young age. We also imaged the spectrally similar TWA L7 dwarf WISEA J114724.10-204021.3 with Keck and found no sign of binarity. Our evolutionary model-derived {T}{eff} estimate for WISEA J114724.10-204021.3 is ≈230 K higher than for 2MASS J11193254-1137466AB, at odds with the spectral similarity of the two objects. This discrepancy suggests that WISEA J114724.10-204021.3 may actually be a tight binary with masses and temperatures very similar to 2MASS J11193254-1137466AB, or further supporting the idea that near-infrared spectra of young ultracool dwarfs are shaped by factors other than temperature and gravity. 2MASS J11193254-1137466AB will be an essential benchmark for testing evolutionary and atmospheric models in the young planetary-mass regime.

Numerical 3D Hydrodynamics Study of Gravitational Instabilities in a Circumbinary Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Karna Mahadev; Steiman-Cameron, Thomas Y.; Michael, Scott; Cai, Kai; Durisen, Richard H.

2016-01-01

We present a 3D hydrodynamical study of gravitational instabilities (GIs) in a circumbinary protoplanetary disk around a Solar mass star and a brown dwarf companion (0.02 M⊙). GIs can play an important, and at times dominant, role in driving the structural evolution of protoplanetary disks. The reported simulations were performed employing CHYMERA, a radiative 3D hydrodynamics code developed by the Indiana University Hydrodynamics Group. The simulations include disk self-gravity and radiative cooling governed by realistic dust opacities. We examine the role of GIs in modulating the thermodynamic state of the disks, and determine the strengths of GI-induced density waves, non-axisymmetric density structures, radial mass transport, and gravitational torques. The principal goal of this study is to determine how the presence of the companion affects the nature and strength of GIs. Results are compared with a parallel simulation of a protoplanetary disk without the presence of the brown dwarf binary companion. We detect no fragmentation in either disk. A persistent vortex forms in the inner region of both disks. The vortex seems to be stabilized by the presence of the binary companion.

Substellar Companions to weak-line TTauri Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandner, W.; Alcala, J. M.; Covino, E.; Frink, S.

1997-05-01

Weak-line TTauri stars, contrary to classical TTauri stars, no longer possess massive circumstellar disks. In weak-line TTauri stars, the circumstellar matter was either accreted onto the TTauri star or has been redistributed. Disk instabilities in the outer disk might result in the formation of brown dwarfs and giant planets. Based on photometric and spectroscopic studies of ROSAT sources, we have selected an initial sample of 200 weak-line TTauri stars in the Chamaeleon T association and the Scorpius Centaurus OB association. In the course of follow-up observations we identified visual and spectroscopic binary stars and excluded them from our final list, as the complex dynamics and gravitational interaction in binary systems might aggravate or even completely inhibit the formation of planets (depending on physical separation of the binary components and their mass-ratio). The membership of individual stars to the associations was established from proper motion studies and radial velocity surveys. Our final sample consists of 70 single weak-line TTauri stars. We have initiated a program to spatially RESOLVE young brown dwarfs and young giant planets as companions to single weak-line TTauri stars using adaptive optics at the ESO 3.6m telescope and HST/NICMOS. In this poster we describe the observing strategy and present first results of our adaptive optics observations.

Spitzer Light Curves of the Young, Planetary-mass TW Hya Members 2MASS J11193254–1137466AB and WISEA J114724.10–204021.3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Adam C.; Hardegree-Ullman, Kevin K.; Cushing, Michael C.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Shkolnik, Evgenya L.

2018-06-01

We present Spitzer Space Telescope time-series photometry at 3.6 and 4.5 μm of 2MASS J11193254‑1137466AB and WISEA J114724.10‑204021.3, two planetary-mass, late-type (∼L7) brown dwarf members of the ∼10 Myr old TW Hya Association. These observations were taken in order to investigate whether or not a tentative trend of increasing variability amplitude with decreasing surface gravity seen for L3–L5.5 dwarfs extends to later-L spectral types and to explore the angular momentum evolution of low-mass objects. We examine each light curve for variability and find a rotation period of 19.39+0.33 ‑0.28 hr and semi-amplitudes of 0.798+0.081 ‑0.083% at 3.6 μm and 1.108+0.093 ‑0.094% at 4.5 μm for WISEA J114724.10‑204021.3. For 2MASS J11193254‑1137466AB, we find a single period of 3.02+0.04 ‑0.03 hr with semi-amplitudes of 0.230+0.036 ‑0.035% at 3.6 μm and 0.453 ± 0.037% at 4.5 μm, which we find is possibly due to the rotation of one component of the binary. Combining our results with 12 other late-type L dwarfs observed with Spitzer from the literature, we find no significant differences between the 3.6 μm amplitudes of low surface gravity and field gravity late-type L brown dwarfs at Spitzer wavelengths, and find tentative evidence (75% confidence) of higher amplitude variability at 4.5 μm for young, late-type Ls. We also find a median rotation period of young brown dwarfs (10–300 Myr) of ∼10 hr, more than twice the value of the median rotation period of field-age brown dwarfs (∼4 hr), a clear signature of brown dwarf rotational evolution.

Giant Planet Candidates, Brown Dwarfs, and Binaries from the SDSS-III MARVELS Planet Survey.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Neil; Ge, Jian; Li, Rui; de Lee, Nathan M.; Heslar, Michael; Ma, Bo; SDSS-Iii Marvels Team

2015-01-01

We report the discoveries of giant planet candidates, brown dwarfs, and binaries from the SDSS-III MARVELS survey. The finalized 1D pipeline has provided 18 giant planet candidates, 16 brown dwarfs, and over 500 binaries. An additional 96 targets having RV variability indicative of a giant planet companion are also reported for future investigation. These candidates are found using the advanced MARVELS 1D data pipeline developed at UF from scratch over the past three years. This pipeline carefully corrects most of the instrument effects (such as trace, slant, distortion, drifts and dispersion) and observation condition effects (such as illumination profile, fiber degradation, and tracking variations). The result is long-term RV precisions that approach the photon limits in many cases for the ~89,000 individual stellar observations. A 2D version of the pipeline that uses interferometric information is nearing completion and is demonstrating a reduction of errors to half the current levels. The 2D processing will be used to increase the robustness of the detections presented here and to find new candidates in RV regions not confidently detectable with the 1D pipeline. The MARVELS survey has produced the largest homogeneous RV measurements of 3300 V=7.6-12 FGK stars with a well defined cadence of 27 RV measurements over 2 years. The MARVELS RV data and other follow-up data (photometry, high contrast imaging, high resolution spectroscopy and RV measurements) will explore the diversity of giant planet companion formation and evolution around stars with a broad range in metallicity (Fe/H -1.5-0.5), mass ( 0.6-2.5M(sun)), and environment (thin disk and thick disk), and will help to address the key scientific questions identified for the MARVELS survey including, but not limited to: Do metal poor stars obey the same trends for planet occurrence as metal rich stars? What is the distribution of giant planets around intermediate-mass stars and binaries? Is the 'planet desert' within 0.6 AU in the planet orbital distribution of intermediate-mass stars real?

Multiplicity Among Young Brown Dwarfs and Very Low Mass Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmic, Mirza; Jayawardhana, R.; Brandeker, A.; Scholz, A.; van Kerkwijk, M. H.; Delgado-Donate, E.; Froebrich, D.

2007-05-01

Characterizing multiplicity in the very low mass (VLM) domain is a topic of much current interest and fundamental importance. Here we report on a near-infrared adaptive optics imaging survey of 28 young brown dwarfs and VLM stars, 26 of which are in the Chamaeleon I star-forming region, using the ESO Very Large Telescope. Our findings in Cha I -- the low multiplicity frequency of 8%, the preference for equal mass pairs, and the lack of wide binaries -- are strikingly similar to what has previously been reported for VLM objects in the field and in open clusters. Thus, we argue that there is no significant evolution of multiplicity with age among brown dwarfs and VLM stars between a few Myr to several Gyr. Instead, the observations to date suggest that VLM objects are either less likely to be born in wide multiple systems than solar mass stars or such systems are disrupted very early (within the first couple of Myr). Our results also imply that systems like 2MASSW J1207334-393254 and Oph 162225-240515, with planetary mass companions at wide separations, are rare. This research was supported by an NSERC grant, University of Toronto research funds and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.

THE KEPLER LIGHT CURVE OF THE UNIQUE DA WHITE DWARF BOKS 53856

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holberg, J. B.; Howell, Steve B., E-mail: holberg@argus.lpl.arizona.edu, E-mail: howell@noao.edu

2011-08-15

The faint (g = 16.9) hot white dwarf BOKS 53856 was observed by the Kepler Mission in short cadence mode during mid-2009. Analysis of these observations reveals a highly stable modulation with a period of 6.1375 hr and a 2.46% half-amplitude. The folded light curve has an unusual shape that is difficult to explain in terms of a binary system containing an unseen companion more luminous than an L0 brown dwarf. Optical spectra of BOKS 53856 show a T{sub eff} = 34,000 K, log g = 8.0 DA white dwarf. There are few, if any, known white dwarfs in thismore » temperature range exhibiting photometric variations similar to those we describe. A magnetic spin-modulated white dwarf model can in principle explain the light curve, an interpretation supported by spectral observations of the H{alpha} line showing evidence of Zeeman splitting.« less

MAPPING THE SHORES OF THE BROWN DWARF DESERT. II. MULTIPLE STAR FORMATION IN TAURUS-AURIGA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kraus, Adam L.; Ireland, Michael J.; Martinache, Frantz

2011-04-10

We have conducted a high-resolution imaging study of the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region in order to characterize the primordial outcome of multiple star formation and the extent of the brown dwarf desert. Our survey identified 16 new binary companions to primary stars with masses of 0.25-2.5 M{sub sun}, raising the total number of binary pairs (including components of high-order multiples) with separations of 3-5000 AU to 90. We find that {approx}2/3-3/4 of all Taurus members are multiple systems of two or more stars, while the other {approx}1/4-1/3 appear to have formed as single stars; the distribution of high-order multiplicity suggests thatmore » fragmentation into a wide binary has no impact on the subsequent probability that either component will fragment again. The separation distribution for solar-type stars (0.7-2.5 M{sub sun}) is nearly log-flat over separations of 3-5000 AU, but lower-mass stars (0.25-0.7 M{sub sun}) show a paucity of binary companions with separations of {approx}>200 AU. Across this full mass range, companion masses are well described with a linear-flat function; all system mass ratios (q = M{sub B} /M{sub A} ) are equally probable, apparently including substellar companions. Our results are broadly consistent with the two expected modes of binary formation (free-fall fragmentation on large scales and disk fragmentation on small scales), but the distributions provide some clues as to the epochs at which the companions are likely to form.« less

IRAS 16253–2429: THE FIRST PROTO-BROWN DWARF BINARY CANDIDATE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE DYNAMICS OF JETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hsieh, Tien-Hao; Lai, Shih-Ping; Belloche, Arnaud

2016-07-20

The formation mechanism of brown dwarfs (BDs) is one of the long-standing problems in star formation because the typical Jeans mass in molecular clouds is too large to form these substellar objects. To answer this question, it is crucial to study a BD in the embedded phase. IRAS 16253–2429 is classified as a very low-luminosity object (VeLLO) with an internal luminosity of <0.1 L {sub ⊙}. VeLLOs are believed to be very low-mass protostars or even proto-BDs. We observed the jet/outflow driven by IRAS 16253–2429 in CO (2–1), (6–5), and (7–6) using the IRAM 30 m and Atacama Pathfinder Experimentmore » telescopes and the Submillimeter Array (SMA) in order to study its dynamical features and physical properties. Our SMA map reveals two protostellar jets, indicating the existence of a proto-binary system as implied by the precessing jet detected in H{sub 2} emission. We detect a wiggling pattern in the position–velocity diagrams along the jet axes, which is likely due to the binary orbital motion. Based on this information, we derive the current mass of the binary as ∼0.032 M{sub ⊙}. Given the low envelope mass, IRAS 16253–2429 will form a binary that probably consist of one or two BDs. Furthermore, we found that the outflow force as well as the mass accretion rate are very low based on the multi-transition CO observations, which suggests that the final masses of the binary components are at the stellar/substellar boundary. Since IRAS 16253 is located in an isolated environment, we suggest that BDs can form through fragmentation and collapse, similar to low-mass stars.« less

Not Alone: Tracing the Origins of Very-Low-Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs Through Multiplicity Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgasser, A. J.; Reid, I. N.; Siegler, N.; Close, L.; Allen, P.; Lowrance, P.; Gizis, J.

The properties of multiple stellar systems have long provided important empirical constraints for star-formation theories, enabling (along with several other lines of evidence) a concrete, qualitative picture of the birth and early evolution of normal stars. At very low masses (VLM; M ? 0.1 solar mass), down to and below the hydrogen-burning minimum mass, our understanding of formation processes is not as clear, with several competing theories now under consideration. One means of testing these theories is through the empirical characterization of VLM multiple systems. Here, we review the results of various VLM multiplicity studies to date. These systems can be generally characterized as closely separated (93% have projected separations ? < 20 AU), near equal-mass (77% have M2/M1 ? 0.8) and occurring infrequently (perhaps 10-30% of systems are binary). Both the frequency and maximum separation of stellar and brown dwarf binaries steadily decrease for lower system masses, suggesting that VLM binary formation and/or evolution may be a mass-dependent process. There is evidence for a fairly rapid decline in the number of loosely bound systems below ~0.3 solar mass, corresponding to a factor of 10-20 increase in the minimum binding energy of VLM binaries as compared to more massive stellar binaries. This wide-separation "desert" is present among both field (~1-5 G.y.) and older (>100 m.y.) cluster systems, while the youngest (<10 m.y.) VLM binaries, particularly those in nearby, low-density star-forming regions, appear to have somewhat different systemic properties. We compare these empirical trends to predictions laid out by current formation theories, and outline future observational studies needed to probe the full parameter space of the lowest-mass multiple systems.

THE BROWN DWARF KINEMATICS PROJECT (BDKP). IV. RADIAL VELOCITIES OF 85 LATE-M AND L DWARFS WITH MagE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burgasser, Adam J.; Logsdon, Sarah E.; Gagné, Jonathan

2015-09-15

Radial velocity measurements are presented for 85 late M- and L-type very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs obtained with the Magellan Echellette spectrograph. Targets primarily have distances within 20 pc of the Sun, with more distant sources selected for their unusual spectral energy distributions. We achieved precisions of 2–3 km s{sup −1}, and combined these with astrometric and spectrophotometric data to calculate UVW velocities. Most are members of the thin disk of the Galaxy, and velocity dispersions indicate a mean age of 5.2 ± 0.2 Gyr for sources within 20 pc. We find signficantly different kinematic ages between late-M dwarfsmore » (4.0 ± 0.2 Gyr) and L dwarfs (6.5 ± 0.4 Gyr) in our sample that are contrary to predictions from prior simulations. This difference appears to be driven by a dispersed population of unusually blue L dwarfs which may be more prevalent in our local volume-limited sample than in deeper magnitude-limited surveys. The L dwarfs exhibit an asymmetric U velocity distribution with a net inward flow, similar to gradients recently detected in local stellar samples. Simulations incorporating brown dwarf evolution and Galactic orbital dynamics are unable to reproduce the velocity asymmetry, suggesting non-axisymmetric perturbations or two distinct L dwarf populations. We also find the L dwarfs to have a kinematic age-activity correlation similar to more massive stars. We identify several sources with low surface gravities, and two new substellar candidate members of nearby young moving groups: the astrometric binary DENIS J08230313–4912012AB, a low-probability member of the β Pictoris Moving Group; and 2MASS J15104786–2818174, a moderate-probability member of the 30–50 Myr Argus Association.« less

Analysis of 45-years of Eclipse Timings of the Hyades (K2 V+ DA) Eclipsing Binary V471 Tauri

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchioni, Lucas; Guinan, Edward; Engle, Scott

2018-01-01

V471 Tau is an important detached 0.521-day eclipsing binary composed of a K2 V and a hot DA white dwarf star. This system resides in the Hyades star cluster located approximately 153 Ly from us. V471 Tau is considered to be the end-product of common-envelope binary star evolution and is currently a pre-CV system. V471 Tau serves as a valuable astrophysical laboratory for studying stellar evolution, white dwarfs, stellar magnetic dynamos, and possible detection of low mass companions using the Light Travel Time (LTT) Effects. Since its discovery as an eclipsing binary in 1970, photometry has been carried out and many eclipse timings have been determined. We have performed an analysis of the available photometric data available on V471 Tauri. The binary system has been the subject of analyses regarding the orbital period. From this analysis several have postulated the existence of a third body in the form of a brown dwarf that is causing periodic variations in the system’s apparent period. In this study we combine ground based data with photometry secured recently from the Kepler K2 mission. After detrending and phasing the available data, we are able to compare the changing period of the eclipsing binary system against predictions on the existence of this third body. The results of the analysis will be presented. This research is sponsored by grants from NASA and NSF for which we are very grateful.

New Evidence for a Substellar Luminosity Problem: Dynamical Mass for the Brown Dwarf Binary Gl 417BC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupuy, Trent J.; Liu, Michael C.; Ireland, Michael J.

2014-08-01

We present new evidence for a problem with cooling rates predicted by substellar evolutionary models that implies that model-derived masses in the literature for brown dwarfs and directly imaged planets may be too high. Based on our dynamical mass for Gl 417BC (L4.5+L6) and a gyrochronology system age from its young, solar-type host star, commonly used models predict luminosities 0.2-0.4 dex lower than we observe. This corroborates a similar luminosity-age discrepancy identified in our previous work on the L4+L4 binary HD 130948BC, which coincidentally has nearly identical component masses (≈50-55 M Jup) and age (≈800 Myr) as Gl 417BC. Such a luminosity offset would cause systematic errors of 15%-25% in model-derived masses at this age. After comparing different models, including cloudless models that should not be appropriate for mid-L dwarfs like Gl 417BC and HD 130948BC but actually match their luminosities better, we speculate the observed overluminosity could be caused by opacity holes (i.e., patchy clouds) in these objects. Moreover, from hybrid substellar evolutionary models that account for cloud disappearance, we infer the corresponding phase of overluminosity may extend from a few hundred million years up to a few gigayears and cause masses to be overestimated by up to 25%, even well after clouds disappear from view entirely. Thus, the range of ages and spectral types affected by this potential systematic shift in luminosity evolution would encompass most known directly imaged gas-giants and field brown dwarfs. Data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Adaptive Optics Observations of Exoplanets, Brown Dwarfs, and Binary Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinkley, Sasha

2012-04-01

The current direct observations of brown dwarfs and exoplanets have been obtained using instruments not specifically designed for overcoming the large contrast ratio between the host star and any wide-separation faint companions. However, we are about to witness the birth of several new dedicated observing platforms specifically geared towards high contrast imaging of these objects. The Gemini Planet Imager, VLT-SPHERE, Subaru HiCIAO, and Project 1640 at the Palomar 5m telescope will return images of numerous exoplanets and brown dwarfs over hundreds of observing nights in the next five years. Along with diffraction-limited coronagraphs and high-order adaptive optics, these instruments also will return spectral and polarimetric information on any discovered targets, giving clues to their atmospheric compositions and characteristics. Such spectral characterization will be key to forming a detailed theory of comparative exoplanetary science which will be widely applicable to both exoplanets and brown dwarfs. Further, the prevalence of aperture masking interferometry in the field of high contrast imaging is also allowing observers to sense massive, young planets at solar system scales (~3-30 AU)- separations out of reach to conventional direct imaging techniques. Such observations can provide snapshots at the earliest phases of planet formation-information essential for constraining formation mechanisms as well as evolutionary models of planetary mass companions. As a demonstration of the power of this technique, I briefly review recent aperture masking observations of the HR 8799 system. Moreover, all of the aforementioned techniques are already extremely adept at detecting low-mass stellar companions to their target stars, and I present some recent highlights.

Tuning Into Brown Dwarfs: Long-Term Radio Monitoring of Two Very Low Mass Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Linge, Russell; Burgasser, Adam J.; Melis, Carl; Williams, Peter K. G.

2017-01-01

The very lowest-mass (VLM) stars and brown dwarfs, with effective temperatures T < 3000 K, exhibit mixed magnetic activity trends, with H-alpha and X-ray emission that declines rapidly beyond type M7/M8, but persistent radio emission in roughly 10-20% of sources. The dozen or so VLM radio emitters known show a broad range of emission characteristics and time-dependent behavior, including steady persistent emission, periodic oscillations, periodic polarized bursts, and aperiodic flares. Understanding the evolution of these variability patterns, and in particular whether they undergo solar-like cycles, requires long-term monitoring. We report the results of a long-term JVLA monitoring program of two magnetically-active VLM dwarf binaries, the young M7 2MASS 1314+1320AB and older L5 2MASS 1315-2649AB. On the bi-weekly cadence, 2MASS 1314 continues to show variability by revealing regular flaring while 2MASS 1315 continues to be a quiescent emitter. On the daily time scale, both sources show a mean flux density that can vary significantly just over a few days. These results suggest long-term radio behavior in radio-emitting VLM dwarfs is just as diverse and complex as short-term behavior.

WISE J072003.20-084651.2: an Old and Active M9.5 + T5 Spectral Binary 6 pc from the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgasser, Adam J.; Gillon, Michaël; Melis, Carl; Bowler, Brendan P.; Michelsen, Eric L.; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella; Gelino, Christopher R.; Jehin, E.; Delrez, L.; Manfroid, J.; Blake, Cullen H.

2015-03-01

We report observations of the recently discovered, nearby late-M dwarf WISE J072003.20-084651.2. New astrometric measurements obtained with the TRAPPIST telescope improve the distance measurement to 6.0 ± 1.0 pc and confirm the low tangential velocity (3.5 ± 0.6 km s-1) reported by Scholz. Low-resolution optical spectroscopy indicates a spectral type of M9.5 and prominent Hα emission (< {{log }10}{{L}Hα }/{{L}bol}> = -4.68 ± 0.06), but no evidence of subsolar metallicity or Li i absorption. Near-infrared spectroscopy reveals subtle peculiarities that can be explained by the presence of a T5 binary companion, and high-resolution laser guide star adaptive optics imaging reveals a faint (ΔH = 4.1) candidate source 0\\buildrel{\\prime\\prime}\\over{.} 14 (0.8 AU) from the primary. With high-resolution optical and near-infrared spectroscopy, we measure a stable radial velocity of +83.8 ± 0.3 km s-1, indicative of old disk kinematics and consistent with the angular separation of the possible companion. We measure a projected rotational velocity of v sin i = 8.0 ± 0.5 km s-1 and find evidence of low-level variabilty (˜1.5%) in a 13 day TRAPPIST light curve, but cannot robustly constrain the rotational period. We also observe episodic changes in brightness (1%-2%) and occasional flare bursts (4%-8%) with a 0.8% duty cycle, and order-of-magnitude variations in Hα line strength. Combined, these observations reveal WISE J0720-0846 to be an old, very low-mass binary whose components straddle the hydrogen burning minimum mass, and whose primary is a relatively rapid rotator and magnetically active. It is one of only two known binaries among late M dwarfs within 10 pc of the Sun, both of which harbor a mid T-type brown dwarf companion. We show that while this specific configuration is rare (≲1.6% probability), roughly 25% of binary companions to late-type M dwarfs in the local population are likely low-temperature T or Y brown dwarfs. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Best, William M. J.; Liu, Michael C.; Magnier, Eugene A.

We present initial results from a wide-field (30,000 deg{sup 2}) search for L/T transition brown dwarfs within 25 pc using the Pan-STARRS1 and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) surveys. Previous large-area searches have been incomplete for L/T transition dwarfs, because these objects are faint in optical bands and have near-infrared (near-IR) colors that are difficult to distinguish from background stars. To overcome these obstacles, we have cross-matched the Pan-STARRS1 (optical) and WISE (mid-IR) catalogs to produce a unique multi-wavelength database for finding ultracool dwarfs. As part of our initial discoveries, we have identified seven brown dwarfs in the L/T transitionmore » within 9-15 pc of the Sun. The L9.5 dwarf PSO J140.2308+45.6487 and the T1.5 dwarf PSO J307.6784+07.8263 (both independently discovered by Mace et al.) show possible spectroscopic variability at the Y and J bands. Two more objects in our sample show evidence of photometric J-band variability, and two others are candidate unresolved binaries based on their spectra. We expect our full search to yield a well-defined, volume-limited sample of L/T transition dwarfs that will include many new targets for study of this complex regime. PSO J307.6784+07.8263 in particular may be an excellent candidate for in-depth study of variability, given its brightness (J = 14.2 mag) and proximity (11 pc)« less

An eclipsing post common-envelope system consisting of a pulsating hot subdwarf B star and a brown dwarf companion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaffenroth, V.; Barlow, B. N.; Drechsel, H.; Dunlap, B. H.

2015-04-01

Hot subdwarf B stars (sdBs) are evolved, core helium-burning objects located on the extreme horizontal branch. Their formation history is still puzzling because the sdB progenitors must lose nearly all of their hydrogen envelope during the red-giant phase. About half of the known sdBs are in close binaries with periods from 1.2 h to a few days, which implies that they experienced a common-envelope phase. Eclipsing hot subdwarf binaries (also called HW Virginis systems) are rare but important objects for determining fundamental stellar parameters. Even more significant and uncommon are those binaries containing a pulsating sdB, since the mass can be determined independently by asteroseismology. Here we present a first analysis of the eclipsing hot subdwarf binary V2008-1753. The light curve shows a total eclipse, a prominent reflection effect, and low-amplitude pulsations with periods from 150 to 180 s. An analysis of the light- and radial velocity curves indicates a mass ratio close to q = 0.146, an radial velocity semi-amplitude of K = 54.6 km s-1, and an inclination of i = 86.8°. Combining these results with our spectroscopic determination of the surface gravity, log g = 5.83, the best-fitting model yields an sdB mass of 0.47 M⊙ and a companion mass of 69 MJup. Because the latter mass is below the hydrogen-burning limit, V2008-1753 represents the first HW Vir system that is known to consist of a pulsating sdB and a brown dwarf companion. Consequently, it holds strong potential for better constraining models of sdB binary evolution and asteroseismology.

Are Binary Separations related to their System Mass?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sterzik, M. F.; Durisen, R. H.

2004-08-01

We compile most recent multiplicity fractions and binary separation distributions for different primary masses, including very low-mass and brown dwarf primaries, and compare them with dynamical decay models of small-N clusters. The model predictions are based on detailed numerical calculations of the internal cluster dynamics, as well as on Monte-Carlo methods. Both observations and models reflect the same trends: (1) The multiplicity fraction is an increasing function of the primary mass. (2) The mean binary separations are increasing with the system mass in the sense that very low-mass binaries have average separations around ≈ 4AU, while the binary separation distribution for solar-type primaries peaks at ≈ 40AU. M-type binary systems apparently preferentially populate intermediate separations. Similar specific energy at the time of cluster formation for all cluster masses can possibly explain this trend.

A possible brown dwarf companion to Gliese 569

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forrest, W. J.; Shure, Mark; Skrutskie, M. F.

1988-01-01

A faint cool companion to Gliese 569, discovered during an IR imaging survey of nearby stars, may be the lowest-mass stellar object yet found. The companion is somewhat cooler in its 1.65-3.75-micron energy distribution than the coolest known main-sequence stars, indicating a low mass. Despite its lower temperature, it is more luminous than similar extremely low-mass stars, suggesting that it is either a young low-mass star evolving toward the main sequence or a cooling substellar brown dwarf. The primary star has emission lines and a low space velocity and exhibits flaring, all of which imply youth for this system. Observations of Gliese 569 and its companion over a period of 2 yr confirm the common proper motion expected of a true binary. The 5-arcsec apparent separation (50 AU) implies an orbital period of roughly 500 yr, which will permit an eventual direct determination of the mass of the companion.

Race to the Top: Transiting Brown Dwarfs and Hot Jupiters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beatty, Thomas G.

2015-12-01

There are currently twelve known transiting brown dwarfs, nine of which orbit single main-sequence stars. These systems give us one of the only ways in which we may directly measure the masses and radii brown dwarfs, which in turn provides strong constraints on theoretical models of brown dwarf interiors and atmospheres. In addition, the transiting brown dwarfs allow us to forge a link between our understanding of transiting hot Jupiters, and our understanding of the field brown dwarf population. Comparing the two gives us a unique avenue to explore the role and interaction of surface gravity and stellar irradiation in the atmospheres of sub-stellar objects. It also allows us to leverage the detailed spectroscopic information we have for field brown dwarfs to interpret the broadband colors of hot Jupiters. This provides us with insight into the L/T transition in brown dwarfs, and the atmospheric chemistry changes that occur in hot Jupiter atmospheres as they cool. I will discuss recent observational results, with a particular focus on the transiting brown dwarf KELT-1b, and suggest how more of these important systems may be discovered in the future.

DANCING IN THE DARK: NEW BROWN DWARF BINARIES FROM KERNEL PHASE INTERFEROMETRY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pope, Benjamin; Tuthill, Peter; Martinache, Frantz, E-mail: bjsp@physics.usyd.edu.au, E-mail: p.tuthill@physics.usyd.edu.au, E-mail: frantz@naoj.org

2013-04-20

This paper revisits a sample of ultracool dwarfs in the solar neighborhood previously observed with the Hubble Space Telescope's NICMOS NIC1 instrument. We have applied a novel high angular resolution data analysis technique based on the extraction and fitting of kernel phases to archival data. This was found to deliver a dramatic improvement over earlier analysis methods, permitting a search for companions down to projected separations of {approx}1 AU on NIC1 snapshot images. We reveal five new close binary candidates and present revised astrometry on previously known binaries, all of which were recovered with the technique. The new candidate binariesmore » have sufficiently close separation to determine dynamical masses in a short-term observing campaign. We also present four marginal detections of objects which may be very close binaries or high-contrast companions. Including only confident detections within 19 pc, we report a binary fraction of at least #Greek Lunate Epsilon Symbol#{sub b} = 17.2{sub -3.7}{sup +5.7}%. The results reported here provide new insights into the population of nearby ultracool binaries, while also offering an incisive case study of the benefits conferred by the kernel phase approach in the recovery of companions within a few resolution elements of the point-spread function core.« less

Very Low-mass Stellar and Substellar Companions to Solar-like Stars from MARVELS. VI. A Giant Planet and a Brown Dwarf Candidate in a Close Binary System HD 87646

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Bo; Ge, Jian; Wolszczan, Alex; Muterspaugh, Matthew W.; Lee, Brian; Henry, Gregory W.; Schneider, Donald P.; Martín, Eduardo L.; Niedzielski, Andrzej; Xie, Jiwei; Fleming, Scott W.; Thomas, Neil; Williamson, Michael; Zhu, Zhaohuan; Agol, Eric; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Nicolaci da Costa, Luiz; Jiang, Peng; Martinez Fiorenzano, A. F.; González Hernández, Jonay I.; Guo, Pengcheng; Grieves, Nolan; Li, Rui; Liu, Jane; Mahadevan, Suvrath; Mazeh, Tsevi; Nguyen, Duy Cuong; Paegert, Martin; Sithajan, Sirinrat; Stassun, Keivan; Thirupathi, Sivarani; van Eyken, Julian C.; Wan, Xiaoke; Wang, Ji; Wisniewski, John P.; Zhao, Bo; Zucker, Shay

2016-11-01

We report the detections of a giant planet (MARVELS-7b) and a brown dwarf (BD) candidate (MARVELS-7c) around the primary star in the close binary system, HD 87646. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first close binary system with more than one substellar circumprimary companion that has been discovered. The detection of this giant planet was accomplished using the first multi-object Doppler instrument (KeckET) at the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) telescope. Subsequent radial velocity observations using the Exoplanet Tracker at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, the High Resolution Spectrograph at the Hobby Eberley telescope, the “Classic” spectrograph at the Automatic Spectroscopic Telescope at the Fairborn Observatory, and MARVELS from SDSS-III confirmed this giant planet discovery and revealed the existence of a long-period BD in this binary. HD 87646 is a close binary with a separation of ˜22 au between the two stars, estimated using the Hipparcos catalog and our newly acquired AO image from PALAO on the 200 inch Hale Telescope at Palomar. The primary star in the binary, HD 87646A, has {T}{eff} = 5770 ± 80 K, log g = 4.1 ± 0.1, and [Fe/H] = -0.17 ± 0.08. The derived minimum masses of the two substellar companions of HD 87646A are 12.4 ± 0.7 {M}{Jup} and 57.0 ± 3.7 {M}{Jup}. The periods are 13.481 ± 0.001 days and 674 ± 4 days and the measured eccentricities are 0.05 ± 0.02 and 0.50 ± 0.02 respectively. Our dynamical simulations show that the system is stable if the binary orbit has a large semimajor axis and a low eccentricity, which can be verified with future astrometry observations.

Deciphering IR Excess Observed by the Spitzer Space Telescope in Short Period Interacting Cataclysmic Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chun, Howard; Brinkworth, Carolyn; Ciardi, David; Hoard, Don; Howell, Steve; Stefaniak, Linda; Thomas, Beth

2006-03-01

During the first year of the Spitzer Space Telescope Observing Program for Students and Teachers, our team observed a small sample of short orbital period interacting white dwarf binaries. Our scientific investigation was aimed at detection and characterization of the low mass, cool, brown dwarf-like mass donors in these systems. We used the Infrared Array Camera to obtain photometric observations of the polars EF Eri, GG Leo, V347 Pav, and RX J0154.0-5947 at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 microns. In all our targets, we detected excess emission in the 3-8 micron region over that expected from a brown dwarf alone. One of the exciting discoveries we made with our IRAC observations is that the star EF Eri was found to be unexpectedly bright in the mid-IR (compared to its 2MASS magnitudes). This fact highlights an opportunity for us to observe EF Eri with the IRS as a follow-up proposal. EF Eri has a flux level of ~700 ?Jy at 8 microns. Thus, we are asking for time to obtain IRS data for only this star, our brightest source. We plan to obtain SL1 (7.4-14.5 microns) and SL2 (5.2-8.7 microns) spectroscopy only. We know the IRAC fluxes so our integration toies are well constrained and the spectral region covered by SL1, SL2 will yield sufficient S/N to differentiate between cool dust (rising BB like spectrum with PAH and other molecular features allowing us to determine dust size, temperature, and disk extent) and a T type dwarf showing characteristic spectral signatures and a falling Rayleigh-Jeans tail.

The Dynamic Radio Sky: An Opportunity for Discovery

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

brown dwarfs, flare stars extrasolar planets signals from ET civilizations pulsar giant pulses, inter- mittant pulsars , magnetar flares, X-ray binaries...giant pulses from the Crab pulsar , a small number of dedicated radio transient surveys, and the serendipitous discovery of transient radio sources...transients. 3.1 Case Study: Rotating Radio Transients—A New Population of Neutron Stars The first pulsars were discovered through visual inspection of

An unsuccessful search for brown dwarf companions to white dwarf stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shipman, Harry L.

1986-01-01

The results of a survey to detect excess infrared emission from white dwarf stars which would be attributable to a low mass companion are reviewed. Neither a simple comparison of spectroscopically identified white dwarf stars with the IRAS Point Source Catalog nor the coadding of IRAS survey data resulted in a detection of a brown dwarf. The seven nearest stars where the most stringent limits to the presence of a brown dwarf were obtained are listed, and an effort to detect brown dwarfs in the solar neighborhood is discussed.

The T dwarf population in the UKIDSS LAS .

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardoso, C. V.; Burningham, B.; Smith, L.; Smart, R.; Pinfield, D.; Magazzù, A.; Ghinassi, F.; Lattanzi, M.

We present the most recent results from the UKIDSS Large Area Survey (LAS) census and follow up of new T brown dwarfs in the local field. The new brown dwarf candidates are identified using optical and infrared survey photometry (UKIDSS and SDSS) and followed up with narrow band methane photometry (TNG) and spectroscopy (Gemini and Subaru) to confirm their brown dwarf nature. Employing this procedure we have discovered several dozens of new T brown dwarfs in the field. Using methane differential photometry as a proxy for spectral type for T brown dwarfs has proved to be a very efficient technique. This method can be useful in the future to reliably identify brown dwarfs in deep surveys that produce large samples of faint targets where spectroscopy is not feasible for all candidates. With this statistical robust sample of the mid and late T brown dwarf field population we were also able to address the discrepancies between the observed field space density and the expected values given the most accepted forms of the IMF of young clusters.

The V471 Tauri System: A Multi-data-type Probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaccaro, T. R.; Wilson, R. E.; Van Hamme, W.; Terrell, Dirk

2015-09-01

V471 Tauri, a white dwarf-red dwarf eclipsing binary (EB) in the Hyades, is well known for stimulating development of common envelope theory, whereby novae and other cataclysmic variables form from much wider binaries by catastrophic orbit shrinkage. Our evaluation of a recent imaging search that reported negative results for a much postulated third body shows that the object could have escaped detection or may have actually been seen. The balance of evidence continues to favor a brown dwarf companion about 12 AU from the EB. A recently developed algorithm finds unified solutions from three data types. New radial velocities (RVs) of the red dwarf and {{BVR}}C{I}C light curves are solved simultaneously along with white dwarf and red dwarf RVs from the literature, uvby data, the Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars mission light curve, and 40 years of eclipse timings. Precision-based weighting is the key to proper information balance among the various data sets. Timewise variation of modeled starspots allows unified solution of multiple data eras. Light-curve amplitudes strongly suggest decreasing spottedness from 1976 to about 1980, followed by approximately constant spot coverage from 1981 to 2005. An explanation is proposed for lack of noticeable variation in 1981 light curves, in terms of competition between spot and tidal variations. Photometric-spectroscopic distance is estimated. The red dwarf mass comes out larger than normal for a K2 V star, and even larger than adopted in several structure and evolution papers. An identified cause for this result is that much improved red dwarf RV curves now exist.

Cold Brown Dwarfs with WISE: Y Dwarfs and the Field Mass Function

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirkpatrick, J. Davy

2012-01-01

Why study Brown Dwarf stars? They re the lowest mass byproducts of star formation.. They provide time capsules across the age of the Galaxy.. They show what low-T(sub eff) atmospheres look like.. They may be some of our closest neighbors in space..WISE is a 40cm Earth-orbiting telescope. There are 211 stars and only 33 brown dwarfs in this volume.. This means that stars outnumber brown dwarfs by a factor of 6:1 currently.. The number of brown dwarfs will continue to increase if:: (a) more nearby Y dwarf candidates are confirmed, or (b) our distances to known Y s are overestimated, or (c) there are colder BDs invisible to WISE..

VLA Detects Unexplained Radio Emission From Three Brown Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2005-01-01

Astronomers have discovered three brown dwarfs -- enigmatic objects that are neither stars nor planets -- emitting radio waves that scientists cannot explain. The three newly-discovered radio-emitting brown dwarfs were found as part of a systematic study of nearby brown dwarfs using the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope. The VLA The Very Large Array CREDIT: NRAO/AUI/NSF (Click on image for VLA gallery) Until 2001, scientists believed that brown dwarfs, which are intermediate in mass between stars and planets, could not emit detectable amounts of radio waves. That year, summer students at the VLA made the first discovery of radio emission from a brown dwarf. Subsequently, as many as a half- dozen more radio-emitting brown dwarfs were discovered. "It clearly had become time to make a systematic study and try to find out just what percentage of brown dwarfs are emitting radio waves," said Rachel Osten, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Charlottesville, Virginia. Osten was assisted in the project in the summer of 2004 by Lynnae Quick, a student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University; Tim Bastian, also an astronomer at NRAO; and Suzanne Hawley, an astronomer at the University of Washington. The research team presented their results to the American Astronomical Society's meeting in San Diego, CA. The three new detections of radio-emitting brown dwarfs are just the first results from the systematic study, which aims to observe all the known brown dwarfs within about 45 light-years of Earth. "We want to be able to say definitively just how common radio emission is among brown dwarfs," Osten explained. The study involves observing 65 individual brown dwarfs, so these new detections represent just the beginning of the results expected from the study. Brown dwarfs are too big to be planets but too small to be true stars, as they have too little mass to trigger hydrogen fusion reactions at their cores, the source of the energy output in larger stars. With roughly 15 to 80 times the mass of Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System, brown dwarfs had long been thought to exist, but proved difficult to find. Astronomers found the first brown dwarf in 1995, and a few hundred now are known. The type of radio emission seen in the brown dwarfs arises in more-massive stars as a result of plasma interacting with the star's magnetic field. However, astronomers have noted that this type of activity declines in less-massive stars. This is why they expected brown dwarfs, with masses less than that of any star, to lack radio emission. Surprisingly, based on discoveries since 2001, it now appears that radio-emitting magnetic activity may actually become more common in these very low-mass objects. "We don't have an explanation for this," Osten said. The scientists hope that brown-dwarf radio emission may give them a new tool for analysis. "Since both stars and the planets in our Solar System produce radio emission, detailed study of the radio emission properties of these brown dwarfs may enable us to distinguish where the boundary between stellar and planetary behavior occurs in these not-quite-stars, not-quite-planets," Osten explained. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Ultracool Dwarfs and their companions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blake, Cullen H.

This thesis explores new techniques for making precise measurements of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, collectively known as Ultracool Dwarfs (UCDs). These new techniques are directly applicable to the search for extrasolar planets and efforts to test theoretical models of stellar structure and evolution at the bottom of the main sequence. The first three chapters of this thesis describe the development and application of a new technique for making radial velocity measurements of UCDs at near infrared (NIR) wavelengths. The first chapter describes a pilot study that demonstrates a significant improvement over previous work on Doppler measurements in the NIR. Using this technique we have carried out a Doppler survey of 65 L dwarfs. The second chapter describes the discovery of a new spectroscopic binary that may be one of the most important for constraining theoretical models of UCDs. The third chapter describes the Doppler survey in detail and presents measurements of a new spectroscopic binary system that is an excellent candidate for a giant planetary companion to a mid-L dwarf. This chapter also includes a discussion of the of the rotation, space motions, and binarity of the L dwarfs in the survey sample. The fourth chapter describes efforts to obtain precise photometric measurements of UCDs with the Peters Automated Infrared Imaging Telescope (PAIRITEL). Using software scheduling and data reduction systems designed in part by the author, PAIRITEL gathered more than 10 6 seconds of observations of a sample of 20 UCDs. We investigate the limitations to ground-based infrared photometry and characterize the ability of a system like PAIRITEL to detect transits of UCDs by Earth-like planets. The fifth chapter explores the potential impact of future synoptic surveys on studies of UCDs. Surveys like Pan-STARRS and LSST will obtain a small number of high-quality observations of a large number of UCDs. Using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we demonstrate that such data can be used to reliably detect low-mass eclipsing binary stars. We present the discovery of a double- lined eclipsing binary system that allows us to directly measure the masses and radii of two M dwarfs.

Benchmarking Brown Dwarf Models With a Non-irradiated Transiting Brown Dwarf in Praesepe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beatty, Thomas; Marley, Mark; Line, Michael; Gizis, John

2018-05-01

We wish to use 9.4 hours of Spitzer time to observe two eclipses, one each at 3.6um and 4.5um, of the transiting brown dwarf AD 3116b. AD 3116b is a 54.2+/-4.3 MJ, 1.08+/-0.07 RJ object on a 1.98 day orbit about a 3200K M-dwarf. Uniquely, AD 3116 and its host star are both members of Praesepe, a 690+/-60 Myr old open cluster. AD 3116b is thus one of two transiting brown dwarfs for which we have a robust isochronal age that is not dependent upon brown dwarf evolutionary models, and the youngest brown dwarf for which this is the case. Importantly, the flux AD 3116b receives from its host star is only 0.7% of its predicted internal luminosity (Saumon & Marley 2008). This makes AD 3116b the first known transiting brown dwarf that simultaneously has a well-defined age, and that receives a negligible amount of external irradiation, and a unique laboratory to test radius and luminosity predictions from brown dwarf evolutionary models. Our goal is to measure the emission from the brown dwarf. AD 3116b should have large, 25 mmag, eclipse depths in the Spitzer bandpasses, and we expect to measure them with a precision of +/-0.50 mmag at 3.6um and +/-0.54 mmag at 4.5um. This will allow us to make measure AD 3116b?s internal effective temperature to +/-40K. We will also use the upcoming Gaia DR2 parallaxes to measure AD 3116b's absolute IRAC magnitudes and color, and hence determine the cloud properties of the atmosphere. As the only known brown dwarf with an independently measured mass, radius, and age, Spitzer measurements of AD 3116b's luminosity and clouds will provide a critical benchmark for brown dwarf observation and theory.

Spatial differences between stars and brown dwarfs: a dynamical origin?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Richard J.; Andersen, Morten

2014-06-01

We use N-body simulations to compare the evolution of spatial distributions of stars and brown dwarfs in young star-forming regions. We use three different diagnostics: the ratio of stars to brown dwarfs as a function of distance from the region's centre, {R}_SSR, the local surface density of stars compared to brown dwarfs, ΣLDR, and we compare the global spatial distributions using the ΛMSR method. From a suite of 20 initially statistically identical simulations, 6/20 attain {R}_SSR ≪ 1 and ΣLDR ≪ 1 and ΛMSR ≪ 1, indicating that dynamical interactions could be responsible for observed differences in the spatial distributions of stars and brown dwarfs in star-forming regions. However, many simulations also display apparently contradictory results - for example, in some cases the brown dwarfs have much lower local densities than stars (ΣLDR ≪ 1), but their global spatial distributions are indistinguishable (ΛMSR = 1) and the relative proportion of stars and brown dwarfs remains constant across the region ({R}_SSR = 1). Our results suggest that extreme caution should be exercised when interpreting any observed difference in the spatial distribution of stars and brown dwarfs, and that a much larger observational sample of regions/clusters (with complete mass functions) is necessary to investigate whether or not brown dwarfs form through similar mechanisms to stars.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Geier, S.; Schaffenroth, V.; Drechsel, H.

Hot subdwarf B stars (sdBs) are extreme horizontal branch stars believed to originate from close binary evolution. Indeed about half of the known sdB stars are found in close binaries with periods ranging from a few hours to a few days. The enormous mass loss required to remove the hydrogen envelope of the red-giant progenitor almost entirely can be explained by common envelope ejection. A rare subclass of these binaries are the eclipsing HW Vir binaries where the sdB is orbited by a dwarf M star. Here, we report the discovery of an HW Vir system in the course ofmore » the MUCHFUSS project. A most likely substellar object ({approx_equal}0.068 M{sub sun}) was found to orbit the hot subdwarf J08205+0008 with a period of 0.096 days. Since the eclipses are total, the system parameters are very well constrained. J08205+0008 has the lowest unambiguously measured companion mass yet found in a subdwarf B binary. This implies that the most likely substellar companion has not only survived the engulfment by the red-giant envelope, but also triggered its ejection and enabled the sdB star to form. The system provides evidence that brown dwarfs may indeed be able to significantly affect late stellar evolution.« less

The Unevenly Distributed Nearest Brown Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bihain, Gabriel; Scholz, Ralf-Dieter

2016-08-01

To address the questions of how many brown dwarfs there are in the Milky Way, how do these objects relate to star formation, and whether the brown dwarf formation rate was different in the past, the star-to-brown dwarf number ratio can be considered. While main sequence stars are well known components of the solar neighborhood, lower mass, substellar objects increasingly add to the census of the nearest objects. The sky projection of the known objects at <6.5 pc shows that stars present a uniform distribution and brown dwarfs a non-uniform distribution, with about four times more brown dwarfs behind than ahead of the Sun relative to the direction of rotation of the Galaxy. Assuming that substellar objects distribute uniformly, their observed configuration has a probability of 0.1 %. The helio- and geocentricity of the configuration suggests that it probably results from an observational bias, which if compensated for by future discoveries, would bring the star-to-brown dwarf ratio in agreement with the average ratio found in star forming regions.

The EBLM Project. IV. Spectroscopic orbits of over 100 eclipsing M dwarfs masquerading as transiting hot Jupiters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Triaud, Amaury H. M. J.; Martin, David V.; Ségransan, Damien; Smalley, Barry; Maxted, Pierre F. L.; Anderson, David R.; Bouchy, François; Collier Cameron, Andrew; Faedi, Francesca; Gómez Maqueo Chew, Yilen; Hebb, Leslie; Hellier, Coel; Marmier, Maxime; Pepe, Francesco; Pollacco, Don; Queloz, Didier; Udry, Stéphane; West, Richard

2017-12-01

We present 2271 radial velocity measurements taken on 118 single-line binary stars, taken over eight years with the CORALIE spectrograph. The binaries consist of F/G/K primaries and M dwarf secondaries. They were initially discovered photometrically by the WASP planet survey, as their shallow eclipses mimic a hot Jupiter transit. The observations we present permit a precise characterisation of the binary orbital elements and mass function. With modelling of the primary star, this mass function is converted to a mass of the secondary star. In the future, this spectroscopic work will be combined with precise photometric eclipses to draw an empirical mass/radius relation for the bottom of the mass sequence. This has applications in both stellar astrophysics and the growing number of exoplanet surveys around M dwarfs. In particular, we have discovered 34 systems with a secondary mass below 0.2 M⊙, and so we will ultimately double the number of known very low-mass stars with well-characterised masses and radii. The quality of our data combined with the amplitude of the Doppler variations mean that we are able to detect eccentricities as small as 0.001 and orbital periods to sub-second precision. Our sample can revisit some earlier work on the tidal evolution of close binaries, extending it to low mass ratios. We find some exceptional binary systems that are eccentric at orbital periods below three days, while our longest circular orbit has a period of 10.4 days. Amongst our systems, we note one remarkable architecture in J1146-42 that boasts three stars within one astronomical unit. By collating the EBLM binaries with published WASP planets and brown dwarfs, we derive a mass spectrum with twice the resolution of previous work. We compare the WASP/EBLM sample of tightly bound orbits with work in the literature on more distant companions up to 10 AU. We note that the brown dwarf desert appears wider, as it carves into the planetary domain for our short-period orbits. This would mean that a significantly reduced abundance of planets begins at 3 MJup, well before the deuterium-burning limit. This may shed light on the formation and migration history of massive gas giants. Based on photometric observations with the SuperWASP and SuperWASP-South instruments and radial velocity measurement from the CORALIE spectrograph, mounted on the Swiss 1.2 m Euler Telescope, located at ESO, La Silla, Chile. The data is publicly available at the CDS Strasbourg and on demand to the main author.Radial velocity measurements are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/608/A129

A Statistical Study of Brown Dwarf Companions from the SDSS-III MARVELS Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grieves, Nolan; Ge, Jian; Thomas, Neil; Ma, Bo; De Lee, Nathan M.; Lee, Brian L.; Fleming, Scott W.; Sithajan, Sirinrat; Varosi, Frank; Liu, Jian; Zhao, Bo; Li, Rui; Agol, Eric; MARVELS Team

2016-01-01

We present 23 new Brown Dwarf (BD) candidates from the Multi-object APO Radial-Velocity Exoplanet Large-Area Survey (MARVELS) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS-III). The BD candidates were selected from the processed MARVELS data using the latest University of Florida 2D pipeline, which shows significant improvement and reduction of systematic errors over the 1D pipeline results included in the SDSS Data Release 12. This sample is the largest BD yield from a single radial velocity survey. Of the 23 candidates, 18 are around main sequence stars and 5 are around giant stars. Given a giant contamination rate of ~24% for the MARVELS survey, we find a BD occurrence rate around main sequence stars of ~0.7%, which agrees with previous studies and confirms the BD desert, while the BD occurrence rate around the MARVELS giant stars is ~0.6%. Preliminary results show that our new candidates around solar type stars support a two population hypothesis, where BDs are divided at a mass of ~42.5 MJup. BDs less massive than 42.5 MJup have eccentricity distributions consistent with planet-planet scattering models, where BDs more massive than 42.5 MJup have both period and eccentricity distributions similar to that of stellar binaries. Special Brown Dwarf systems such as multiple BD systems and highly eccentric BDs will also be presented.

Searching for chemical signatures of brown dwarf formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maldonado, J.; Villaver, E.

2017-06-01

Context. Recent studies have shown that close-in brown dwarfs in the mass range 35-55 MJup are almost depleted as companions to stars, suggesting that objects with masses above and below this gap might have different formation mechanisms. Aims: We aim to test whether stars harbouring massive brown dwarfs and stars with low-mass brown dwarfs show any chemical peculiarity that could be related to different formation processes. Methods: Our methodology is based on the analysis of high-resolution échelle spectra (R 57 000) from 2-3 m class telescopes. We determine the fundamental stellar parameters, as well as individual abundances of C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, and Zn for a large sample of stars known to have a substellar companion in the brown dwarf regime. The sample is divided into stars hosting massive and low-mass brown dwarfs. Following previous works, a threshold of 42.5 MJup was considered. The metallicity and abundance trends of the two subsamples are compared and set in the context of current models of planetary and brown dwarf formation. Results: Our results confirm that stars with brown dwarf companions do not follow the well-established gas-giant planet metallicity correlation seen in main-sequence planet hosts. Stars harbouring massive brown dwarfs show similar metallicity and abundance distribution as stars without known planets or with low-mass planets. We find a tendency of stars harbouring less-massive brown dwarfs of having slightly higher metallicity, [XFe/Fe] values, and abundances of Sc II, Mn I, and Ni I than the stars having the massive brown dwarfs. The data suggest, as previously reported, that massive and low-mass brown dwarfs might present differences in period and eccentricity. Conclusions: We find evidence of a non-metallicity dependent mechanism for the formation of massive brown dwarfs. Our results agree with a scenario in which massive brown dwarfs are formed as stars. At high metallicities, the core-accretion mechanism might become efficient in the formation of low-mass brown dwarfs, while at lower metallicities low-mass brown dwarfs could form by gravitational instability in turbulent protostellar discs. Based on observations made with the Mercator Telescope; on observations made with the Nordic Optical Telescope; on data products from the SOPHIE archive; on data products from the ELODIE archive; and on data products from observations made with ESO Telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory under programmes ID 072. C-0488(E), 076.C-0155(A), 076.C-0429(A), 078.C-0133(A), 079.C-0329(A), 082.C-0333(A), 083.C-0174(A), 083.C-0413(A), 085. C-0019(A), 085.C-0393(A), 087.A-9029(A), 087.C-0831(A), 090.C-0421(A), 093.C-0409(A), 094.D-0596(A), 095.A-9029(C), 178.D-0361(B), 183.C-0972(A), 184.C-0639(A), and 188.C-0779(A).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Binary white dwarfs atmospheric parameters (Gianninas+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gianninas, A.; Dufour, P.; Kilic, M.; Brown, W. R.; Bergeron, P.; Hermes, J. J.

2017-04-01

The sample that we analyze includes a total of 61 ELM WD binaries from the ELM Survey (Brown et al. 2013, J/ApJ/769/66). The bulk of this sample is comprised of the 58 ELM WDs listed in Table 3 of Brown et al. (2013, J/ApJ/769/66), but also includes three additional ELM WDs that have been published in separate papers since then. The spectra of these 61 ELM WDs were obtained using five distinct setups on two different telescopes. A total of 57 targets were observed with the 6.5m MMT telescope with the Blue Channel spectrograph (Schmidt et al. 1989PASP..101..713S). The four remaining targets were observed using the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory's (FLWO) 1.5m Tilinghast telescope equipped with the FAST spectrograph (Fabricant et al. 1998PASP..110...79F) and the 600 line/mm grating. (2 data files).

Brown Dwarf Comparison

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-11-17

NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer will uncover many failed stars, or brown dwarfs, in infrared light. This diagram shows a brown dwarf in relation to Earth, Jupiter, a low-mass star and the sun.

Is There a Substellar Object Orbiting the Solar-like Stable Contact Binary V2284 Cyg?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J.-J.; Jiang, L.-Q.; Zhang, B.; Zhao, S.-Q.; Yu, J.

2017-12-01

V2284 Cyg is a neglected W UMa-type binary star for photometric investigations. Monitored by the Kepler Space Telescope from 2009 to 2013, its light curves are continuously stable, suggesting that both components are inactive during this time interval. Based on the short-cadence observations, we determined the photometric solutions by using the 2013 version of the Wilson-Devinney code. These parameters reveal that V2284 Cyg is a W-type system with a degree of contact factor of f = 39.23% and a mass ratio of q = 2.90. Meanwhile, hundreds of times of minimum light were obtained and applied to analyze the orbital period changes. In the O-C diagram, a small-amplitude cyclic oscillation (A 3 = 0.00030 days and T 3 = 2.06 years) superimposed on a secular decreasing was found. The continuous decreasing may be a result from the mass transfer from the more massive component to the less massive one. With the long-term decreasing of the orbital period, this binary will evolve into a deeper contact system. Because the light curve is stable, the cyclic variation is plausibly explained as the light-travel time effect (LTTE) due to the presence of an additional body. The mass of the companion is {M}3\\sin i\\prime =0.036(+/- 0.003) {M}⊙ . If the orbital plane inclination is a random distribution, it is a brown dwarf with 66.7% probability. Therefore, the companion of V2284 Cyg is possibly the first candidate of the brown dwarf orbiting around contact binary, where both component are sharing a common convective envelope.

Wide cool and ultracool companions to nearby stars from Pan-STARRS 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deacon, Niall R.; Liu, Michael C.; Magnier, Eugene A.

2014-09-10

We present the discovery of 57 wide (>5'') separation, low-mass (stellar and substellar) companions to stars in the solar neighborhood identified from Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1) data and the spectral classification of 31 previously known companions. Our companions represent a selective subsample of promising candidates and span a range in spectral type of K7-L9 with the addition of one DA white dwarf. These were identified primarily from a dedicated common proper motion search around nearby stars, along with a few as serendipitous discoveries from our Pan-STARRS 1 brown dwarf search. Our discoveries include 23 new L dwarf companions and one knownmore » L dwarf not previously identified as a companion. The primary stars around which we searched for companions come from a list of bright stars with well-measured parallaxes and large proper motions from the Hipparcos catalog (8583 stars, mostly A-K dwarfs) and fainter stars from other proper motion catalogs (79170 stars, mostly M dwarfs). We examine the likelihood that our companions are chance alignments between unrelated stars and conclude that this is unlikely for the majority of the objects that we have followed-up spectroscopically. We also examine the entire population of ultracool (>M7) dwarf companions and conclude that while some are loosely bound, most are unlikely to be disrupted over the course of ∼10 Gyr. Our search increases the number of ultracool M dwarf companions wider than 300 AU by 88% and increases the number of L dwarf companions in the same separation range by 82%. Finally, we resolve our new L dwarf companion to HIP 6407 into a tight (0.''13, 7.4 AU) L1+T3 binary, making the system a hierarchical triple. Our search for these key benchmarks against which brown dwarf and exoplanet atmosphere models are tested has yielded the largest number of discoveries to date.« less

Hot subdwarfs: Small stars marking important events in stellar evolution. Ludwig Biermann Award Lecture 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geier, S.

2015-06-01

Hot subdwarfs are considered to be the compact helium cores of red giants which lost almost their entire hydrogen envelope. What causes this enormous mass loss is still unclear. Binary interactions are invoked, and a significant fraction of the hot subdwarf population is indeed found in close binaries. In a large project we search for close binary sdBs with the most and the least massive companions. Significantly enhancing the known sample of close binary sdBs we performed the first comprehensive study of this population. Triggered by the discovery of two sdB binaries with close brown dwarf companions in the course of this project, we were able to show that the interaction of stars with substellar companions is an important channel to form sdB stars. Finally, we discovered a unique and very compact binary system consisting of an sdB and a massive white dwarf which qualifies as a progenitor candidate for a supernova of type Ia. In addition to that, we could connect those explosions to the class of hypervelocity hot subdwarf stars which we consider as the surviving companions of such events. Being the stripped cores of red giants, hot subdwarfs turned out to be important markers of peculiar events in stellar evolution ranging all the way from star-planet interactions to the progenitors of stellar explosions used to measure the expansion of our Universe.

LHS 1610A: A Nearby Mid-M Dwarf with a Companion That Is Likely a Brown Dwarf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winters, Jennifer G.; Irwin, Jonathan; Newton, Elisabeth R.; Charbonneau, David; Latham, David W.; Han, Eunkyu; Muirhead, Philip S.; Berlind, Perry; Calkins, Michael L.; Esquerdo, Gil

2018-03-01

We present the spectroscopic orbit of LHS 1610A, a newly discovered single-lined spectroscopic binary with a trigonometric distance placing it at 9.9 ± 0.2 pc. We obtained spectra with the TRES instrument on the 1.5 m Tillinghast Reflector at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory located on Mt. Hopkins in AZ. We demonstrate the use of the TiO molecular bands at 7065–7165 Å to measure radial velocities and achieve an average estimated velocity uncertainty of 28 m s‑1. We measure the orbital period to be 10.6 days and calculate a minimum mass of 44.8 ± 3.2 M Jup for the secondary, indicating that it is likely a brown dwarf. We place an upper limit to 3σ of 2500 K on the effective temperature of the companion from infrared spectroscopic observations using IGRINS on the 4.3 m Discovery Channel Telescope. In addition, we present a new photometric rotation period of 84.3 days for the primary star using data from the MEarth-South Observatory, with which we show that the system does not eclipse.

Brown dwarfs in young stellar clusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stringfellow, Guy S.

1991-01-01

The present calculations of the early evolution of brown dwarfs and very low mass stars (LMSs) yield isochrones spanning 0.01-0.2 solar masses for ages in the 1 to 300 million year range. Since the brown dwarfs remain sharply segregated in T(eff) from LMSs for ages of less than 100 million years, it follows that for coeval populations of known age, a domain exists in the H-R diagram in which only brown dwarfs exist. These theoretical results are compared with recent observations of the Pleiades brown dwarf candidates, using two new sets of color-T(eff) transformations. Both sets yield consistent interpretations.

Weighing Ultra-Cool Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2004-05-01

Large Ground-Based Telescopes and Hubble Team-Up to Perform First Direct Brown Dwarf Mass Measurement [1] Summary Using ESO's Very Large Telescope at Paranal and a suite of ground- and space-based telescopes in a four-year long study, an international team of astronomers has measured for the first time the mass of an ultra-cool star and its companion brown dwarf. The two stars form a binary system and orbit each other in about 10 years. The team obtained high-resolution near-infrared images; on the ground, they defeated the blurring effect of the terrestrial atmosphere by means of adaptive optics techniques. By precisely determining the orbit projected on the sky, the astronomers were able to measure the total mass of the stars. Additional data and comparison with stellar models then yield the mass of each of the components. The heavier of the two stars has a mass around 8.5% of the mass of the Sun and its brown dwarf companion is even lighter, only 6% of the solar mass. Both objects are relatively young with an age of about 500-1,000 million years. These observations represent a decisive step towards the still missing calibration of stellar evolution models for very-low mass stars. PR Photo 19a/04: Orbit of the ultra-cool stars in 2MASSW J0746425+2000321. PR Photo 19b/04: Animated Gif of the orbital motion. Telephone number star Even though astronomers have found several hundreds of very low mass stars and brown dwarfs, the fundamental properties of these extreme objects, such as masses and surface temperatures, are still not well known. Within the cosmic zoo, these ultra-cool stars represent a class of "intermediate" objects between giant planets - like Jupiter - and "normal" stars less massive than our Sun, and to understand them well is therefore crucial to the field of stellar astrophysics. The problem with these ultra-cool stars is that contrary to normal stars that burn hydrogen in their central core, no unique relation exists between the luminosity of the star and its mass. Indeed, luminosities and surface temperatures of ultra-cool dwarf stars depend both on their age and their mass. An older, somewhat more massive ultra-cool dwarf can thus have exactly the same temperature as a younger, less massive one. It is therefore a basic goal of modern astrophysics to obtain independently the masses of an ultra-cool dwarf star. This is in principle possible by studying such objects that are members in a binary system. This is precisely what an international team of astronomers [2] has now done in a four-year long study of a binary stellar system with an ultra-cool dwarf star, using a plethora of top telescopic facilities, including ESO's Very Large Telescope, as well as Keck I and Gemini North in Hawaii and also the Hubble Space Telescope. This system - with the telephone number name of 2MASSW J0746425+2000321 [3]- is located at a distance of 40 light-years. Beating the seeing ESO PR Photo 19a/04 ESO PR Photo 19a/04 Orbit of the ultra-cool stars in 2MASSW J0746425+2000321 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 548 pix - 121k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 1095 pix - 320k] [Hires - JPEG: 2591 x 3546 pix - 1.8M] [Hires - TIFF: 2591 x 3546 pix - 36.8M] ESO PR Photo 19b/04 ESO PR Photo 19b/04 Animated GIF showing the orbital motion (size: 416 kb) Caption: ESO PR Photo 19a/04 shows the orbit of the brown dwarf around the ultra-cool dwarf. Each red dot on the orbit corresponds to one observation made with a ground- or space-based telescope. The observations cover 60% of the whole orbit. ESO PR Photo 19b/04 is an animated Gif showing the motion of the brown dwarf and the various high-resolution images obtained by the astronomers. The astronomers used high-angular-resolution imaging to see both stars in the binary system and to measure their motion over a four-year period. However, this is more easily said than done, as the separation on the sky between the two stars is quite small: between 0.13 and 0.22 arcsec. This corresponds to the size of a 1-Euro coin, seen at a distance of about 25 km. This separation is so small that it is normally not possible to differentiate the two stars due to the blurring effect of atmospheric turbulence (the "seeing"). It is therefore necessary to use the technique of adaptive optics. This wonderful method is based on the measurement of the image quality in real-time and sending corresponding corrective signals up to 100 times every second to a small deformable mirror, located in front of the detector. As the mirror continuously modifies its shape, the disturbing effect of the turbulence is neutralised. Applied at the VLT, this technique has resulted in images which are at least ten times sharper than the "seeing" and which therefore show many more details in the observed objects. At the Very Large Telescope, the astronomers used the state-of-the-art adaptive optics NACO instrument [4]. Says Hervé Bouy, principal author of the paper presenting the results described here: "NACO offers the possibility to work in the infrared and is therefore ideally suited for the study of ultra-cool stars, which emit most of their light in this wavelength range. With the combination of the high efficiency of NACO and the VLT, and the excellent atmospheric conditions prevailing at Paranal, we were able to achieve very sharp images of this binary stellar system, almost as good as if the telescope were located in space." Ultra-cool and on diet During their four-year long study, seven different relative positions of the two components of the binary system were measured and Hervé Bouy and his co-workers were able to determine with good precision the stellar orbits. They find that the two stars revolve around each other once every 10 years and that their physical separation is only 2.5 times the distance of the Earth to the Sun - as astronomers say, 2.5 Astronomical Units. Using Kepler's laws, it is then straightforward to derive the total mass of the system. The obtained value is less than 15 % of the mass of the Sun. The astronomers then used the photometric data of each star obtained in several wavebands, as well as spectra obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope to study the two objects in more detail. Using the latest stellar models of the group of the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, they found that both stars have roughly the same surface temperature, around 1500 °C (1800 K). For a star, this is ultra-cool indeed - by comparison, the surface temperature of the Sun is more than three times higher. Using theoretical models, the team also found that the two stars are rather young (in astrophysical terms) - their age is between 500 and 1,000 million years only. The more massive of the two has a mass between 7.5 and 9.5% the mass of the Sun, while its companion has a mass between 5 and 7% of the solar mass. Objects weighing less than about 7% of our Sun have been variously called "Brown Dwarfs", "Failed Stars" or "Super Planets". Indeed, since they have no sustained energy generation by thermal nuclear reactions in their interior, many of their properties are more similar to those of giant gas planets in our own solar system such as Jupiter, than to stars like the Sun. The system 2MASSW J0746425+2000321 is thus apparently made up of a brown dwarf orbiting a slightly more massive ultra-cool dwarf star. It is a true "Rosetta stone" in the new field of low-mass stellar astrophysics and further studies will surely provide more valuable information about these objects in the transitional zone between stars and planets. More information The research described in this press release is published in the research journal Astronomy & Astrophysics ("First determination of the dynamical mass of a binary L1.5 dwarf" by H. Bouy et al.). The paper is available in PDF format on the publisher web site.

An historical perspective - Brown is not a color. [astrophysics of infrared dwarf stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarter, J. C.

1986-01-01

Major shifts in theoretical understanding of the star formation process and the possible components of the local mass density are reviewed. Those aspects of brown dwarf structure and evolution that are still not well enough understood are outlined, and the types of observations that might force the modification of current theories to accommodate the existence of brown dwarfs are suggested. The appropriateness of the name 'brown dwarf' is defended.

HD 202206: A Circumbinary Brown Dwarf System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benedict, G. Fritz; Harrison, Thomas E.

2017-06-01

Using Hubble Space Telescope Fine Guidance Sensor astrometry and previously published radial velocity measures, we explore the exoplanetary system HD 202206. Our modeling results in a parallax, {π }{abs}=21.96+/- 0.12 milliseconds of arc, a mass for HD 202206 B of {{ M }}B={0.089}-0.006+0.007 {{ M }}⊙ , and a mass for HD 202206 c of {{ M }}c={17.9}-1.8+2.9 {{ M }}{Jup}. HD 202206 is a nearly face-on G + M binary orbited by a brown dwarf. The system architecture that we determine supports past assertions that stability requires a 5:1 mean motion resonance (we find a period ratio, {P}c/{P}B=4.92+/- 0.04) and coplanarity (we find a mutual inclination, {{Φ }}=6^\\circ +/- 2^\\circ ). Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555.

The Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nielsen, Eric L.; Macintosh, Bruce; Graham, James R.; Barman, Travis S.; Doyon, Rene; Fabrycky, Daniel; Fitzgerald, Michael P.; Kalas, Paul; Konopacky, Quinn M.; Marchis, Franck; Marley, Mark S.; Marois, Christian; Patience, Jenny; Perrin, Marshall D.; Oppenheimer, Rebecca; Song, Inseok; GPIES Team

2017-01-01

The Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey (GPIES) is one of the largest most sensitive direct imaging searches for exoplanets conducted to date, and having observed more than 300 stars the survey is halfway complete. We present highlights from the first half of the survey, including the discovery and characterization of the young exoplanet 51 Eri b and the brown dwarf HR 2562 B, new imaging of multiple disks, and resolving the young stellar binary V343 Nor for the first time. GPI has also provided new spectra and orbits of previous known planets and brown dwarfs and polarization measurements of a wide range of disks. Finally, we discuss the constraints placed by the first half of the GPIES campaign on the population of giant planets at orbital separations beyond that of Jupiter. Supported by NSF grants AST-0909188 and AST-1313718, AST-1411868, AST 141378, NNX11AF74G, and DGE-1232825, and by NASA grants NNX15AD95G/NEXSS and NNX11AD21G.

Very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs from 2MASS and DENIS.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chester, T.

2MASS (Two Micron All Sky Survey) and DENIS (DEep Near-Infrared survey of the Southern sky) will provide a sample of very low mass stars that is complete to a distance of 50 pc, even for the latest M star currently known. This compares with the current completeness out to 5 - 10 pc. This sample will contain 1,000 to 10,000 times more M stars than currently cataloged. This catalog will be free from proper motion selection effects and will not be limited by the completeness of optical magnitude studies. Evidence from several square degrees of proto-camera data processed and examined to date, shows that roughly 1 source is found in every square degree that has no counterpart on a POSS I plate. The first of these sources was found to be a binary system with component stars of roughly equal brightness having an M6 - M7 combined spectrum. The author discusses the effectiveness of these surveys for detecting brown dwarfs.

Low mass companions to nearby stars: Spectral classification and its relation to the stellar/substellar break

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Mccarthy, Donald W., Jr.

1994-01-01

The relationship between mass and spectral class for main-sequence stars has never been obtained for dwarfs cooler than M6; currently, the true nature of objects classified as M7, M8, M9, or later (be they stellar or substellar) is not known. In this paper, spectral types for the components in five low mass binary systems are estimated based on previously published infrared speckle measurements, red/infrared photometry, and parallax data, together with newly acquired high signal-to-noise composite spectra of the systems and revised magnitude difference relations for M dwarfs. For two of these binaries, the secondary has a smaller mass (less than 0.09 solar mass) than any object having a dynamically measured mass and a known spectral type, thus extending the spectral class/mass relation to lower masses than has previously been possible. Data from the higher mass components (0.09 solar mass less than M less than 0.40 solar mass) are consistent with earlier results; the two lowest mass objects -- though having mass errors which could place them on either side of the M dwarf/brown dwarf dividing line (Mass is about 0.08 solar mass) -- are found to have spectral types no cooler than M6.5 V. An extrapolation of the updated spectral class/mass relation to the hydrogen-burning limit suggests that objects of type M7 and later may be substellar. Direct confirmation of this awaits the discovery of a close, very late-type binary for which dynamical masses can be measured.

A SEARCH FOR L/T TRANSITION DWARFS WITH PAN-STARRS1 AND WISE. II. L/T TRANSITION ATMOSPHERES AND YOUNG DISCOVERIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Best, William M. J.; Liu, Michael C.; Magnier, Eugene A.

The evolution of brown dwarfs from L to T spectral types is one of the least understood aspects of the ultracool population, partly for lack of a large, well-defined, and well-characterized sample in the L/T transition. To improve the existing census, we have searched ≈28,000 deg{sup 2} using the Pan-STARRS1 and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer surveys for L/T transition dwarfs within 25 pc. We present 130 ultracool dwarf discoveries with estimated distances ≈9–130 pc, including 21 that were independently discovered by other authors and 3 that were previously identified as photometric candidates. Seventy-nine of our objects have near-IR spectral types ofmore » L6–T4.5, the most L/T transition dwarfs from any search to date, and we have increased the census of L9–T1.5 objects within 25 pc by over 50%. The color distribution of our discoveries provides further evidence for the “L/T gap,” a deficit of objects with (J − K){sub MKO} ≈ 0.0–0.5 mag in the L/T transition, and thus reinforces the idea that the transition from cloudy to clear photospheres occurs rapidly. Among our discoveries are 31 candidate binaries based on their low-resolution spectral features. Two of these candidates are common proper motion companions to nearby main sequence stars; if confirmed as binaries, these would be rare benchmark systems with the potential to stringently test ultracool evolutionary models. Our search also serendipitously identified 23 late-M and L dwarfs with spectroscopic signs of low gravity implying youth, including 10 with vl-g or int-g gravity classifications and another 13 with indications of low gravity whose spectral types or modest spectral signal-to-noise ratio do not allow us to assign formal classifications. Finally, we identify 10 candidate members of nearby young moving groups (YMG) with spectral types L7–T4.5, including three showing spectroscopic signs of low gravity. If confirmed, any of these would be among the coolest known YMG members and would help to determine the effective temperature at which young brown dwarfs cross the L/T transition.« less

The periodicities in the infrared excess of G29-38 - An oscillating brown dwarf?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marley, Mark S.; Lunine, Jonathan I.; Hubbard, William B.

1990-01-01

The oscillatory behavior of brown dwarfs has been investigated. The observed periodicities in the infrared excess of the white dwarf Giclas 29-38 are consistent with low-degree, intermediate radial order p-mode oscillations of a brown dwarf companion to the white dwarf. These oscillation modes have the correct frequencies, act on observable layers of the atmosphere, and may be excited to sufficient amplitudes to explain the observations.

The detectability of brown dwarfs - Predictions and uncertainties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, L. A.; Rappaport, S.; Joss, P. C.

1993-01-01

In order to determine the likelihood for the detection of isolated brown dwarfs in ground-based observations as well as in future spaced-based astronomy missions, and in order to evaluate the significance of any detections that might be made, we must first know the expected surface density of brown dwarfs on the celestial sphere as a function of limiting magnitude, wavelength band, and Galactic latitude. It is the purpose of this paper to provide theoretical estimates of this surface density, as well as the range of uncertainty in these estimates resulting from various theoretical uncertainties. We first present theoretical cooling curves for low-mass stars that we have computed with the latest version of our stellar evolution code. We use our evolutionary results to compute theoretical brown-dwarf luminosity functions for a wide range of assumed initial mass functions and stellar birth rate functions. The luminosity functions, in turn, are utilized to compute theoretical surface density functions for brown dwarfs on the celestial sphere. We find, in particular, that for reasonable theoretical assumptions, the currently available upper bounds on the brown-dwarf surface density are consistent with the possibility that brown dwarfs contribute a substantial fraction of the mass of the Galactic disk.

WISEP J061135.13-041024.0 AB: A J-band Flux Reversal Binary at the L/T Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelino, Christopher R.; Smart, R. L.; Marocco, Federico; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Cushing, Michael C.; Mace, Gregory; Mendez, Rene A.; Tinney, C. G.; Jones, Hugh R. A.

2014-07-01

We present Keck II laser guide star adaptive optics observations of the brown dwarf WISEP J061135.13-041024.0 showing it is a binary with a component separation of 0.''4. This system is one of the six known resolved binaries in which the magnitude differences between the components show a reversal in sign between the Y/J band and the H/K bands. Deconvolution of the composite spectrum results in a best-fit binary solution with L9 and T1.5 components. We also present a preliminary parallax placing the system at a distance of 21.2 ± 1.3 pc. Using the distance and resolved magnitudes we are able to place WISEP J061135.13-041024.0 AB on a color-absolute magnitude diagram, showing that this system contributes to the well-known "J-band bump" and the components' properties appear similar to other late-type L and early-type T dwarfs. Fitting our data to a set of cloudy atmosphere models suggests the system has an age >1 Gyr with WISE 0611-0410 A having an effective temperature (T eff) of 1275-1325 K and mass of 64-65 M Jup, and WISE 0611-0410 B having T eff = 1075-1115 K and mass 40-65 M Jup.

Updated O-C Diagrams for Several Bright HW Vir Binaries Observed with the Evryscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corcoran, Kyle A.; Barlow, Brad; Corbett, Hank; Fors, Octavi; Howard, Ward S.; Law, Nicholas; Ratzloff, Jeff

2018-01-01

HW Vir systems are eclipsing, post-common-envelope binaries consisting of a hot subdwarf star and a cooler M dwarf or brown dwarf companion. They show a strong reflection effect and have characteristically short orbital periods of only a few hours, allowing observers to detect multiple eclipses per night. Observed minus calculated (O-C) studies allow one to measure miniscule variations in the orbital periods of these systems by comparing observed eclipse timings to a calculated ephemeris. This technique is useful for detecting period changes due to secular evolution of the binary, gravitational wave emission, or reflex motion from an orbiting circumbinary object. Numerous eclipse timings obtained over several years are vital to the proper interpretation and analysis of O-C diagrams. The Evryscope – an array of twenty-four individual telescopes built by UNC and deployed on Cerro Tololo – images the entire Southern sky once every two minutes, producing an insurmountable amount of data for objects brighter than 16th magnitude. The cadence with which Evryscope exposes makes it an unparalleled tool for O-C analyses of HW Vir binaries; it will catalogue thousands of eclipses over the next several years. Here we present updated O-C diagrams for several HW Vir binaries using recent measurements from the Evryscope. We also use observations of AA Dor, an incredibly stable astrophysical clock, to characterize the accuracy of the Evryscope’s timestamps.

Spectroscopic binaries in the Solar Twin Planet Search program: from substellar-mass to M dwarf companions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

dos Santos, Leonardo A.; Meléndez, Jorge; Bedell, Megan; Bean, Jacob L.; Spina, Lorenzo; Alves-Brito, Alan; Dreizler, Stefan; Ramírez, Iván; Asplund, Martin

2017-12-01

Previous studies on the rotation of Sun-like stars revealed that the rotational rates of young stars converge towards a well-defined evolution that follows a power-law decay. It seems, however, that some binary stars do not obey this relation, often by displaying enhanced rotational rates and activity. In the Solar Twin Planet Search program, we observed several solar twin binaries, and found a multiplicity fraction of 42 per cent ± 6 per cent in the whole sample; moreover, at least three of these binaries (HIP 19911, HIP 67620 and HIP 103983) clearly exhibit the aforementioned anomalies. We investigated the configuration of the binaries in the program, and discovered new companions for HIP 6407, HIP 54582, HIP 62039 and HIP 30037, of which the latter is orbited by a 0.06 M⊙ brown dwarf in a 1 m long orbit. We report the orbital parameters of the systems with well-sampled orbits and, in addition, the lower limits of parameters for the companions that only display a curvature in their radial velocities. For the linear trend binaries, we report an estimate of the masses of their companions when their observed separation is available, and a minimum mass otherwise. We conclude that solar twin binaries with low-mass stellar companions at moderate orbital periods do not display signs of a distinct rotational evolution when compared to single stars. We confirm that the three peculiar stars are double-lined binaries, and that their companions are polluting their spectra, which explains the observed anomalies.

Brown dwarf photospheres are patchy: A Hubble space telescope near-infrared spectroscopic survey finds frequent low-level variability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buenzli, Esther; Apai, Dániel; Radigan, Jacqueline

2014-02-20

Condensate clouds strongly impact the spectra of brown dwarfs and exoplanets. Recent discoveries of variable L/T transition dwarfs argued for patchy clouds in at least some ultracool atmospheres. This study aims to measure the frequency and level of spectral variability in brown dwarfs and to search for correlations with spectral type. We used Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 to obtain spectroscopic time series for 22 brown dwarfs of spectral types ranging from L5 to T6 at 1.1-1.7 μm for ≈40 minutes per object. Using Bayesian analysis, we find six brown dwarfs with confident (p > 95%) variability in themore » relative flux in at least one wavelength region at sub-percent precision, and five brown dwarfs with tentative (p > 68%) variability. We derive a minimum variability fraction f{sub min}=27{sub −7}{sup +11}% over all covered spectral types. The fraction of variables is equal within errors for mid-L, late-L, and mid-T spectral types; for early-T dwarfs we do not find any confident variable but the sample is too small to derive meaningful limits. For some objects, the variability occurs primarily in the flux peak in the J or H band, others are variable throughout the spectrum or only in specific absorption regions. Four sources may have broadband peak-to-peak amplitudes exceeding 1%. Our measurements are not sensitive to very long periods, inclinations near pole-on and rotationally symmetric heterogeneity. The detection statistics are consistent with most brown dwarf photospheres being patchy. While multiple-percent near-infrared variability may be rare and confined to the L/T transition, low-level heterogeneities are a frequent characteristic of brown dwarf atmospheres.« less

Collecting Brown Dwarfs in the Night Sky

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-11-09

The green dot in the middle of this image might look like an emerald amidst glittering diamonds, but is a dim star belonging to a class called brown dwarfs; it is the first ultra-cool brown dwarf discovered by NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer.

Examining Cloud, Metallicity, and Gravity signatures in Brown Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzales, Eileen; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Gagné, Jonathan; Artigau, Étienne; BDNYC

2018-01-01

The nearby solar neighborhood is littered with low mass, low temperature objects called brown dwarfs. This population of ultracool objects do not have enough mass to sustain stable hydrogen burning so they never enter the main sequence and simply cool through time. Brown dwarfs span effective temperatures in the range 250 to 3000K. They also have age dependent observable properties. Young brown dwarfs appear to have redder near infrared colors than field age sources, while old objects tend to have bluer colors. Over the past several years, the research group entitled “Brown Dwarfs in New York City” (BDNYC) has been collecting optical, near and mid-infrared spectra, as well as photometry for sources that have well defined distances. In this poster, I will compare the distance calibrated spectral energy distributions of a sample of old, young, and field age brown dwarfs of the same effective temperature. In so doing, I will discern observables linked to gravity, atmosphere, metallicity and age effects.

Brown Dwarf Microlensing (Illustration)

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-10

This illustration depicts a newly discovered brown dwarf, an object that weighs in somewhere between our solar system's most massive planet (Jupiter) and the least-massive-known star. This brown dwarf, dubbed OGLE-2015-BLG-1319, interests astronomers because it may fall in the "desert" of brown dwarfs. Scientists have found that, for stars roughly the mass of our sun, less than 1 percent have a brown dwarf orbiting within 3 AU (1 AU is the distance between Earth and the sun). This brown dwarf was discovered when it and its star passed between Earth and a much more distant star in our galaxy. This created a microlensing event, where the gravity of the system amplified the light of the background star over the course of several weeks. This microlensing was observed by ground-based telescopes looking for these uncommon events, and was the first to be seen by two space-based telescopes: NASA's Spitzer and Swift missions. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21076

New Brown Dwarf Discs in Upper Scorpius Observed with WISE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dawson, P.; Scholz, A.; Ray, T. P.; Natta, A.; Marsh, K. A.; Padgett, D.; Ressler, M. E.

2013-01-01

We present a census of the disc population for UKIDSS selected brown dwarfs in the 5-10 Myr old Upper Scorpius OB association. For 116 objects originally identified in UKIDSS, the majority of them not studied in previous publications, we obtain photometry from the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer data base. The resulting colour magnitude and colour colour plots clearly show two separate populations of objects, interpreted as brown dwarfs with discs (class II) and without discs (class III). We identify 27 class II brown dwarfs, 14 of them not previously known. This disc fraction (27 out of 116, or 23%) among brown dwarfs was found to be similar to results for K/M stars in Upper Scorpius, suggesting that the lifetimes of discs are independent of the mass of the central object for low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. 5 out of 27 discs (19 per cent) lack excess at 3.4 and 4.6 microns and are potential transition discs (i.e. are in transition from class II to class III). The transition disc fraction is comparable to low-mass stars.We estimate that the time-scale for a typical transition from class II to class III is less than 0.4 Myr for brown dwarfs. These results suggest that the evolution of brown dwarf discs mirrors the behaviour of discs around low-mass stars, with disc lifetimes of the order of 5 10 Myr and a disc clearing time-scale significantly shorter than 1 Myr.

Observations of hot stars and eclipsing binaries with FRESIP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gies, Douglas R.

1994-01-01

The FRESIP project offers an unprecedented opportunity to study pulsations in hot stars (which vary on time scales of a day) over a several year period. The photometric data will determine what frequencies are present, how or if the amplitudes change with time, and whether there is a connection between pulsation and mass loss episodes. It would initiate a new field of asteroseismology studies of hot star interiors. A search should be made for selected hot stars for inclusion in the list of project targets. Many of the primary solar mass targets will be eclipsing binaries, and I present estimates of their frequency and typical light curves. The photometric data combined with follow up spectroscopy and interferometric observations will provide fundamental data on these stars. The data will provide definitive information on the mass ratio distribution of solar-mass binaries (including the incidence of brown dwarf companions) and on the incidence of planets in binary systems.

Birth of an Unusual Planetary System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

This artist's animation shows a brown dwarf surrounded by a swirling disc of planet-building dust. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope spotted such a disc around a surprisingly low-mass brown dwarf, or 'failed star.' The brown dwarf, called OTS 44, is only 15 times the size of Jupiter, making it the smallest brown dwarf known to host a planet-forming, or protoplanetary disc.

Astronomers believe that this unusual system will eventually spawn planets. If so, they speculate that OTS 44's disc has enough mass to make one small gas giant and a few Earth-sized rocky planets.

OTS 44 is about 2 million years old. At this relatively young age, brown dwarfs are warm and appear reddish in color. With age, they grow cooler and darker.

Discovery of a Very Low Mass Triple with Late-M and T Dwarf Components: LP 704-48/SDSS J0006-0852AB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgasser, Adam J.; Luk, Christopher; Dhital, Saurav; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella; Nicholls, Christine P.; Prato, L.; West, Andrew A.; Lépine, Sébastien

2012-10-01

We report the identification of the M9 dwarf SDSS J000649.16-085246.3 as a spectral binary and radial velocity (RV) variable with components straddling the hydrogen-burning mass limit. Low-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy reveals spectral features indicative of a T dwarf companion, and spectral template fitting yields component types of M8.5 ± 0.5 and T5 ± 1. High-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy with Keck/NIRSPEC reveals pronounced RV variations with a semi-amplitude of 8.2 ± 0.4 km s-1. From these we determine an orbital period of 147.6 ± 1.5 days and eccentricity of 0.10 ± 0.07, making SDSS J0006-0852AB the third tightest very low mass binary known. This system is also found to have a common proper motion companion, the inactive M7 dwarf LP 704-48, at a projected separation of 820 ± 120 AU. The lack of Hα emission in both M dwarf components indicates that this system is relatively old, as confirmed by evolutionary model analysis of the tight binary. LP 704-48/SDSS J0006-0852AB is the lowest-mass confirmed triple identified to date, and one of only seven candidate and confirmed triples with total masses below 0.3 M ⊙ currently known. We show that current star and brown dwarf formation models cannot produce triple systems like LP 704-48/SDSS J0006-0852AB, and we rule out Kozai-Lidov perturbations and tidal circularization as a viable mechanism to shrink the inner orbit. The similarities between this system and the recently uncovered low-mass eclipsing triples NLTT 41135AB/41136 and LHS 6343ABC suggest that substellar tertiaries may be common in wide M dwarf pairs. Portions of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Three new cool brown dwarfs discovered with the wide-field infrared survey explorer (WISE) and an improved spectrum of the Y0 dwarf wise J041022.71+150248.4

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cushing, Michael C.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Gelino, Christopher R.

2014-05-01

As part of a larger search of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) data for cool brown dwarfs with effective temperatures less than 1000 K, we present the discovery of three new cool brown dwarfs with spectral types later than T7. Using low-resolution, near-infrared spectra obtained with the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and the Hubble Space Telescope, we derive spectral types of T9.5 for WISE J094305.98+360723.5, T8 for WISE J200050.19+362950.1, and Y0: for WISE J220905.73+271143.9. The identification of WISE J220905.73+271143.9 as a Y dwarf brings the total number of spectroscopically confirmed Y dwarfs to 17. In addition, we present an improvedmore » spectrum (i.e., higher signal-to-noise ratio) of the Y0 dwarf WISE J041022.71+150248.4 that confirms the Cushing et al. classification of Y0. Spectrophotometric distance estimates place all three new brown dwarfs at distances less than 12 pc, with WISE J200050.19+362950.1 lying at a distance of only 3.9-8.0 pc. Finally, we note that brown dwarfs like WISE J200050.19+362950.1 that lie in or near the Galactic plane offer an exciting opportunity to directly measure the mass of a brown dwarf via astrometric microlensing.« less

Dancing in the Dark: New Brown Dwarf Binaries from Kernel Phase Interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pope, Benjamin; Martinache, Frantz; Tuthill, Peter

2013-04-01

This paper revisits a sample of ultracool dwarfs in the solar neighborhood previously observed with the Hubble Space Telescope's NICMOS NIC1 instrument. We have applied a novel high angular resolution data analysis technique based on the extraction and fitting of kernel phases to archival data. This was found to deliver a dramatic improvement over earlier analysis methods, permitting a search for companions down to projected separations of ~1 AU on NIC1 snapshot images. We reveal five new close binary candidates and present revised astrometry on previously known binaries, all of which were recovered with the technique. The new candidate binaries have sufficiently close separation to determine dynamical masses in a short-term observing campaign. We also present four marginal detections of objects which may be very close binaries or high-contrast companions. Including only confident detections within 19 pc, we report a binary fraction of at least \\epsilon _b = 17.2^{+5.7}_{-3.7} %. The results reported here provide new insights into the population of nearby ultracool binaries, while also offering an incisive case study of the benefits conferred by the kernel phase approach in the recovery of companions within a few resolution elements of the point-spread function core. Based on observations performed with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble observations are associated with proposal ID 10143 and 10879 and were obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

The Orbit of the L Dwarf + T Dwarf Spectral Binary SDSS J080531.84+481233.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgasser, Adam J.; Blake, Cullen H.; Gelino, Christopher R.; Sahlmann, Johannes; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella

2016-08-01

SDSS J080531.84+481233.0 is a closely separated, very-low-mass (VLM) binary identified through combined-light spectroscopy and confirmed as an astrometric variable. Here we report four years of radial velocity monitoring observations of the system that reveal significant and periodic variability, confirming the binary nature of the source. We infer an orbital period of 2.02 ± 0.03 years, a semimajor axis of 0.76{}-0.06+0.05 au, and an eccenticity of 0.46 ± 0.05, consistent with the amplitude of astrometric variability and prior attempts to resolve the system. Folding in constraints based on the spectral types of the components (L4 ± 0.7 and T5.5 ± 1.1), corresponding effective temperatures, and brown dwarf evolutionary models, we further constrain the orbital inclination of this system to be nearly edge-on (90° ± 19°), and deduce a large system mass ratio (M 2/M 1 = {0.86}-0.12+0.10), substellar components (M 1 = {0.057}-0.014+0.016 M ⊙, M 2 = {0.048}-0.010+0.008 M ⊙), and a relatively old system age (minimum age = {4.0}-1.2+1.9 Gyr). The measured projected rotational velocity of the primary ({V}{rot}\\sin I = 34.1 ± 0.7 km s-1) implies that this inactive source is a rapid rotator (period ≲ 3 hr) and a viable system for testing spin-orbit alignment in VLM multiples. Robust model-independent constraints on the component masses may be possible through measurement of the reflex motion of the secondary at wavelengths in which it contributes a greater proportion of the combined luminence, while the system may also be resolvable through sparse-aperature mask interferometry with adaptive optics. The combination of well-determined component atmospheric properties and masses near and/or below the hydrogen minimum mass make SDSS J0805+4812AB an important system for future tests of brown dwarf evolutionary models. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W.M. Keck Foundation.

Brown Dwarfs: A New Class of Stellar Lighthouse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2007-04-01

Brown dwarfs, thought just a few years ago to be incapable of emitting any significant amounts of radio waves, have been discovered putting out extremely bright "lighthouse beams" of radio waves, much like pulsars. A team of astronomers made the discovery using the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope. Artist's Conception of Brown Dwarf Artist's conception of "mini-aurorae" at poles of brown dwarf, producing beams of strong radio emission. CREDIT: Hallinan et al., NRAO/AUI/NSF Click on image for page of graphics and full information "These beams rotate with the brown dwarf, and we see them when the beam passes over the Earth. This is the same way we see pulses from pulsars," said Gregg Hallinan of the National University of Ireland Galway. "We now think brown dwarfs may be a missing link between pulsars and planets in our own Solar System, which also emit, but more weakly," he added. Brown dwarfs are enigmatic objects that are too small to be stars but too large to be planets. They are sometimes called "failed stars" because they have too little mass to trigger hydrogen fusion reactions at their cores, the source of the energy output in larger stars. With roughly 15 to 80 times the mass of Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System, brown dwarfs were long thought to exist. However, it was not until 1995 that astronomers were able to actually find one. A few dozen now are known. In 2001, a group of summer students at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory used the VLA to observe a brown dwarf, even though they had been told by seasoned astronomers that brown dwarfs are not observable at radio wavelengths. Their discovery of a strong flare of radio emission from the object surprised astronomers and the students' scientific paper on the discovery was published in the prestigous scientific journal Nature. Hallinan and his team observed a set of brown dwarfs with the VLA last year, and found that three of the objects emit extremely strong, repeating pulses of radio waves. They concluded that the pulses come from beams emitted from the magnetic poles of the brown dwarfs. This is similar to the beamed emission from pulsars, which are superdense neutron stars, and much more massive than brown dwarfs. The characteristics of the beamed radio emission from the brown dwarfs suggest to the scientists that it is produced by a mechanism also seen at work in planets, including Jupiter and Earth. This process involves electrons interacting with the planet's magnetic field to produce radio waves that then are amplified, or strengthened, by natural masers that amplify radio waves the same way a laser amplifies light waves. "The brown dwarfs we observed are between planets and pulsars in the strength of their radio emissions," said Aaron Golden, also of the National University of Ireland Galway. "While we don't think the mechanism that's producing the radio waves in brown dwarfs is exactly the same as that producing pulsar radio emissions, we think there may be enough similarities that further study of brown dwarfs may help unlock some of the mysteries about how pulsars work," he said. While pulsars were discovered 40 years ago, scientists still do not understand the details of how their strong radio emissions are produced. The brown dwarfs rotate at a much more leisurely pace than pulsars. While pulsars rotate -- and produce observed pulses -- typically several times a second to hundreds of times a second, the brown dwarfs observed with the VLA are showing pulses roughly once every two to three hours. Hallinan and Golden worked with Stephen Bourke and Caoilfhionn Lane, also of the National University of Ireland Galway; Tony Antonova and Gerry Doyle of Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland; Robert Zavala and Fred Vrba of the U.S.Naval Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona; Walter Brisken of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Socorro, New Mexico; and Richard Boyle of the Vatican Observatory Research Group at Steward Observatory in Arizona. The scientists presented their results to the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting at the University of Central Lancashire in the United Kingdom. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. This work was supported by Science Foundation Ireland under its Research Frontiers Programme, the Higher Education Authority's Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions, and the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology.

37 NEW T-TYPE BROWN DWARFS IN THE CANADA-FRANCE BROWN DWARFS SURVEY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Albert, Loic; Artigau, Etienne; Delorme, Philippe

2011-06-15

The Canada-France Brown Dwarfs Survey is an i'- and z'-band survey realized with MegaCam at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope that covers a surface area of 780 deg{sup 2}. Image analysis is now completed while J-band follow-up campaigns are {approx}90% done. The survey identified about 70 T dwarf candidates, of which 43 now have near-infrared spectra obtained with NIRI and GNIRS at Gemini and ISAAC at the Very Large Telescope. Six of these were previously published and we present here the 37 new discoveries, all T dwarfs. They range from T0 to T8.5 with four being of type T7 or later. Bothmore » newly identified T8 dwarfs are possibly high log (g) massive brown dwarfs of thin disk age. One T4.5 dwarf shows signs of sub-metallicity. We present proper motions and near-infrared photometry, and discuss about the most peculiar/interesting objects in some details.« less

Brown dwarf science at Project 1640: the case of HD 19467 B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguilar, Jonathan; Crepp, Justin R.; Rice, Emily L.; Pueyo, Laurent; Veicht, Aaron; Nilsson, Ricky; Oppenheimer, Rebecca; Hinkley, Sasha; Brenner, Douglas; Vasisht, Gautam; Cady, Eric; Beichman, Charles A.; Hillenbrand, Lynne; Lockhart, Thomas; Matthews, Christopher T.; Roberts, Lewis C.; Sivaramakrishnan, Anand; Soummer, Remi; Zhai, Chengxing; Giorla, Paige

2015-01-01

Project 1640 is an extreme-AO, coronagraphic, hyperspectral direct-imaging instrument designed to characterize substellar companions in the giant planet to brown dwarf mass regime. It also plays an important role in the TRENDS survey, which targets solar-type stars with Doppler accelerations known to be caused by brown dwarf-sized companions. A recent highlight from TRENDS is HD 19467 B -- this is currently the only directly-imaged benchmark T dwarf known to induce a measurable Doppler acceleration around its host. J- and H-band spectra taken by the Project 1640 integral field spectrograph were fitted against SpeX/IRTF T dwarf standards and synthetic spectra from BT-Settl atmospheric models. Spectral typing classified HD 19467 B as a T5.5±1 brown dwarf with an effective temperature of Teff = 978+20-43 K. The new spectrum helps resolve a previous disagreement about the system age, helping constrain the range of allowed masses for the companion. We expect that new data from the ongoing TRENDS survey will help improve our understanding of brown dwarf atmospheres in high mass ratio systems.

The onset of planet formation in brown dwarf disks.

PubMed

Apai, Dániel; Pascucci, Ilaria; Bouwman, Jeroen; Natta, Antonella; Henning, Thomas; Dullemond, Cornelis P

2005-11-04

The onset of planet formation in protoplanetary disks is marked by the growth and crystallization of sub-micrometer-sized dust grains accompanied by dust settling toward the disk mid-plane. Here, we present infrared spectra of disks around brown dwarfs and brown dwarf candidates. We show that all three processes occur in such cool disks in a way similar or identical to that in disks around low- and intermediate-mass stars. These results indicate that the onset of planet formation extends to disks around brown dwarfs, suggesting that planet formation is a robust process occurring in most young circumstellar disks.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burgasser, Adam J.; Luk, Christopher; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella

We report the identification of the M9 dwarf SDSS J000649.16-085246.3 as a spectral binary and radial velocity (RV) variable with components straddling the hydrogen-burning mass limit. Low-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy reveals spectral features indicative of a T dwarf companion, and spectral template fitting yields component types of M8.5 {+-} 0.5 and T5 {+-} 1. High-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy with Keck/NIRSPEC reveals pronounced RV variations with a semi-amplitude of 8.2 {+-} 0.4 km s{sup -1}. From these we determine an orbital period of 147.6 {+-} 1.5 days and eccentricity of 0.10 {+-} 0.07, making SDSS J0006-0852AB the third tightest very low mass binarymore » known. This system is also found to have a common proper motion companion, the inactive M7 dwarf LP 704-48, at a projected separation of 820 {+-} 120 AU. The lack of H{alpha} emission in both M dwarf components indicates that this system is relatively old, as confirmed by evolutionary model analysis of the tight binary. LP 704-48/SDSS J0006-0852AB is the lowest-mass confirmed triple identified to date, and one of only seven candidate and confirmed triples with total masses below 0.3 M{sub Sun} currently known. We show that current star and brown dwarf formation models cannot produce triple systems like LP 704-48/SDSS J0006-0852AB, and we rule out Kozai-Lidov perturbations and tidal circularization as a viable mechanism to shrink the inner orbit. The similarities between this system and the recently uncovered low-mass eclipsing triples NLTT 41135AB/41136 and LHS 6343ABC suggest that substellar tertiaries may be common in wide M dwarf pairs.« less

HIGH-RESOLUTION SPECTROSCOPY DURING ECLIPSE OF THE YOUNG SUBSTELLAR ECLIPSING BINARY 2MASS 0535-0546. II. SECONDARY SPECTRUM: NO EVIDENCE THAT SPOTS CAUSE THE TEMPERATURE REVERSAL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohanty, Subhanjoy; Stassun, Keivan G., E-mail: s.mohanty@imperial.ac.uk, E-mail: keivan.stassun@vanderbilt.edu

2012-10-10

We present high-resolution optical spectra of the young brown dwarf eclipsing binary 2M0535-05, obtained during eclipse of the higher-mass (primary) brown dwarf. Combined with our previous spectrum of the primary alone (Paper I), the new observations yield the spectrum of the secondary alone. We investigate, through a differential analysis of the two binary components, whether cool surface spots are responsible for suppressing the temperature of the primary. In Paper I, we found a significant discrepancy between the empirical surface gravity of the primary and that inferred via fine analysis of its spectrum. Here we find precisely the same discrepancy inmore » surface gravity, both qualitatively and quantitatively. While this may again be ascribed to either cool spots or model opacity errors, it implies that cool spots cannot be responsible for preferentially lowering the temperature of the primary: if they were, spot effects on the primary spectrum should be preferentially larger, and they are not. The T{sub eff}'s we infer for the primary and secondary, from the TiO-{epsilon} bands alone, show the same reversal, in the same ratio, as is empirically observed, bolstering the validity of our analysis. In turn, this implies that if suppression of convection by magnetic fields on the primary is the fundamental cause of the T{sub eff} reversal, then it cannot be a local suppression yielding spots mainly on the primary (though both components may be equally spotted), but a global suppression in the interior of the primary. We briefly discuss current theories of how this might work.« less

Radio Emission and Orbital Motion from the Close-encounter Star-Brown Dwarf Binary WISE J072003.20-084651.2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgasser, Adam J.; Melis, Carl; Todd, Jacob; Gelino, Christopher R.; Hallinan, Gregg; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella

2015-12-01

We report the detection of radio emission and orbital motion from the nearby star-brown dwarf binary WISE J072003.20-084651.2AB. Radio observations across the 4.5-6.5 GHz band with the Very Large Array identify at the position of the system quiescent emission with a flux density of 15 ± 3 μJy, and a highly polarized radio source that underwent a 2-3 minute burst with peak flux density 300 ± 90 μJy. The latter emission is likely a low-level magnetic flare similar to optical flares previously observed for this source. No outbursts were detected in separate narrow-band Hα monitoring observations. We report new high-resolution imaging and spectroscopic observations that confirm the presence of a co-moving T5.5 secondary and provide the first indications of three-dimensional orbital motion. We used these data to revise our estimates for the orbital period (4.1{}-1.3+2.7 year) and tightly constrain the orbital inclination to be nearly edge-on (93.°6+1.°6-1.°4), although robust measures of the component and system masses will require further monitoring. The inferred orbital motion does not change the high likelihood that this radio-emitting very low-mass binary made a close pass to the Sun in the past 100 kyr. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Understanding of variability properties in very low mass stars and brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mondal, Soumen; Ghosh, Samrat; Khata, Dhrimadri; Joshi, Santosh; Das, Ramkrishna

2018-04-01

We report on photometric variability studies of a L3.5 brown dwarf 2MASS J00361617+1821104 (2M0036+18) in the field and of four young brown dwarfs in the star-forming region IC 348. From muti-epoch observations, we found significant periodic variability in 2M0036+18 with a period of 2.66 ± 0.55 hours on one occasion while it seemed to be non-variable on three other occasions. An evolving dust cloud might cause such a scenario. Among four young brown dwarfs of IC 348 in the spectral range M7.25 - M8, one brown dwarf 2MASS J03443921+3208138 shows significant variability. The K-band spectra (2.0-2.4 μm) of nine very low mass stars (M1 - M9 V) are used to characterize the water band index (H20-K2). We found that it is strongly correlated with the surface temperature of M dwarfs.

DISCOVERY OF A HIGHLY UNEQUAL-MASS BINARY T DWARF WITH KECK LASER GUIDE STAR ADAPTIVE OPTICS: A COEVALITY TEST OF SUBSTELLAR THEORETICAL MODELS AND EFFECTIVE TEMPERATURES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Michael C.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Leggett, S. K., E-mail: mliu@ifa.hawaii.ed

Highly unequal-mass ratio binaries are rare among field brown dwarfs, with the mass ratio distribution of the known census described by q {sup (4.9{+-}0.7)}. However, such systems enable a unique test of the joint accuracy of evolutionary and atmospheric models, under the constraint of coevality for the individual components (the 'isochrone test'). We carry out this test using two of the most extreme field substellar binaries currently known, the T1 + T6 {epsilon} Ind Bab binary and a newly discovered 0.''14 T2.0 + T7.5 binary, 2MASS J12095613-1004008AB, identified with Keck laser guide star adaptive optics. The latter is the mostmore » extreme tight binary resolved to date (q {approx} 0.5). Based on the locations of the binary components on the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram, current models successfully indicate that these two systems are coeval, with internal age differences of log(age) = -0.8 {+-} 1.3(-1.0{sup +1.2}{sub -1.3}) dex and 0.5{sup +0.4}{sub -0.3}(0.3{sup +0.3}{sub -0.4}) dex for 2MASS J1209-1004AB and {epsilon} Ind Bab, respectively, as inferred from the Lyon (Tucson) models. However, the total mass of {epsilon} Ind Bab derived from the H-R diagram ({approx} 80 M{sub Jup} using the Lyon models) is strongly discrepant with the reported dynamical mass. This problem, which is independent of the assumed age of the {epsilon} Ind Bab system, can be explained by a {approx} 50-100 K systematic error in the model atmosphere fitting, indicating slightly warmer temperatures for both components; bringing the mass determinations from the H-R diagram and the visual orbit into consistency leads to an inferred age of {approx} 6 Gyr for {epsilon} Ind Bab, older than previously assumed. Overall, the two T dwarf binaries studied here, along with recent results from T dwarfs in age and mass benchmark systems, yield evidence for small ({approx}100 K) errors in the evolutionary models and/or model atmospheres, but not significantly larger. Future parallax, resolved spectroscopy, and dynamical mass measurements for 2MASS J1209-1004AB will enable a more stringent application of the isochrone test. Finally, the binary nature of this object reduces its utility as the primary T3 near-IR spectral typing standard; we suggest SDSS J1206+2813 as a replacement.« less

MBM12: A Close, Younger Version of the TW Hydrae Association

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolk, S. J.; Hearty, T.; Jayawardhana, R.

2000-01-01

MBM 12 is a dark cloud located about 65 pc from the sun. During the late 1980's and early 1990's, five Classical T Tauri stars were discovered associated with the cloud. The co-existence of the cloud and several stars with disks implies a very young association, very close to the earth. Such an association would be in a league with TWA and Eta Cham. However, at an estimated age of about 1 Myrs. Brown dwarfs/Jupiters would be brighter and disk should be more numerous. Deep ROSAT images and follow up spectroscopic observations raised the cluster membership to 8. We have expanded on this study with deep groundbased imaging, followup spectroscopy and infrared data. We discuss our current data base of U through I observations (complete to V=20) J through K observations (complete to K=14) and spectra of most stars above V magnitude 15. We will present a mass function for the about 40 stars now identified with the association and discuss disk, binary and brown dwarf candidates.

An outburst powered by the merging of two stars inside the envelope of a giant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillel, Shlomi; Schreier, Ron; Soker, Noam

2017-11-01

We conduct 3D hydrodynamical simulations of energy deposition into the envelope of a red giant star as a result of the merger of two close main sequence stars or brown dwarfs, and show that the outcome is a highly non-spherical outflow. Such a violent interaction of a triple stellar system can explain the formation of `messy', I.e. lacking any kind of symmetry, planetary nebulae and similar nebulae around evolved stars. We do not simulate the merging process, but simply assume that after the tight binary system enters the envelope of the giant star the interaction with the envelope causes the two components, stars or brown dwarfs, to merge and liberate gravitational energy. We deposit the energy over a time period of about 9 h, which is about 1 per cent of the the orbital period of the merger product around the centre of the giant star. The ejection of the fast hot gas and its collision with previously ejected mass are very likely to lead to a transient event, I.e. an intermediate luminosity optical transient.

A NEARLY VOLUME-COMPLETE SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY OF THE CLOSESTMID-TO-LATE M DWARFS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winters, Jennifer; Irwin, Jonathan; Newton, Elisabeth; Charbonneau, David; Latham, David W.; Mink, Jessica; Esquerdo, Gil; Berlind, Perry; Calkins, Mike

2018-01-01

Recent results from Kepler estimate that M dwarfs harbor 2.5 planets per star. Yet, we will understand our exoplanet discoveries only as well as we understand their host stars, and much remains unknown about our low-mass stellar neighbors, such as their kinematics, ages, and multiplicity. A nearly volume-complete sample of M dwarfs lies within 15 pc of the Sun, and it is only for planets orbiting these nearest and smallest stars that thorough follow-up work for characterization will be possible. Unfortunately, more than half of this sample have only low-resolution (R < 19,000) spectroscopic measurements available from the literature, while ten percent have no published spectrum at all.We have undertaken a multi-epoch, high-resolution (R ~ 44,000) spectroscopic survey of the mid-to-late M dwarfs that lie within 15 pc via acurate trigonometric parallaxes. Observations with the Tillinghast Reflector Echelle Spectrograph (TRES) on the 1.5m telescope at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO) on Mt. Hopkins, AZ, are currently underway. We will shortly begin the southern part of this survey with CHIRON at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory / Small and Moderate Aperture Research Telescope System (CTIO/SMARTS) 1.5m. We present here results from year one of our TRES survey. We have measured radial velocities, rotational broadening, and H-alpha equivalent widths for 305 mid-to-late M dwarfs. We have discovered five new spectroscopic binaries, one of which is a rare M dwarf - (likely) brown dwarf binary within 10 pc, for which we have determined the orbit.Our survey more than doubles the number of mid-M dwarfs within 15 pc with complete high-resolution spectroscopic and trigonometric characterization. We hope to provide a legacy dataset for the use of future generations of astronomers.This work is being supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation.

Not-So-Bright Bulbs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

This artist's concept shows the dimmest star-like bodies currently known -- twin brown dwarfs referred to as 2M 0939. The twins, which are about the same size, are drawn as if they were viewed close to one of the bodies.

Brown dwarfs are neither planets nor stars. They form like stars out of collapsing clouds of gas and dust, but they don't have enough mass to ignite nuclear burning in their cores and become full-blown stars. They are similar to Jupiter in that they are cool balls of gas, but they are warmer and heavier. Astronomers say that the universe is littered with these cosmic misfits, but because they are so dim, they are hard to find.

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is fitted with heat-seeking infrared eyes, which allow it to detect the minute glow of cool objects like brown dwarfs. Data from Spitzer and the Anglo-Australian Observatory in Australia together reveal that both of the brown dwarfs making up 2M 0939 share the title of dimmest known brown dwarfs. Their atmospheres are also among the coolest known for any brown dwarf (565 to 635 Kelvin or 560 to 680 degrees Fahrenheit).

The term 'brown dwarf' comes from the fact that these objects cool and change over time, and therefore do not have a definitive color. The 2M 0939 brown dwarfs, if we could see them directly, would have a dark magenta hue due to their cool temperatures and the presence of water, methane and ammonia gases in their atmospheres.

2M 0939's full name is 2MASS J09393548-2448279 after the partly NASA-funded infrared mission, the Two Micron All Sky Survey, or '2MASS,' which first detected the object in 1999.

Hot Subluminous Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heber, U.

2016-08-01

Hot subluminous stars of spectral type B and O are core helium-burning stars at the blue end of the horizontal branch or have evolved even beyond that stage. Most hot subdwarf stars are chemically highly peculiar and provide a laboratory to study diffusion processes that cause these anomalies. The most obvious anomaly lies with helium, which may be a trace element in the atmosphere of some stars (sdB, sdO) while it may be the dominant species in others (He-sdB, He-sdO). Strikingly, the distribution in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram of He-rich versus He-poor hot subdwarf stars of the globular clusters ω Cen and NGC 2808 differ from that of their field counterparts. The metal-abundance patterns of hot subdwarfs are typically characterized by strong deficiencies of some lighter elements as well as large enrichments of heavy elements. A large fraction of sdB stars are found in close binaries with white dwarf or very low-mass main sequence companions, which must have gone through a common-envelope (CE) phase of evolution. Because the binaries are detached they provide a clean-cut laboratory to study this important but yet poorly understood phase of stellar evolution. Hot subdwarf binaries with sufficiently massive white dwarf companions are viable candidate progenitors of type Ia supernovae both in the double degenerate as well as in the single degenerate scenario as helium donors for double detonation supernovae. The hyper-velocity He-sdO star US 708 may be the surviving donor of such a double detonation supernova. Substellar companions to sdB stars have also been found. For HW Vir systems the companion mass distribution extends from the stellar into the brown dwarf regime. A giant planet to the acoustic-mode pulsator V391 Peg was the first discovery of a planet that survived the red giant evolution of its host star. Evidence for Earth-size planets to two pulsating sdB stars have been reported and circumbinary giant planets or brown dwarfs have been found around HW Vir systems from eclipse timings. The high incidence of circumbinary substellar objects suggests that most of the planets are formed from the remaining CE material (second generation planets). Several types of pulsating star have been discovered among hot subdwarf stars, the most common are the gravity-mode sdB pulsators (V1093 Her) and their hotter siblings, the p-mode pulsating V361 Hya stars. Another class of multi-periodic pulsating hot subdwarfs has been found in the globular cluster ω Cen that is unmatched by any field star. Asteroseismology has advanced enormously thanks to the high-precision Kepler photometry and allowed stellar rotation rates to be determined, the interior structure of gravity-mode pulsators to be probed and stellar ages to be estimated. Rotation rates turned out to be unexpectedly slow calling for very efficient angular momentum loss on the red giant branch or during the helium core flash. The convective cores were found to be larger than predicted by standard stellar evolution models requiring very efficient angular momentum transport on the red giant branch. The masses of hot subdwarf stars, both single or in binaries, are the key to understand the stars’ evolution. A few pulsating sdB stars in eclipsing binaries have been found that allow both techniques to be applied for mass determination. The results, though few, are in good agreement with predictions from binary population synthesis calculations. New classes of binaries, hosting so-called extremely low mass (ELM) white dwarfs (M < 0.3 M ⊙), have recently been discovered, filling a gap in the mosaic of binary stellar evolution. Like most sdB stars the ELM white dwarfs are the stripped cores of red giants, the known companions are either white dwarfs, neutron stars (pulsars) or F- or A-type main sequence stars (“EL CVn” stars). In the near future, the Gaia mission will provide high-precision astrometry for a large sample of subdwarf stars to disentangle the different stellar populations in the field and to compare the field subdwarf population with the globular clusters’ hot subdwarfs. New fast-moving subdwarfs will allow the mass of the Galactic dark matter halo to be constrained and additional unbound hyper-velocity stars may be discovered. Subdwarf O/B stars and extremely low mass white dwarfs: atmospheric parameters and abundances, formation and evolution, binaries, planetary companions, pulsation, and kinematics.

Planetary Building Blocks Found in Surprising Place

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Figure 1

This graph of data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows that an extraordinarily low-mass brown dwarf, or 'failed star,' is circled by a disc of planet-building dust. The brown dwarf, called OTS 44, is only 15 times the mass of Jupiter, making it the smallest known brown dwarf to host a planet-forming disc.

Spitzer was able to see this unusual disc by measuring its infrared brightness. Whereas a brown dwarf without a disc (red dashed line) radiates infrared light at shorter wavelengths, a brown dwarf with a disc (orange line) gives off excess infrared light at longer wavelengths. This surplus light comes from the disc itself and is represented here as a yellow dotted line. Actual data points from observations of OTS 44 are indicated with orange dots. These data were acquired using Spitzer's infrared array camera.

Zones, spots, and planetary-scale waves beating in brown dwarf atmospheres.

PubMed

Apai, D; Karalidi, T; Marley, M S; Yang, H; Flateau, D; Metchev, S; Cowan, N B; Buenzli, E; Burgasser, A J; Radigan, J; Artigau, E; Lowrance, P

2017-08-18

Brown dwarfs are massive analogs of extrasolar giant planets and may host types of atmospheric circulation not seen in the solar system. We analyzed a long-term Spitzer Space Telescope infrared monitoring campaign of brown dwarfs to constrain cloud cover variations over a total of 192 rotations. The infrared brightness evolution is dominated by beat patterns caused by planetary-scale wave pairs and by a small number of bright spots. The beating waves have similar amplitudes but slightly different apparent periods because of differing velocities or directions. The power spectrum of intermediate-temperature brown dwarfs resembles that of Neptune, indicating the presence of zonal temperature and wind speed variations. Our findings explain three previously puzzling behaviors seen in brown dwarf brightness variations. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Laboratory measurements of resistivity in warm dense plasmas relevant to the microphysics of brown dwarfs

DOE PAGES

Booth, N.; Robinson, A. P. L.; Hakel, P.; ...

2015-11-06

Since the observation of the first brown dwarf in 1995, numerous studies have led to a better understanding of the structures of these objects. Here we present a method for studying material resistivity in warm dense plasmas in the laboratory, which we relate to the microphysics of brown dwarfs through viscosity and electron collisions. Here we use X-ray polarimetry to determine the resistivity of a sulphur-doped plastic target heated to Brown Dwarf conditions by an ultra-intense laser. The resistivity is determined by matching the plasma physics model to the atomic physics calculations of the measured large, positive, polarization. Furthermore, themore » inferred resistivity is larger than predicted using standard resistivity models, suggesting that these commonly used models will not adequately describe the resistivity of warm dense plasma related to the viscosity of brown dwarfs.« less

A low-temperature companion to a white dwarf star

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Becklin, E. E.; Zuckerman, B.

1988-01-01

An infrared object located about 120 AU from the white dwarf GD165 has been discovered. With the exception of the possible brown dwarf companion to Giclas 29-38 reported last year, the companion to GD165 is the coolest (2100 K) dwarf star ever reported and, according to some theoretical models, it should be a substellar brown dwarf with a mass between 0.06 and 0.08 solar mass. These results, together with newly discovered low-mass stellar companions to white dwarfs, change the investigation of very low-mass stars from the study of a few chance objects to that of a statistical distribution. In particular, it appears that very low-mass stars and perhaps even brown dwarfs could be quite common in the Galaxy.

AKARI observations of brown dwarfs. IV. Effect of elemental abundances on near-infrared spectra between 1.0 and 5.0 μm

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sorahana, S.; Yamamura, I.

2014-09-20

The detection of the CO{sub 2} absorption band at 4.2 μm in brown dwarf spectra by AKARI has made it possible to discuss CO{sub 2} molecular abundance in brown dwarf atmospheres. In our previous studies, we found an excess in the 4.2 μm CO{sub 2} absorption band of three brown dwarf spectra, and suggested that these deviations were caused by high C and O elemental abundances in their atmospheres. To validate this hypothesis, we have constructed a set of models of brown dwarf atmospheres with various elemental abundance patterns, and we investigate the variations of the molecular composition and themore » thermal structure, and how they affect the near-infrared spectra between 1.0 and 5.0 μm. The 4.2 μm CO{sub 2} absorption band in some late-L and T dwarfs taken by AKARI is stronger or weaker than predicted by corresponding models with solar abundance. By comparing the CO{sub 2} band in the model spectra to the observed near-infrared spectra, we confirm possible elemental abundance variations among brown dwarfs. We find that the band strength is especially sensitive to O abundance, but C is also needed to reproduce the entire near-infrared spectra. This result indicates that both the C and O abundances should increase and decrease simultaneously for brown dwarfs. We find that a weaker CO{sub 2} absorption band in a spectrum can also be explained by a model with lower 'C and O' abundances.« less

The VLT/NaCo large program to probe the occurrence of exoplanets and brown dwarfs at wide orbits. II. Survey description, results, and performances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauvin, G.; Vigan, A.; Bonnefoy, M.; Desidera, S.; Bonavita, M.; Mesa, D.; Boccaletti, A.; Buenzli, E.; Carson, J.; Delorme, P.; Hagelberg, J.; Montagnier, G.; Mordasini, C.; Quanz, S. P.; Segransan, D.; Thalmann, C.; Beuzit, J.-L.; Biller, B.; Covino, E.; Feldt, M.; Girard, J.; Gratton, R.; Henning, T.; Kasper, M.; Lagrange, A.-M.; Messina, S.; Meyer, M.; Mouillet, D.; Moutou, C.; Reggiani, M.; Schlieder, J. E.; Zurlo, A.

2015-01-01

Context. Young, nearby stars are ideal targets for direct imaging searches for giant planets and brown dwarf companions. After the first-imaged planet discoveries, vast efforts have been devoted to the statistical analysis of the occurence and orbital distributions of giant planets and brown dwarf companions at wide (≥5-6 AU) orbits. Aims: In anticipation of the VLT/SPHERE planet-imager, guaranteed-time programs, we have conducted a preparatory survey of 86 stars between 2009 and 2013 to identify new faint comoving companions to ultimately analyze the occurence of giant planets and brown dwarf companions at wide (10-2000 AU) orbits around young, solar-type stars. Methods: We used NaCo at VLT to explore the occurrence rate of giant planets and brown dwarfs between typically 0.1 and 8''. Diffraction-limited observations in H-band combined with angular differential imaging enabled us to reach primary star-companion brightness ratios as small as 10-6 at 1.5''. Repeated observations at several epochs enabled us to discriminate comoving companions from background objects. Results: During our survey, twelve systems were resolved as new binaries, including the discovery of a new white dwarf companion to the star HD 8049. Around 34 stars, at least one companion candidate was detected in the observed field of view. More than 400 faint sources were detected; 90% of them were in four crowded fields. With the exception of HD 8049 B, we did not identify any new comoving companions. The survey also led to spatially resolved images of the thin debris disk around HD 61005 that have been published earlier. Finally, considering the survey detection limits, we derive a preliminary upper limit on the frequency of giant planets for the semi-major axes of [10, 2000] AU: typically less than 15% between 100 and 500 AU and less than 10% between 50 and 500 AU for exoplanets that are more massive than 5 MJup and 10 MJup respectively, if we consider a uniform input distribution and a confidence level of 95%. Conclusions: The results from this survey agree with earlier programs emphasizing that massive, gas giant companions on wide orbits around solar-type stars are rare. These results will be part of a broader analysis of a total of ~210 young, solar-type stars to bring further statistical constraints for theoretical models of planetary formation and evolution. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Chile (ESO Large Program 184.C-0157 and Open Time 089.C-0137A and 090.C-0252A).Tables 2 and 6 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

A deep staring campaign in the σ Orionis cluster. Variability in substellar members

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, P.; Scholz, A.; Jayawardhana, R.; Eislöffel, J.; Hébrard, E. M.

2017-12-01

Context. The young star cluster near σ Orionis is one of the primary environments to study the properties of young brown dwarfs down to masses comparable to those of giant planets. Aims: Deep optical imaging is used to study time-domain properties of young brown dwarfs over typical rotational timescales and to search for new substellar and planetary-mass cluster members. Methods: We used the Visible Multi Object Spectrograph (VIMOS) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) to monitor a 24'× 16' field in the I-band. We stared at the same area over a total integration time of 21 h, spanning three observing nights. Using the individual images from this run we investigated the photometric time series of nine substellar cluster members with masses from 10 to 60 MJup. The deep stacked image shows cluster members down to ≈5 MJup. We searched for new planetary-mass objects by combining our deep I-band photometry with public J-band magnitudes and by examining the nearby environment of known very low mass members for possible companions. Results: We find two brown dwarfs, with significantly variable, aperiodic light curves, both with masses around 50 MJup, one of which was previously unknown to be variable. The physical mechanism responsible for the observed variability is likely to be different for the two objects. The variability of the first object, a single-lined spectroscopic binary, is most likely linked to its accretion disc; the second may be caused by variable extinction by large grains. We find five new candidate members from the colour-magnitude diagram and three from a search for companions within 2000 au. We rule all eight sources out as potential members based on non-stellar shape and/or infrared colours. The I-band photometry is made available as a public dataset. Conclusions: We present two variable brown dwarfs. One is consistent with ongoing accretion, the other exhibits apparent transient variability without the presence of an accretion disc. Our analysis confirms the existing census of substellar cluster members down to ≈7 MJup. The zero result from our companion search agrees with the low occurrence rate of wide companions to brown dwarfs found in other works. Based on observations made with ESO Telescopes at the Paranal Observatory under programme ID 078.C-0042.Full Table B.1 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/608/A66

Finding the elusive substellar members of young moving groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aller, Kimberly Mei

Young moving groups (YMGs) consist of coeval, comoving stars, with ages between 10-100Myrs, that have migrated from their origins after formation. They provide a valuable link between ongoing star formation in molecular clouds (˜1Myr) and old field stars (≥1Gyr). However, previous searches based on optical surveys such as Hipparcos and the Palomar Sky Survey were insensitive to these very faint cool dwarfs. More recent surveys with GALEX have begun to reveal the nearby (<25 pc) low-mass members (≥ 0.1 M solar massses) but the cool, substellar members have remained elusive. We have increased the search volume by a factor of ˜10 using a novel combination of photometry and proper motions from Pan-STARRS, WISE, and 2MASS in order to uncover the missing substellar members down to ≥ 00.1 M solar massses (at 10Myr). We have obtained NIR low-resolution spectroscopy and confirmed the youth of 65 new ultracool dwarf YMG candidates. We also obtained high-resolution NIR spectroscopy to determine radial velocities for our young brown dwarfs. With our RVs and PS1 parallaxes, we have nearly doubled the number of confirmed bona fide substellar YMG members, which are also brown dwarf age benchmarks. Our new young brown dwarfs empirically define the substellar spectral evolution with age and provide us with a snapshot of brown dwarf evolution. Finally, our resulting young brown dwarfs will be valuable targets for future surveys of brown dwarf binarity and young exoplanet characterization.

A Survey for Circumstellar Disks around Young Substellar Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Michael C.; Najita, Joan; Tokunaga, Alan T.

2003-03-01

We have completed the first systematic survey for disks around spectroscopically identified young brown dwarfs and very low mass stars. For a sample of 38 very cool objects in IC 348 and Taurus, we have obtained L'-band (3.8 μm) imaging with sufficient sensitivity to detect objects with and without disks. The sample should be free of selection biases for our purposes. Our targets span spectral types from M6 to M9.5, corresponding to masses of ~15-100 MJup and ages of <~5 Myr, based on current models. None appear to be binaries at 0.4" resolution (55-120 AU). Using the objects' measured spectral types and extinctions, we find that most of our sample (77%+/-15%) possess intrinsic IR excesses, indicative of circum(sub)stellar disks. Because the excesses are modest, conventional analyses using only IR colors would have missed most of the sources with excesses. Such analyses inevitably underestimate the disk fraction and will be less reliable for young brown dwarfs than for T Tauri stars. The observed IR excesses are correlated with Hα emission, consistent with a common accretion disk origin. In the same star-forming regions, we find that disks around brown dwarfs and T Tauri stars are contemporaneous; assuming coevality, this demonstrates that the inner regions of substellar disks are at least as long-lived as stellar disks and evolve slowly for the first ~3 Myr. The disk frequency appears to be independent of mass. However, some objects in our sample, including the very coolest (lowest mass) ones, lack IR excesses and may be diskless. The observed excesses can be explained by disk reprocessing of starlight alone; the implied accretion rates are at least an order of magnitude below typical values for classical T Tauri stars. The observed distribution of IR excesses suggests inner disk holes with radii of >~2R*, consistent with the idea that such holes arise from disk-magnetosphere interactions. Altogether, the frequency and properties of young circumstellar disks appear to be similar from the stellar regime down to the substellar and planetary-mass regime. This provides prima facie evidence of a common origin for most stars and brown dwarfs.

Brown Dwarf Weather (Artist's Concept)

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-17

This artist's concept animation shows a brown dwarf with bands of clouds, thought to resemble those seen on Neptune and the other outer planets in the solar system. By using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have found that the varying glow of brown dwarfs over time can be explained by bands of patchy clouds rotating at different speeds. Videos are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21752

Sowing the Seeds of Planets? (Artist's Concept)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Planet Clumps and Crystals around Brown Dwarfs

This artist's concept shows microscopic crystals in the dusty disk surrounding a brown dwarf, or 'failed star.' The crystals, made up of a green mineral found on Earth called olivine, are thought to help seed the formation of planets.

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope detected the tiny crystals circling around five brown dwarfs, the cooler and smaller cousins of stars. Though crystallized minerals have been seen in space before -- in comets and around other stars -- the discovery represents the first time the little gem-like particles have been spotted around confirmed brown dwarfs.

Astronomers believe planets form out of disks of dust that circle young brown dwarfs and stars. Over time, the various minerals making up the disks crystallize and begin to clump together. Eventually, the clumps collide and stick, building up mass like snowmen until planets are born.

About the Graph: Planet Clumps and Crystals around Brown Dwarfs The graph of data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the spectra (middle four lines) of dusty disks around four brown dwarfs, or 'failed stars,' located 520 light-years away in the Chamaeleon constellation. The data suggest that the dust in these disks is crystallizing and clumping together in what may be the birth of planets.

Spectra are created by breaking light apart into its basic components, like a prism turning sunlight into a rainbow. Their bumps represent the 'fingerprints' or signatures of different minerals.

Here, the light green vertical bands highlight the spectral fingerprints of crystals made up primarily of a green silicate mineral found on Earth called olivine. As the graph illustrates, three of the four brown dwarfs possess these microscopic gem-like particles. For comparison, the spectra of dust between stars (top) and the comet Hale-Bopp (bottom) are shown. The comet has the tiny crystals, whereas the interstellar dust does not.

The broadening of these spectral features or bumps -- seen here as you move down the graph - indicates silicate grains of increasing size.

Another analysis of this same data shows that some of the brown dwarfs' dusty disks flare in their outer regions, while others are flattened. This flattening is correlated with increasing grain size, and probably occurs because the heavier dust grains are settling downward.

Together, these observations - of crystals, growing dust grains and flattened disks - provide strong evidence that the dust around these brown dwarfs is evolving into what might become planets. Prior to the findings, these first steps of planet formation were seen only in disks around stars, the brighter and bigger cousins to brown dwarfs.

Brown Dwarf Binaries from Disintegrating Triple Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reipurth, Bo; Mikkola, Seppo

2015-04-01

Binaries in which both components are brown dwarfs (BDs) are being discovered at an increasing rate, and their properties may hold clues to their origin. We have carried out 200,000 N-body simulations of three identical stellar embryos with masses drawn from a Chabrier IMF and embedded in a molecular core. The bodies are initially non-hierarchical and undergo chaotic motions within the cloud core, while accreting using Bondi-Hoyle accretion. The coupling of dynamics and accretion often leads to one or two dominant bodies controlling the center of the cloud core, while banishing the other(s) to the lower-density outskirts, leading to stunted growth. Eventually each system transforms either to a bound hierarchical configuration or breaks apart into separate single and binary components. The orbital motion is followed for 100 Myr. In order to illustrate 200,000 end-states of such dynamical evolution with accretion, we introduce the “triple diagnostic diagram,” which plots two dimensionless numbers against each other, representing the binary mass ratio and the mass ratio of the third body to the total system mass. Numerous freefloating BD binaries are formed in these simulations, and statistical properties are derived. The separation distribution function is in good correspondence with observations, showing a steep rise at close separations, peaking around 13 AU and declining more gently, reaching zero at separations greater than 200 AU. Unresolved BD triple systems may appear as wider BD binaries. Mass ratios are strongly peaked toward unity, as observed, but this is partially due to the initial assumptions. Eccentricities gradually increase toward higher values, due to the lack of viscous interactions in the simulations, which would both shrink the orbits and decrease their eccentricities. Most newborn triple systems are unstable and while there are 9209 ejected BD binaries at 1 Myr, corresponding to about 4% of the 200,000 simulations, this number has grown to 15,894 at 100 Myr (˜8%). The total binary fraction among freefloating BDs is 0.43, higher than indicated by current observations, which, however, are still incomplete. Also, the gradual breakup of higher-order multiples leads to many more singles, thus lowering the binary fraction. The main threat to newly born triple systems is internal instabilities, not external perturbations. At 1 Myr there are 1325 BD binaries still bound to a star, corresponding to 0.66% of the simulations, but only 253 (0.13%) are stable on timescales >100 Myr. These simulations indicate that dynamical interactions in newborn triple systems of stellar embryos embedded in and accreting from a cloud core naturally form a population of freefloating BD binaries, and this mechanism may constitute a significant pathway for the formation of BD binaries.

The First Hundred Brown Dwarfs Discovered by the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Cushing, Michael C.; Gelino, Christopher R.; Griffith, Roger L.; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Marsh, Kenneth A.; Wright, Edward L.; Mainzer, Amanda K.; Eisenhardt, Peter R.; McLean, Ian S.;

Finding binaries from phase modulation of pulsating stars with Kepler: V. Orbital parameters, with eccentricity and mass-ratio distributions of 341 new binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Simon J.; Moe, Maxwell; Kurtz, Donald W.; Bedding, Timothy R.; Shibahashi, Hiromoto; Boffin, Henri M. J.

2018-03-01

The orbital parameters of binaries at intermediate periods (102-103 d) are difficult to measure with conventional methods and are very incomplete. We have undertaken a new survey, applying our pulsation timing method to Kepler light curves of 2224 main-sequence A/F stars and found 341 non-eclipsing binaries. We calculate the orbital parameters for 317 PB1 systems (single-pulsator binaries) and 24 PB2s (double-pulsators), tripling the number of intermediate-mass binaries with full orbital solutions. The method reaches down to small mass ratios q ≈ 0.02 and yields a highly homogeneous sample. We parametrize the mass-ratio distribution using both inversion and Markov-Chain Monte Carlo forward-modelling techniques, and find it to be skewed towards low-mass companions, peaking at q ≈ 0.2. While solar-type primaries exhibit a brown dwarf desert across short and intermediate periods, we find a small but statistically significant (2.6σ) population of extreme-mass-ratio companions (q < 0.1) to our intermediate-mass primaries. Across periods of 100-1500 d and at q > 0.1, we measure the binary fraction of current A/F primaries to be 15.4 per cent ± 1.4 per cent, though we find that a large fraction of the companions (21 per cent ± 6 per cent) are white dwarfs in post-mass-transfer systems with primaries that are now blue stragglers, some of which are the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae, barium stars, symbiotics, and related phenomena. Excluding these white dwarfs, we determine the binary fraction of original A/F primaries to be 13.9 per cent ± 2.1 per cent over the same parameter space. Combining our measurements with those in the literature, we find the binary fraction across these periods is a constant 5 per cent for primaries M1 < 0.8 M⊙, but then increases linearly with log M1, demonstrating that natal discs around more massive protostars M1 ≳ 1 M⊙ become increasingly more prone to fragmentation. Finally, we find the eccentricity distribution of the main-sequence pairs to be much less eccentric than the thermal distribution.

Understanding Young Exoplanet Analogs with WISE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, Emily

We propose to tackle outstanding questions about the fundamental properties of young brown dwarfs, which are atmospheric analogs to massive gas giant exoplanets, using public archive data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) combined with our extensive dataset of optical and near-infrared observations, including spectra, proper motions, and parallaxes. Using WISE data we will construct color-color diagrams, color- magnitude diagrams, and spectral energy distributions for our sample of candidate young brown dwarfs. We will fully characterize the spectral properties of the candidates and evaluate their membership in nearby young moving groups in order to obtain independent age estimates. The practical outcomes of this project will allow the research community to use observed colors and spectra to reliably constrain the properties - including effective temperature, gravity, and dust/cloud properties - of both brown dwarfs and gas giant exoplanets. We will also search for new young brown dwarfs in the WISE archive using colors and proper motions. The expanded sample of young brown dwarfs will be used to create a self-contained feedback loop to identify and address the shortcomings of cool atmosphere models and low-mass evolutionary tracks, both of which are already being used to infer the properties of massive exoplanets. Disentangling the effects of physical parameters on the observed properties of young brown dwarfs is directly relevant to studies of exoplanets. Direct observations of exoplanets are currently very limited, and young brown dwarfs are the laboratories in which we can solve existing problems before the onslaught of new observations from instruments capable of directly imaging exoplanets, including the Gemini Planet Imager, Project 1640 at the Palomar Observatory, SPHERE on the VLT, and the James Webb Space Telescope. This project addresses the goal of the NASA Science Mission Directorate to discover how the universe works; in particular, the results of our work will improve our understanding of objects at the intersection of stars and planets and be directly applicable to understanding the atmospheres of directly-imaged exoplanets. The assembled investigators are the absolute best team to accomplish this work. They have extensive and diverse observational experience in astrometry, photometry, and spectroscopy from the optical through the mid-IR, spanning nearly the entire spectral energy distribution of young brown dwarfs and encompassing their most fundamental observational properties. They have considerable experience mining large photometric catalogs and identifying low-gravity very low mass objects. The team maintains collaborations with two groups actively modelling brown dwarf and exoplanet atmospheres and interior evolution. The proposed research organically combines several ongoing projects into a cohesive program that will efficiently incorporate WISE data to disentangle the ambiguous and interdependent physical properties of young brown dwarfs. As a result of the team's previous observational projects, we have assembled a dataset that positions us to best interpret WISE observations brown dwarfs and identify new young brown dwarfs in the WISE archive. A significant parallax program is ongoing, and all of the computing resources and many of the analysis tools are already in place, including several well-tested pipelines for data reduction and analysis and model comparisons. The team will incorporate undergraduate students in the project through an existing NSF-funded REU program.

HUBBLE SPIES BROWN DWARFS IN NEARBY STELLAR NURSERY

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Probing deep within a neighborhood stellar nursery, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope uncovered a swarm of newborn brown dwarfs. The orbiting observatory's near-infrared camera revealed about 50 of these objects throughout the Orion Nebula's Trapezium cluster [image at right], about 1,500 light-years from Earth. Appearing like glistening precious stones surrounding a setting of sparkling diamonds, more than 300 fledgling stars and brown dwarfs surround the brightest, most massive stars [center of picture] in Hubble's view of the Trapezium cluster's central region. All of the celestial objects in the Trapezium were born together in this hotbed of star formation. The cluster is named for the trapezoidal alignment of those central massive stars. Brown dwarfs are gaseous objects with masses so low that their cores never become hot enough to fuse hydrogen, the thermonuclear fuel stars like the Sun need to shine steadily. Instead, these gaseous objects fade and cool as they grow older. Brown dwarfs around the age of the Sun (5 billion years old) are very cool and dim, and therefore are difficult for telescopes to find. The brown dwarfs discovered in the Trapezium, however, are youngsters (1 million years old). So they're still hot and bright, and easier to see. This finding, along with observations from ground-based telescopes, is further evidence that brown dwarfs, once considered exotic objects, are nearly as abundant as stars. The image and results appear in the Sept. 20 issue of the Astrophysical Journal. The brown dwarfs are too dim to be seen in a visible-light image taken by the Hubble telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 [picture at left]. This view also doesn't show the assemblage of infant stars seen in the near-infrared image. That's because the young stars are embedded in dense clouds of dust and gas. The Hubble telescope's near-infrared camera, the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer, penetrated those clouds to capture a view of those objects. The brown dwarfs are the faintest objects in the image. Surveying the cluster's central region, the Hubble telescope spied brown dwarfs with masses equaling 10 to 80 Jupiters. Researchers think there may be less massive brown dwarfs that are beyond the limits of Hubble's vision. The near-infrared image was taken Jan. 17, 1998. Two near-infrared filters were used to obtain information on the colors of the stars at two wavelengths (1.1 and 1.6 microns). The Trapezium picture is 1 light-year across. This composite image was made from a 'mosaic' of nine separate, but adjoining images. In this false-color image, blue corresponds to warmer, more massive stars, and red to cooler, less massive stars and brown dwarfs, and stars that are heavily obscured by dust. The visible-light data were taken in 1994 and 1995. Credits for near-infrared image: NASA; K.L. Luhman (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Mass.); and G. Schneider, E. Young, G. Rieke, A. Cotera, H. Chen, M. Rieke, R. Thompson (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.) Credits for visible-light picture: NASA, C.R. O'Dell and S.K. Wong (Rice University)

Direct Observations of Clouds on Brown Dwarfs: A Spitzer Study of Extreme Cases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgasser, Adam; Cruz, Kelle; Cushing, Michael; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Looper, Dagny; Lowrance, Patrick; Marley, Mark; Saumon, Didier

2008-03-01

Clouds play a fundamental role in the emergent spectral energy distributions and observed variability of very low mass stars and brown dwarfs, yet hey have only been studied indirectly thus far. Recent indications of a broad silicate grain absorption feature in the 8-11 micron spectra of mid-type L dwarfs, and evidence that the strength of this absorption varies according to broad-band near-infrared color, may finally allow the first direct studies of clouds and condensate grain properties in brown dwarf atmospheres. We propose to observe a sample of 18 ``extreme'' L dwarfs - objects with unusually blue and red near-infrared colors - with IRAC and IRS to study the 8-11 micron feature in detail (including grain size distributions and bulk compositions), and to constrain advanced condensate cloud atmosphere models currently in development. Our program provides a unique examination of the general processes of cloud formation by focusing on the relatively warm photospheres of late-type brown dwarfs.

A 3D Search for Companions to 12 Nearby M Dwarfs

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-19

infrared radial velocities (RVs) and optical astrometric measurements in an effort to search for Jupiter -mass, brown dwarf, and stellar-mass companions. Our...around mid to late M dwarfs are still incomplete. Preliminary surveys show that Jupiter -mass companions are rare around M dwarfs. Using RV measurements...precise infrared radial velocities (RVs) and optical astrometric measurements in an effort to search for Jupiter -mass, brown dwarf, and stellar-mass

Four Brown Dwarfs in the Taurus Star-Forming Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martín, E. L.; Dougados, C.; Magnier, E.; Ménard, F.; Magazzù, A.; Cuillandre, J.-C.; Delfosse, X.

2001-11-01

We have identified four brown dwarfs in the Taurus star-forming region. They were first selected from R and I CCD photometry of 2.29 deg2 obtained at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Subsequently, they were recovered in the Two Micron All Sky Survey second incremental data release point source catalog. Low-resolution optical spectra obtained at the William Herschel Telescope allow us to derive spectral types in the range M7-M9. One of the brown dwarfs has very strong Hα emission (EW=-340 Å). It also displays Brγ emission in an infrared spectrum obtained with the Infrared Camera and Spectrograph on the Subaru telescope, suggesting that it is accreting matter from a disk. The K I resonance doublet and the Na I subordinate doublet at 818.3 and 819.5 nm in these Taurus objects are weaker than in field dwarfs of similar spectral type, consistent with low surface gravities as expected for young brown dwarfs. Two of the objects are cooler and fainter than GG Tau Bb, the lowest mass known member of the Taurus association. We estimate masses of only 0.03 Msolar for them. The spatial distribution of brown dwarfs in Taurus hints at a possible anticorrelation between the density of stars and the density of brown dwarfs. Based on data collected at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and the Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

Testing Ultracool Models with Precise Luminosities and Masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupuy, Trent; Cushing, Michael; Liu, Michael; Burningham, Ben; Leggett, Sandy; Albert, Loic; Delorme, Philippe

2011-05-01

After years of patient orbital monitoring, there is a growing sample of brown dwarfs with well-determined dynamical masses, representing the gold standard for testing substellar models. A key element of our model tests to date has been the use of integrated-light photometry to provide accurate total luminosity measurements for these binaries. However, some of the ultracool binaries with the most promising orbit motion for yielding dynamical in the masses lack the mid-infrared photometry needed to constrain their SEDs. This is especially crucial for the latest type binaries (spectral types >T5) that will probe the coldest temperature regimes previously untested with dynamical masses. We propose to use IRAC to obtain the needed mid-infrared photometry for a sample of binaries that are part of our ongoing orbital monitoring program with Keck laser guide star adaptive optics. The observational effort needed to characterize these binaries' luminosities using Spitzer is much less daunting in than the years of orbital monitoring needed to measure precise dynamical masses, but it is equally vital for robust tests of theory.

Disks around Failed Stars - a Question of Age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2002-08-01

First Ground-Based Mid-Infrared Observations of Brown Dwarfs [1] Summary A team of European astronomers [2] have observed eight Brown Dwarfs, i.e., small and faint objects also known as "failed stars", with the TIMMI2 infrared sensitive instrument at the ESO 3.6-m telescope on La Silla. From two of these, mid-infrared radiation is detected - for the first time ever from such objects with a ground-based telescope . While the younger Brown Dwarf, aged a few million years, is found to be surrounded by a dusty disk, no warm dust is present around the older ones. The new observations support the following formation hypothesis for Brown Dwarfs: they are born in the same way as "real" stars, by contraction in interstellar clouds of gas and dust . During the later stages of this process, the infalling material is transferred onto the star via a gas and dust disk . This disk - in which planets may possibly form - then disperses with time. PR Photo 17a/02 : Image of Brown Dwarf LP 944-20 PR Photo 17b/02 : Models of the disk around Brown Dwarf Cha HA 2 Brown Dwarfs are faint and cool objects Astronomical objects known as "Brown Dwarfs" are "failed stars" . Their comparatively small mass, less than about 7% of that of our Sun (or about 75 times the mass of planet Jupiter), is too small to achieve sufficiently high pressure and temperature at their centre to ignite energy-producing nuclear processes. Some astronomers also refer to Brown Dwarfs as a "missing link" between planets and stars, being neither one nor the other, yet with similarities to both. They do not burn hydrogen to helium as "real" stars do, but continue to emit faint light as they slowly contract and cool during millions of years. They end their inglorious life with a whimper and finally fade into eternal insignificance. Although Brown Dwarfs were theoretically predicted already in 1963, astronomers had to wait until 1995 for the first one to be discovered. This was mainly due to their extreme faintness as compared to normal stars - even the most nearby Brown Dwarfs shine so faintly that they can only be observed with relatively large telescopes. As they are rather cool objects, they emit mostly in the infrared spectral region; hence they are best observed with astronomical instruments that operate at those wavelengths. With improved techniques, however, more and more Brown Dwarfs have been found and the count has now reached several hundred. Many of these are located in the well-known Orion Nebula. Others move through interstellar space, like the lonely KELU-1 first discovered in 1997 at the ESO La Silla Observatory by Chilean astronomers, cf. ESO PR 07/97.With a distance of only 33 light-years from the Sun, it was one of the closest Brown Dwarfs known at that time. Formation of Brown Dwarfs Astronomers are still doubtful about the way Brown Dwarfs form. Among the numerous suggestions are the star-like contraction from an interstellar cloud of gas and dust and also another based on "ejected stellar embryos" . This latter scenario says that very young stars that are still accreting material are "kicked out of the nest" by their more massive brothers in multiple stellar systems. In this dramatic process, the unlucky objects are stripped of their surrounding disks. This effectively halts their further growth by accretion and they end up as underweight Brown Dwarfs. Recent observations at ESO have shown that the Brown Dwarfs in the Orion Nebula most likely have formed as stars do, i.e. by contraction in a cloud of dust and gas, cf. ESO PR 14/01. The clue to this was the observation of an excess of near-infrared radiation from many of these objects, interpreted as the presence of dusty disks around them. The astronomers then argued that if the young Brown Dwarfs possess such disks exactly like real stars do, then they must also form in the same way. Infrared observations of Brown Dwarfs Those observations were carried out in the near-infrared spectral region (in the 1.2 - 2.2 µm wavelength interval) with the ESO 3.5-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) . However, dusty disks around young stars (and presumably, those around Brown Dwarfs) radiate mostly at longer wavelengths. A detailed study of those disks is therefore best done with instruments that are sensitive to even longer wavelengths, e.g., in the mid-infrared to the sub-millimetre spectral region (10 - 1000 µm). This is in fact the only spectral interval where emission emanating from solid particles can be directly observed and their (mineral) composition thus be analysed. Pioneering observations in this wavelength interval of some Brown Dwarfs were made in mid-1995 by the ESA Infrared Space Observatory. However, the ISO instruments provided comparatively low image sharpness and these observations were hampered by confusion with the radiation from other objects in the same sky field. And the ISO mission was over before Brown Dwarf objects were discovered in larger numbers. Astronomers have therefore long wanted to observe Brown Dwarfs with large ground-based telescopes in the mid-infrared spectral region. But these objects are faint and few suitable instruments that work at these wavelengths are available at the world's large astronomical telescopes. Long exposures are necessary to record the faint emissions and until now, it had not been possible to perform such highly demanding observations of Brown Dwarfs. TIMMI2 observes Brown Dwarfs ESO PR Photo 17a/02 ESO PR Photo 17a/02 [Preview - JPEG: 874 x 400 pix - 75k [Normal - JPEG: 1747 x 800 pix - 752k] ESO PR Photo 17b/02 ESO PR Photo 17b/02 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 451 pix - 48k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 901 pix - 200k] Caption : PR Photo 17a/02 shows the sky field with the nearby Brown Dwarf LP 944-20 at the centre, as photographed in blue (B), red (R) and near-infrared (IR) light (reproduced from the Digital Sky Survey [STScI Digitized Sky Survey, (C) 1993, 1994, AURA, Inc. all rights reserved - cf. http://archive.eso.org/dss/dss]). The object (at the arrow) is obviously very red. Observations with the TIMMI2 instrument at the ESO 3.6-m telescope on La Silla have shown that this comparatively old object does not possess a surrounding disk of dust and gas. Another much younger Brown Dwarf, Cha HA 2 , has one. The new measurements show that this object has a flat, dense disk (lower diagramme in PR Photo 17b/02 ), unlike the hotter (solar-like), young stars, that harbour "flared" disks with a diluted, very hot top layer (upper diagramme). Now, however, the first ground-based detection of mid-infrared radiation from two Brown Dwarfs has been achieved by a team of European astronomers [2], using the Thermal Infrared Multimode Instrument (TIMMI2) on the ESO 3.6-m telescope at the La Silla Observatory (Chile). They pointed the telescope towards a total of eight Brown Dwarf objects and recorded the emission at three different mid-infrared wavelengths (5, 9.8 and 11.9 µm). "We were delighted" , says team leader Daniel Apai, "to detect radiation from two of these with TIMMI2. These are the first observations of their kind with a ground-based instrument. And although we could only establish upper limits for the radiation from the five other objects, these results are highly significant for our attempts to understand the formation and evolution of Brown Dwarfs." One of the objects, known as Cha HA 2 and located in the southern constellation Chamaeleon [3], had earlier been observed with ISO. It is a bona-fide Brown Dwarf object and an image obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope indicates that it may possibly be double. It is a relatively young Brown Dwarf and is a member of the very young Cha I star-forming region - the age has been estimated at 2 - 4.5 million years. The ISO observations hinted at the presence of a dust disk around this object - this is fully confirmed by the new TIMMI2 observations. Moreover, the mid-IR radiation measured with this instrument interestingly shows the absence of a strong emission feature from silicates (at about 10 µm wavelength). According to the astronomers, this indicates that the disk around Cha HA 2 is comparatively dense and flat, and without a heated outer layer, cf. PR Photo 17b/02 . The other Brown Dwarf from which TIMMI2 has now detected mid-infrared radiation is one of the closest of its type. Designated LP 944-20 , it is located in the southern constellation Fornax (The Oven) at a distance of only ~15 light-years. It is much older than Cha HA 2 , though, probably 500 - 650 million years. In this case, the age was determined by measuring the strengths of spectral lines of the element Lithium; the older the object, the less is the content of Lithium. The observations show that the radiation from LP 944-20 comes from the cool star itself - it does not possess a surrounding disk as does the much younger Cha HA 2 [4]. Evolution of Brown Dwarfs Daniel Apai explains: "This all fits very nicely into the current picture of the evolution of Brown Dwarfs. They are born like stars by contraction in an interstellar cloud of gas and dust. At least some of them acquire a surrounding disk during this process. But that disk disperses after some time and we therefore only find it around relatively young Brown Dwarfs, not around older ones." . Nobody knows yet whether planets form in those disks around young Brown Dwarfs (as this was the case in the disk around the young Sun and other stars), but it might happen. Only future observations with much more sensitive instruments will be able to cast more light on this intriguing question. Future observations ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) will soon be equipped with the VLT Mid Infrared Spectrometer/Imager (VISIR) , an extremely powerful mid-infrared sensitive instrument that is well suited for this kind of studies. Further into the future, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) will provide excellent opportunities for in-depth investigations of Brown Dwarfs. With unequalled sensitivity and very good image sharpness, ALMA will be able to image disks around the nearest Brown Dwarfs and possibly, to detect signs of (forming) planets in them. More information The information presented in this Press Release is based on a Letter to the Editor in the research journal "Astrophysical Journal" ("Probing Dust around Brown Dwarfs: The Naked LP 944-20 and the Disk of Chamaeleon H-alpha 2" by D. Apai and co-authors (Vol. 573, pp. L115-L117; July 10, 2002). It is available on the web at http://arXiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0206210. Notes [1]: This press release is issued in coordination between ESO and the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (Heidelberg, Germany). A German version is available at the MPIA website ( http://www.mpia.de/Public/Aktuelles/index_de.html ). [2]: The team consists of Daniel Apai , Ilaria Pascucci and Thomas Henning (all at Astrophysikalisches Institut und Universitätssternwarte, Jena, Germany, and Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg, Germany), Michael Sterzik (ESO-Chile), Randolf Klein and Dimitri Semenov (Astrophysikalisches Institut und Universitätssternwarte, Jena, Germany), Eike Günther and Bringfried Stecklum (Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Germany). [3]: Cha HA 2 stands for "H-alpha emitting object no. 2 in the Chamaeleon I Dark Cloud". [4]: The photosphere of the young Brown Dwarf Cha HA 2 also emits mid-IR radiation. However, it is quite far away - about 500 light-years, or more than 30 times more distant than LP 944-20 - and that radiation is too weak to be detected with TIMMI2.

Beyond the T Dwarfs: Theoretical Spectra, Colors, and Detectability of the Coolest Brown Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burrows, Adam; Sudarsky, David; Lunine, Jonathan I.

2003-10-01

We explore the spectral and atmospheric properties of brown dwarfs cooler than the latest known T dwarfs. Our focus is on the yet-to-be-discovered free-floating brown dwarfs in the Teff range from ~800 to ~130 K and with masses from 25 to 1 MJ. This study is in anticipation of the new characterization capabilities enabled by the launch of the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) and the eventual launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). In addition, it is in support of the continuing ground-based searches for the coolest substellar objects. We provide spectra from ~0.4 to 30 μm, highlight the evolution and mass dependence of the dominant H2O, CH4, and NH3 molecular bands, consider the formation and effects of water ice clouds, and compare our theoretical flux densities with the putative sensitivities of the instruments on board SIRTF and JWST. The latter can be used to determine the detection ranges from space of cool brown dwarfs. In the process, we determine the reversal point of the blueward trend in the near-infrared colors with decreasing Teff (a prominent feature of the hotter T dwarf family), the Teff's at which water and ammonia clouds appear, the strengths of gas-phase ammonia and methane bands, the masses and ages of the objects for which the neutral alkali metal lines (signatures of L and T dwarfs) are muted, and the increasing role as Teff decreases of the mid-infrared fluxes longward of 4 μm. These changes suggest physical reasons to expect the emergence of at least one new stellar class beyond the T dwarfs. Furthermore, studies in the mid-infrared could assume a new, perhaps transformational, importance in the understanding of the coolest brown dwarfs. Our spectral models populate, with cooler brown dwarfs having progressively more planet-like features, the theoretical gap between the known T dwarfs and the known giant planets. Such objects likely inhabit the Galaxy, but their numbers are as yet unknown.

Search with UVES and X-Shooter for signatures of the low-mass secondary in the post common-envelope binary AA Doradus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoyer, D.; Rauch, T.; Werner, K.; Hauschildt, P. H.; Kruk, J. W.

2015-06-01

Context. AA Dor is a close, totally eclipsing, post common-envelope binary with an sdOB-type primary star and an extremely low-mass secondary star, located close to the mass limit of stable central hydrogen burning. Within error limits, it may either be a brown dwarf or a late M-type dwarf. Aims: We aim to extract the secondary's contribution to the phase-dependent composite spectra. The spectrum and identified lines of the secondary decide on its nature. Methods: In January 2014, we measured the phase-dependent spectrum of AA Dor with X-Shooter over one complete orbital period. Since the secondary's rotation is presumable synchronized with the orbital period, its surface strictly divides into a day and night side. Therefore, we may obtain the spectrum of its cool side during its transit and of its hot, irradiated side close to its occultation. We developed the Virtual Observatory (VO) tool TLISA to search for weak lines of a faint companion in a binary system. We successfully applied it to the observations of AA Dor. Results: We identified 53 spectral lines of the secondary in the ultraviolet-blue, visual, and near-infrared X-Shooter spectra that are strongest close to its occultation. We identified 57 (20 additional) lines in available Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) spectra from 2001. The lines are mostly from C ii-iii and O ii, typical for a low-mass star that is irradiated and heated by the primary. We verified the orbital period of P = 22 597.033201 ± 0.00007 s and determined the orbital velocity K_sec = 232.9+16.6-6.5 km s-1 of the secondary. The mass of the secondary is M_sec = 0.081+0.018-0.010 M_⊙ and, hence, it is not possible to reliably determine a brown dwarf or an M-type dwarf nature. Conclusions: Although we identified many emission lines of the secondary's irradiated surface, the resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of our UVES and X-Shooter spectra are not good enough to extract a good spectrum of the secondary's nonirradiated hemisphere. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Chile, programs 066.D-1800 and 092.C-0692.Based on observations made with the NASA-CNES-CSA Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer.Figures 2-5, 9, and Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Very Low-mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs in Upper Scorpius Using Gaia DR1: Mass Function, Disks, and Kinematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, Neil J.; Scholz, Aleks; Jayawardhana, Ray

2017-12-01

Our understanding of the brown dwarf population in star-forming regions is dependent on knowing distances and proper motions and therefore will be improved through the Gaia space mission. In this paper, we select new samples of very low-mass objects (VLMOs) in Upper Scorpius using UKIDSS colors and optimized proper motions calculated using Gaia DR1. The scatter in proper motions from VLMOs in Upper Scorpius is now (for the first time) dominated by the kinematic spread of the region itself, not by the positional uncertainties. With age and mass estimates updated using Gaia parallaxes for early-type stars in the same region, we determine masses for all VLMOs. Our final most complete sample includes 453 VLMOs of which ˜125 are expected to be brown dwarfs. The cleanest sample is comprised of 131 VLMOs, with ˜105 brown dwarfs. We also compile a joint sample from the literature that includes 415 VLMOs, out of which 152 are likely brown dwarfs. The disk fraction among low-mass brown dwarfs (M< 0.05 {M}⊙ ) is substantially higher than in more massive objects, indicating that disks around low-mass brown dwarfs survive longer than in low-mass stars overall. The mass function for 0.01< M< 0.1 {M}⊙ is consistent with the Kroupa Initial Mass Function. We investigate the possibility that some “proper motion outliers” have undergone a dynamical ejection early in their evolution. Our analysis shows that the color-magnitude cuts used when selecting samples introduce strong bias into the population statistics due to varying levels of contamination and completeness.

Brown Dwarf Weather (Artist's Concept)

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-06

This artist's concept shows what the weather might look like on cool star-like bodies known as brown dwarfs. These giant balls of gas start out life like stars, but lack the mass to sustain nuclear fusion at their cores, and instead, fade and cool with time. Observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope suggest that most brown dwarfs are roiling with one or more planet-size storms akin to Jupiter's "Great Red Spot." https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21475

Exploring the brown dwarf desert: new substellar companions from the SDSS-III MARVELS survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grieves, Nolan; Ge, Jian; Thomas, Neil; Ma, Bo; Sithajan, Sirinrat; Ghezzi, Luan; Kimock, Ben; Willis, Kevin; De Lee, Nathan; Lee, Brian; Fleming, Scott W.; Agol, Eric; Troup, Nicholas; Paegert, Martin; Schneider, Donald P.; Stassun, Keivan; Varosi, Frank; Zhao, Bo; Jian, Liu; Li, Rui; Porto de Mello, Gustavo F.; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Pan, Kaike; Dutra-Ferreira, Letícia; Lorenzo-Oliveira, Diego; Santiago, Basílio X.; da Costa, Luiz N.; Maia, Marcio A. G.; Ogando, Ricardo L. C.; del Peloso, E. F.

2017-06-01

Planet searches using the radial velocity technique show a paucity of companions to solar-type stars within ˜5 au in the mass range of ˜10-80 MJup. This deficit, known as the brown dwarf desert, currently has no conclusive explanation. New substellar companions in this region help assess the reality of the desert and provide insight to the formation and evolution of these objects. Here, we present 10 new brown dwarf and 2 low-mass stellar companion candidates around solar-type stars from the Multi-object APO Radial Velocity Exoplanet Large-Area Survey (MARVELS) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III. These companions were selected from processed MARVELS data using the latest University of Florida Two Dimensional pipeline, which shows significant improvement and reduction of systematic errors over previous pipelines. The 10 brown dwarf companions range in mass from ˜13 to 76 MJup and have orbital radii of less than 1 au. The two stellar companions have minimum masses of ˜98 and 100 MJup. The host stars of the MARVELS brown dwarf sample have a mean metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.03 ± 0.08 dex. Given our stellar sample we estimate the brown dwarf occurrence rate around solar-type stars with periods less than ˜300 d to be ˜0.56 per cent.

A data-driven approach for retrieving temperatures and abundances in brown dwarf atmospheres

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Line, Michael R.; Fortney, Jonathan J.; Marley, Mark S.

2014-09-20

Brown dwarf spectra contain a wealth of information about their molecular abundances, temperature structure, and gravity. We present a new data driven retrieval approach, previously used in planetary atmosphere studies, to extract the molecular abundances and temperature structure from brown dwarf spectra. The approach makes few a priori physical assumptions about the state of the atmosphere. The feasibility of the approach is first demonstrated on a synthetic brown dwarf spectrum. Given typical spectral resolutions, wavelength coverage, and noise, property precisions of tens of percent can be obtained for the molecular abundances and tens to hundreds of K on the temperaturemore » profile. The technique is then applied to the well-studied brown dwarf, Gl 570D. From this spectral retrieval, the spectroscopic radius is constrained to be 0.75-0.83 R {sub J}, log (g) to be 5.13-5.46, and T {sub eff} to be between 804 and 849 K. Estimates for the range of abundances and allowed temperature profiles are also derived. The results from our retrieval approach are in agreement with the self-consistent grid modeling results of Saumon et al. This new approach will allow us to address issues of compositional differences between brown dwarfs and possibly their formation environments, disequilibrium chemistry, and missing physics in current grid modeling approaches as well as a many other issues.« less

Brown Dwarfs: Discovery and Detailed Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, Shrinivas R.

2001-01-01

We obtained the optical and IR spectra of Gliese 229B and identified Cs, I, and CO features - as expected in theoretical models. Our optical IR spectrum showed that most of the refractory metals have condensed out of the atmosphere and the presence of Cs, I and CO shows evidence for disequilibrium chemistry. We reported orbital evidence for Gliese 229B. The HST measured optical magnitudes provide additional evidence for the absence of dust in the atmosphere of this cool object. The luminosity of brown dwarfs depend on their masses and ages and in order to interpret the results of the survey we have carried out an extensive Monte Carlo analysis. Our conclusion is that warm brown dwarfs are rare, as companions in the orbital period range beyond approximately 30 - 50 AU. The Palomer survey poses no constraint for brown dwarfs in planetary orbits similar to those of the outer planets. We have just started a program of imaging nearby stars with the newly commissioned AO system at Palomar and Keck and have already found a brown dwarf candidate.

FIRE Spectroscopy Of The Ultracool Brown Dwarf, UGPS 0722-05

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bochanski, John J.; Burgasser, A. J.; Simcoe, R. A.

2011-05-01

We present FIRE spectroscopic observations of the ultracool (T ˜ 520 K) brown dwarf, UGPS 0722-05, obtained during instrument commissioning on the 6.5m Baade Magellan Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. At a distance of 4.1 pc, this cool brown dwarf is well-suited for detailed followup, and represents a keystone at the transition between the lowest-mass brown dwarfs and exoplanets. Our spectrum of UGPS 0722-05 covers the 0.8-2.5 micron bandpasses at a resolution of R ˜ 6,000, and is measured to high signal-to-noise, peaking at 80 near 1.27 microns. We derive radial and rotational velocities for the isolated brown dwarf, and examine its space motion and Galactic orbit. The spectrum of UGPS 0722-05 is also compared to theoretical spectral models to constrain its atmospheric parameters. Finally, we comment on the presence of unidentified absorption features reported in the discovery spectrum of Lucas et al. (2010). We thank Mauricio Martinez and the entire Magellan staff for assistance during FIRE commissioning and observations. JJB acknowledges the support of Kevin Luhman.

Doppler Imaging of Exoplanets and Brown Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crossfield, I.; Biller, B.; Schlieder, J.; Deacon, N.; Bonnefoy, M.; Homeier, D.; Allard, F.; Buenzli, E.; Henning, T.; Brandner, W.; Goldman, Bertr; Kopytova, T.

2014-03-01

Doppler Imaging produces 2D global maps. When applied to cool planets or more massive brown dwarfs, it can map atmospheric features and track global weather patterns. The first substellar map, of the 2pc-distant brown dwarf Luhman 16B (Crossfeld et al. 2014), revealed patchy regions of thin & thick clouds. Here, I investigate the feasibility of future Doppler Imaging of additional objects. Searching the literature, I find that all 3 of P, v sin i, and variability are published for 22 brown dwarfs. At least one datum exists for 333 targets. The sample is very incomplete below ~L5; we need more surveys to find the best targets for Doppler Imaging! I estimate limiting magnitudes for Doppler Imaging with various hi-resolution near-infrared spectrographs. Only a handful of objects - at the M/L and L/T transitions - can be mapped with current tools. Large telescopes such as TMT and GMT will allow Doppler Imaging of many dozens of brown dwarfs and the brightest exoplanets. More targets beyond type L5 likely remain to be found. Future observations will let us probe the global atmospheric dynamics of many diverse objects.

Research of Precataclysmic Variables with Radius Excesses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deminova, N. R.; Shimansky, V. V.; Borisov, N. V.; Gabdeev, M. M.; Shimanskaya, N. N.

2017-06-01

The results of spectroscopic observations of the pre-cataclysmic variable NSVS 14256825, which is a HW Vir binary system, were analyzed. The chemical composition is determined, the radial velocities and equivalent widths of a given star are measured. The fundamental parameters of the components were determined (R1 = 0.166 R⊙ , M2 = 0.100 M⊙ , R2 = 0.122 R⊙). It is shown that the secondary component has a mass close to the mass of brown dwarfs. A comparison of two close binary systems is made: HS 2333 + 3927 and NSVS 14256825. A radius-to-mass relationship for the secondary components of the studied pre-cataclysmic variables is constructed. It is concluded that an excess of radii relative to model predictions for MS stars is observed in virtually all systems.

The critical binary star separation for a planetary system origin of white dwarf pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veras, Dimitri; Xu, Siyi; Rebassa-Mansergas, Alberto

2018-01-01

The atmospheres of between one quarter and one half of observed single white dwarfs in the Milky Way contain heavy element pollution from planetary debris. The pollution observed in white dwarfs in binary star systems is, however, less clear, because companion star winds can generate a stream of matter which is accreted by the white dwarf. Here, we (i) discuss the necessity or lack thereof of a major planet in order to pollute a white dwarf with orbiting minor planets in both single and binary systems, and (ii) determine the critical binary separation beyond which the accretion source is from a planetary system. We hence obtain user-friendly functions relating this distance to the masses and radii of both stars, the companion wind, and the accretion rate on to the white dwarf, for a wide variety of published accretion prescriptions. We find that for the majority of white dwarfs in known binaries, if pollution is detected, then that pollution should originate from planetary material.

The Solar Neighborhood. 34. A Search for Planets Orbiting Nearby M Dwarfs Using Astrometry

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

astrometrically determined upper mass limits on potential super- Jupiter companions at orbits of two years and longer. As part of a continuing survey...these results are consistent with the paucity of super- Jupiter and brown dwarf companions we find among the over 250 red dwarfs within 25 pc observed...fraction of M dwarfs host terrestrial planets at short orbital periods. Less is known about the populations of Jupiter - mass planets and brown dwarfs around

A Panchromatic View of Brown Dwarf Aurorae

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pineda, J. Sebastian; Hallinan, Gregg; Kao, Melodie M.

Stellar coronal activity has been shown to persist into the low-mass star regime, down to late M-dwarf spectral types. However, there is now an accumulation of evidence suggesting that at the end of the main sequence, there is a transition in the nature of the magnetic activity from chromospheric and coronal to planet-like and auroral, from local impulsive heating via flares and MHD wave dissipation to energy dissipation from strong large-scale magnetospheric current systems. We examine this transition and the prevalence of auroral activity in brown dwarfs through a compilation of multiwavelength surveys of magnetic activity, including radio, X-ray, andmore » optical. We compile the results of those surveys and place their conclusions in the context of auroral emission as a consequence of large-scale magnetospheric current systems that accelerate energetic electron beams and drive the particles to impact the cool atmospheric gas. We explore the different manifestations of auroral phenomena, like H α , in brown dwarf atmospheres and define their distinguishing characteristics. We conclude that large-amplitude photometric variability in the near-infrared is most likely a consequence of clouds in brown dwarf atmospheres, but that auroral activity may be responsible for long-lived stable surface features. We report a connection between auroral H α emission and quiescent radio emission in electron cyclotron maser instability pulsing brown dwarfs, suggesting a potential underlying physical connection between quiescent and auroral emissions. We also discuss the electrodynamic engines powering brown dwarf aurorae and the possible role of satellites around these systems both to power the aurorae and seed the magnetosphere with plasma.« less

A Panchromatic View of Brown Dwarf Aurorae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pineda, J. Sebastian; Hallinan, Gregg; Kao, Melodie M.

2017-09-01

Stellar coronal activity has been shown to persist into the low-mass star regime, down to late M-dwarf spectral types. However, there is now an accumulation of evidence suggesting that at the end of the main sequence, there is a transition in the nature of the magnetic activity from chromospheric and coronal to planet-like and auroral, from local impulsive heating via flares and MHD wave dissipation to energy dissipation from strong large-scale magnetospheric current systems. We examine this transition and the prevalence of auroral activity in brown dwarfs through a compilation of multiwavelength surveys of magnetic activity, including radio, X-ray, and optical. We compile the results of those surveys and place their conclusions in the context of auroral emission as a consequence of large-scale magnetospheric current systems that accelerate energetic electron beams and drive the particles to impact the cool atmospheric gas. We explore the different manifestations of auroral phenomena, like Hα, in brown dwarf atmospheres and define their distinguishing characteristics. We conclude that large-amplitude photometric variability in the near-infrared is most likely a consequence of clouds in brown dwarf atmospheres, but that auroral activity may be responsible for long-lived stable surface features. We report a connection between auroral Hα emission and quiescent radio emission in electron cyclotron maser instability pulsing brown dwarfs, suggesting a potential underlying physical connection between quiescent and auroral emissions. We also discuss the electrodynamic engines powering brown dwarf aurorae and the possible role of satellites around these systems both to power the aurorae and seed the magnetosphere with plasma.

Spitzer and z' secondary eclipse observations of the highly irradiated transiting brown dwarf KELT-1b

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beatty, Thomas G.; Gaudi, B. Scott; Collins, Karen A.

2014-03-10

We present secondary eclipse observations of the highly irradiated transiting brown dwarf KELT-1b. These observations represent the first constraints on the atmospheric dynamics of a highly irradiated brown dwarf, the atmospheres of irradiated giant planets at high surface gravity, and the atmospheres of brown dwarfs that are dominated by external, rather than internal, energy. Using the Spitzer Space Telescope, we measure secondary eclipse depths of 0.195% ± 0.010% at 3.6 μm and 0.200% ± 0.012% at 4.5 μm. We also find tentative evidence for the secondary eclipse in the z' band with a depth of 0.049% ± 0.023%. These measuredmore » eclipse depths are most consistent with an atmosphere model in which there is a strong substellar hotspot, implying that heat redistribution in the atmosphere of KELT-1b is low. While models with a more mild hotspot or even with dayside heat redistribution are only marginally disfavored, models with complete heat redistribution are strongly ruled out. The eclipse depths also prefer an atmosphere with no TiO inversion layer, although a model with TiO inversion is permitted in the dayside heat redistribution case, and we consider the possibility of a day-night TiO cold trap in this object. For the first time, we compare the IRAC colors of brown dwarfs and hot Jupiters as a function of effective temperature. Importantly, our measurements reveal that KELT-1b has a [3.6] – [4.5] color of 0.07 ± 0.11, identical to that of isolated brown dwarfs of similarly high temperature. In contrast, hot Jupiters generally show redder [3.6] – [4.5] colors of ∼0.4, with a very large range from ∼0 to ∼1. Evidently, despite being more similar to hot Jupiters than to isolated brown dwarfs in terms of external forcing of the atmosphere by stellar insolation, KELT-1b appears to have an atmosphere most like that of other brown dwarfs. This suggests that surface gravity is very important in controlling the atmospheric systems of substellar mass bodies.« less

New Low-mass Eclipsing Binary Systems in Praesepe Discovered by K2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillen, Edward; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; David, Trevor J.; Aigrain, Suzanne; Rebull, Luisa; Stauffer, John; Cody, Ann Marie; Queloz, Didier

2017-11-01

We present the discovery and characterization of four low-mass (M< 0.6 {M}⊙ ) eclipsing binary (EB) systems in the sub-Gyr old Praesepe open cluster using Kepler/K2 time series photometry and Keck/HIRES spectroscopy. We present a new Gaussian process EB model, GP-EBOP, as well as a method of simultaneously determining effective temperatures and distances for EBs. Three of the reported systems (AD 3814, AD 2615 and AD 1508) are detached and double-lined, and precise solutions are presented for the first two. We determine masses and radii to 1%-3% precision for AD 3814 and to 5%-6% for AD 2615. Together with effective temperatures determined to ˜50 K precision, we test the PARSEC v1.2 and BHAC15 stellar evolution models. Our EB parameters are more consistent with the PARSEC models, primarily because the BHAC15 temperature scale is hotter than our data over the mid-M-dwarf mass range probed. Both ADs 3814 and 2615, which have orbital periods of 6.0 and 11.6 days, are circularized but not synchronized. This suggests that either synchronization proceeds more slowly in fully convective stars than the theory of equilibrium tides predicts, or magnetic braking is currently playing a more important role than tidal forces in the spin evolution of these binaries. The fourth system (AD 3116) comprises a brown dwarf transiting a mid-M-dwarf, which is the first such system discovered in a sub-Gyr open cluster. Finally, these new discoveries increase the number of characterized EBs in sub-Gyr open clusters by 20% (40%) below M< 1.5 M ⊙ (M< 0.6 M ⊙).

Activity and Kinematics of White Dwarf-M Dwarf Binaries from the SUPERBLINK Proper Motion Survey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Skinner, Julie N.; Morgan, Dylan P.; West, Andrew A.

We present an activity and kinematic analysis of high proper motion white dwarf-M dwarf binaries (WD+dMs) found in the SUPERBLINK survey, 178 of which are new identifications. To identify WD+dMs, we developed a UV–optical–IR color criterion and conducted a spectroscopic survey to confirm each candidate binary. For the newly identified systems, we fit the two components using model white dwarf spectra and M dwarf template spectra to determine physical parameters. We use H α chromospheric emission to examine the magnetic activity of the M dwarf in each system, and investigate how its activity is affected by the presence of amore » white dwarf companion. We find that the fraction of WD+dM binaries with active M dwarfs is significantly higher than their single M dwarf counterparts at early and mid-spectral types. We corroborate previous studies that find high activity fractions at both close and intermediate separations. At more distant separations, the binary fraction appears to approach the activity fraction for single M dwarfs. Using derived radial velocities and the proper motions, we calculate 3D space velocities for the WD+dMs in SUPERBLINK. For the entire SUPERBLINK WD+dMs, we find a large vertical velocity dispersion, indicating a dynamically hotter population compared to high proper motion samples of single M dwarfs. We compare the kinematics for systems with active M dwarfs and those with inactive M dwarfs, and find signatures of asymmetric drift in the inactive sample, indicating that they are drawn from an older population.« less

Testing the Formation Pathway of a Transiting Brown Dwarf in a Middle-aged Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beatty, Thomas; Curtis, Jason; Morley, Caroline; Burrows, Adam; Montet, Benjamin; Wright, Jason

2018-05-01

We wish to use 15.7 hours of Spitzer time to observe two transits, one each at 3.6um and 4.5um, of the transiting brown dwarf CWW 89Ab (Nowak et al. 2017) to measure its nightside emission. This will allow us to either make the first positive identification of a brown dwarf that has formed through core accretion processes - or will provide a severe challenge to brown dwarf evolution models. CWW 89Ab is a 36.5+/-0.1 MJ, 0.937+/-0.042 RJ, brown dwarf on a 5.3 day orbit about a 5800K dwarf. The brown dwarf is a member of the 3.00+/-0.25 Gyr old open cluster Ruprecht 147 (Curtis et al. 2013). CWW 89Ab is one of two transiting brown dwarfs for which we have an isochronal age - giving us an age, a mass, and a radius that are all independent of evolutionary models. Surprisingly, Spitzer eclipse observations of CWW 89Ab (Beatty et al. 2018) show that the dayside emission requires an internal luminosity is 16 times higher than predicted by evolutionary models. In Beatty et al. (2018) we hypothesized that this is due to a stratospheric temperature inversion on CWW 89Ab's dayside. Atmospheric modeling by Molliere et al. (2015) shows that CWW 89Ab's temperature, an inversion can only happen if the atmospheric carbon-to-oxygen ratio (C/O) is close to one. Since we know that the abundances of Ruprecht 147 and CWW 89A itself (Curtis et al. 2018) are close to the Solar value of C/O 0.54, a super-stellar value of C/O 1 in CWW 89Ab would mean that the material used to form the brown dwarf was processed through CWW 89A's proto-planetary disk (Oberg et al. 2011). It would necessarily follow that CWW 89Ab formed via core accretion within the proto-planetary disk, and not through gravitational collapse. We wish to observe CWW 89Ab to determine if the dayside over-luminosity is caused by a temperature inversion. Since inversions are caused by direct stellar irradiation and impossible at night, the nightside emission should be consistent with Tint=850K if an inversion is the cause of the dayside over-luminosity.

A Population Study of Wide-Separation Brown Dwarf Companions to Main Sequence Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Jeffrey J.

2005-01-01

Increased interest in infrared astronomy has opened the frontier to study cooler objects that shed significant light on the formation of planetary systems. Brown dwarf research provides a wealth of information useful for sorting through a myriad of proposed formation theories. Our study combines observational data from 2MASS with rigorous computer simulations to estimate the true population of long-range (greater than 1000 AU) brown dwarf companions in the solar neighborhood (less than 25 pc from Earth). Expanding on Gizis et al. (2001), we have found the margin of error in previous estimates to be significantly underestimated after we included orbit eccentricity, longitude of pericenter, angle of inclination, field star density, and primary and secondary luminosities as parameters influencing the companion systems in observational studies. We apply our simulation results to current L- and T-dwarf catalogs to provide updated estimates on the frequency of wide-separation brown dwarf companions to main sequence stars.

The ultracool-field dwarf luminosity-function and space density from the Canada-France Brown Dwarf Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reylé, C.; Delorme, P.; Willott, C. J.; Albert, L.; Delfosse, X.; Forveille, T.; Artigau, E.; Malo, L.; Hill, G. J.; Doyon, R.

2010-11-01

Context. Thanks to recent and ongoing large scale surveys, hundreds of brown dwarfs have been discovered in the last decade. The Canada-France Brown Dwarf Survey is a wide-field survey for cool brown dwarfs conducted with the MegaCam camera on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Aims: Our objectives are to find ultracool brown dwarfs and to constrain the field brown-dwarf luminosity function and the mass function from a large and homogeneous sample of L and T dwarfs. Methods: We identify candidates in CFHT/MegaCam i' and z' images and follow them up with pointed near infrared (NIR) imaging on several telescopes. Halfway through our survey we found ~50 T dwarfs and ~170 L or ultra cool M dwarfs drawn from a larger sample of 1400 candidates with typical ultracool dwarfs i'-z' colours, found in 780 square degrees. Results: We have currently completed the NIR follow-up on a large part of the survey for all candidates from mid-L dwarfs down to the latest T dwarfs known with utracool dwarfs' colours. This allows us to draw on a complete and well defined sample of 102 ultracool dwarfs to investigate the luminosity function and space density of field dwarfs. Conclusions: We found the density of late L5 to T0 dwarfs to be 2.0+0.8-0.7 × 10-3 objects pc-3, the density of T0.5 to T5.5 dwarfs to be 1.4+0.3-0.2 × 10-3 objects pc-3, and the density of T6 to T8 dwarfs to be 5.3+3.1-2.2 × 10-3 objects pc-3. We found that these results agree better with a flat substellar mass function. Three latest dwarfs at the boundary between T and Y dwarfs give the high density 8.3+9.0-5.1 × 10-3 objects pc-3. Although the uncertainties are very large this suggests that many brown dwarfs should be found in this late spectral type range, as expected from the cooling of brown dwarfs, whatever their mass, down to very low temperature. Based on observations obtained with MegaPrime/MegaCam, a joint project of CFHT and CEA/DAPNIA, at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), which is operated by the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, the Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) of France, and the University of Hawaii. This work is based in part on data products produced at TERAPIX and the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre as part of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey, a collaborative project of NRC and CNRS. Based on observations made with the ESO New Technology Telescope at the La Silla Observatory. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), CNPq (Brazil) and CONICET (Argentina). Based on observations with the Kitt Peak National Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. Based on observations made with the Nordic Optical Telescope, operated on the island of La Palma jointly by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias. Based on observations made at The McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas at Austin.Tables 3, 5 and 8 are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

A Search for Companions to Brown Dwarfs in the Taurus and Chamaeleon Star-Forming Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todorov, K. O.; Luhman, K. L.; Konopacky, Q. M.; McLeod, K. K.; Apai, D.; Ghez, A. M.; Pascucci, I.; Robberto, M.

2014-06-01

We have used WFPC2 on board the Hubble Space Telescope to obtain images of 47 members of the Taurus and Chamaeleon I star-forming regions that have spectral types of M6-L0 (M ~ 0.01-0.1 M ⊙). An additional late-type member of Taurus, FU Tau (M7.25+M9.25), was also observed with adaptive optics at Keck Observatory. In these images, we have identified promising candidate companions to 2MASS J04414489+2301513 (ρ = 0.''105/15 AU), 2MASS J04221332+1934392 (ρ = 0.''05/7 AU), and ISO 217 (ρ = 0.''03/5 AU). We reported the first candidate in a previous study, showing that it has a similar proper motion as the primary in images from WFPC2 and Gemini adaptive optics. We have collected an additional epoch of data with Gemini that further supports that result. By combining our survey with previous high-resolution imaging in Taurus, Chamaeleon I, and Upper Sco (τ ~ 10 Myr), we measure binary fractions of 14/93 = 0.15^{+0.05}_{-0.03} for M4-M6 (M ~ 0.1-0.3 M ⊙) and 4/108 = 0.04^{+0.03}_{-0.01} for >M6 (M <~ 0.1 M ⊙) at separations of >10 AU. Given the youth and low density of these regions, the lower binary fraction at later types is probably primordial rather than due to dynamical interactions among association members. The widest low-mass binaries (>100 AU) also appear to be more common in Taurus and Chamaeleon I than in the field, which suggests that the widest low-mass binaries are disrupted by dynamical interactions at >10 Myr, or that field brown dwarfs have been born predominantly in denser clusters where wide systems are disrupted or inhibited from forming. Based on observations performed with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, Gemini Observatory, and the W. M. Keck Observatory. The Hubble observations are associated with proposal IDs 11203, 11204, and 11983 and were obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

A resolved outflow of matter from a brown dwarf.

PubMed

Whelan, Emma T; Ray, Thomas P; Bacciotti, Francesca; Natta, Antonella; Testi, Leonardo; Randich, Sofia

2005-06-02

The birth of stars involves not only accretion but also, counter-intuitively, the expulsion of matter in the form of highly supersonic outflows. Although this phenomenon has been seen in young stars, a fundamental question is whether it also occurs among newborn brown dwarfs: these are the so-called 'failed stars', with masses between stars and planets, that never manage to reach temperatures high enough for normal hydrogen fusion to occur. Recently, evidence for accretion in young brown dwarfs has mounted, and their spectra show lines that are suggestive of outflows. Here we report spectro-astrometric data that spatially resolve an outflow from a brown dwarf. The outflow's characteristics appear similar to, but on a smaller scale than, outflows from normal young stars. This result suggests that the outflow mechanism is universal, and perhaps relevant even to the formation of planets.

A CCD-based search for very low mass members of the Pleiades cluster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stauffer, John R.; Hamilton, Donald; Probst, Ronald G.

1994-01-01

We have obtained deep charge coupled device (CCD)V and I images of a number of fields near the center of the Pleiades open cluster. We have also obtained imaging data for Praesepe, a very similar cluster in terms of distance and richness but nearly 10 times older than the Pleiades. Because brown dwarfs are predicted to become much fainter and cooler between Pleiades and Praesepe ages, this provides a powerful differential technique for placing constraints on the brown dwarf population in open clusters. Combined with our previously reported observations, we now have data for about 0.4 sq deg in the Pleiades, corresponding roughly to 5% of the area of that cluster. We have searched the new CCD frames for additional Pleiades brown dwarf candidates. Two possible candidates are present, the faintest of which has V approximately equal to 22.5, (V-I)(sub K) approximately equal to 4.6. Because we do not have proper motion data and the colors of these objects are not redder than the reddest known field stars, it is possible that some or all of our candidates are somewhat higher mass field stars rather than Pleiades-age brown dwarfs. Even if all six of the proposed brown dwarf candidates in our 0.4 sq deg field are Pleiades members, the relatively small number found suggests that low mass stars or brown dwarfs do not contribute significantly to the total mass of the cluster.

Accretion signatures in the X-shooter spectrum of the substellar companion to SR12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santamaría-Miranda, Alejandro; Cáceres, Claudio; Schreiber, Matthias R.; Hardy, Adam; Bayo, Amelia; Parsons, Steven G.; Gromadzki, Mariusz; Aguayo Villegas, Aurora Belén

2018-04-01

About a dozen substellar companions orbiting young stellar objects or pre-main sequence stars at several hundred au have been identified in the last decade. These objects are interesting both due to the uncertainties surrounding their formation, and because their large separation from the host star offers the potential to study the atmospheres of young giant planets and brown dwarfs. Here, we present X-shooter spectroscopy of SR 12 C, a ˜2 Myr young brown dwarf orbiting SR 12 at an orbital separation of 1083 au. We determine the spectral type, gravity, and effective temperature via comparison with models and observational templates of young brown dwarfs. In addition, we detect and characterize accretion using several accretion tracers. We find SR 12 C to be a brown dwarf of spectral type L0 ± 1, log g = 4 ± 0.5, an effective temperature of 2600 ± 100 K. Our spectra provide clear evidence for accretion at a rate of ˜10-10 M⊙ yr-1. This makes SR 12 one of the few sub-stellar companions with a reliable estimate for its accretion rate. A comparison of the ages and accretion rates of sub-stellar companions with young isolated brown dwarfs does not reveal any significant differences. If further accretion rate measurements of a large number of substellar companions can confirm this trend, this would hint towards a similar formation mechanism for substellar companions at large separations and isolated brown dwarfs.

Finding ultracool brown dwarfs with MegaCam on CFHT: method and first results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delorme, P.; Willott, C. J.; Forveille, T.; Delfosse, X.; Reylé, C.; Bertin, E.; Albert, L.; Artigau, E.; Robin, A. C.; Allard, F.; Doyon, R.; Hill, G. J.

2008-06-01

Aims: We present the first results of a wide field survey for cool brown dwarfs with the MegaCam camera on the CFHT telescope, the Canada-France Brown Dwarf Survey, hereafter CFBDS. Our objectives are to find ultracool brown dwarfs and to constrain the field-brown dwarf mass function thanks to a larger sample of L and T dwarfs. Methods: We identify candidates in CFHT/MegaCam i' and z' images using optimised psf-fitting within Source Extractor, and follow them up with pointed near-infrared imaging on several telescopes. Results: We have so far analysed over 350 square degrees and found 770 brown dwarf candidates brighter than z'_AB=22.5. We currently have J-band photometry for 220 of these candidates, which confirms 37% as potential L or T dwarfs. Some are among the reddest and farthest brown dwarfs currently known, including an independent identification of the recently published ULAS J003402.77-005206.7 and the discovery of a second brown dwarf later than T8, CFBDS J005910.83-011401.3. Infrared spectra of three T dwarf candidates confirm their nature, and validate the selection process. Conclusions: The completed survey will discover ~100 T dwarfs and ~500 L dwarfs or M dwarfs later than M8, approximately doubling the number of currently known brown dwarfs. The resulting sample will have a very well-defined selection function, and will therefore produce a very clean luminosity function. Based on observations obtained with MegaPrime/MegaCam, a joint project of CFHT and CEA/DAPNIA, at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) which is operated by the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, the Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) of France, and the University of Hawaii. This work is based in part on data products produced at TERAPIX and the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre as part of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey, a collaborative project of NRC and CNRS. Based on observations made with the ESO New Technology Telescope at the La Silla Observatory under programme ID 76.C-0540(A), 77.C-0594, 77.A-0707, 78.A-0651, 78.C-0629 and 79.A-0663. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), CNPq (Brazil) and CONICET (Argentina). Based on observations with the Kitt Peak National Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. Based on observations made with the Nordic Optical Telescope, operated on the island of La Palma jointly by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias. This paper includes data taken at The McDonald Observatory of The University of Texas at Austin.

The luminosities of the coldest brown dwarfs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tinney, C. G.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy

2014-11-20

In recent years, brown dwarfs have been extended to a new Y-dwarf class with effective temperatures colder than 500 K and masses in the range of 5-30 Jupiter masses. They fill a crucial gap in observable atmospheric properties between the much colder gas-giant planets of our own solar system (at around 130 K) and both hotter T-type brown dwarfs and the hotter planets that can be imaged orbiting young nearby stars (both with effective temperatures in the range of 1500-1000 K). Distance measurements for these objects deliver absolute magnitudes that make critical tests of our understanding of very cool atmospheres.more » Here we report new distances for nine Y dwarfs and seven very late T dwarfs. These reveal that Y dwarfs do indeed represent a continuation of the T-dwarf sequence to both fainter luminosities and cooler temperatures. They also show that the coolest objects display a large range in absolute magnitude for a given photometric color. The latest atmospheric models show good agreement with the majority of these Y-dwarf absolute magnitudes. This is also the case for WISE0855-0714, the coldest and closest brown dwarf to the Sun, which shows evidence for water ice clouds. However, there are also some outstanding exceptions, which suggest either binarity or the presence of condensate clouds. The former is readily testable with current adaptive optics facilities. The latter would mean that the range of cloudiness in Y dwarfs is substantial with most hosting almost no clouds—while others have dense clouds, making them prime targets for future variability observations to study cloud dynamics.« less

Building an Unusual White-Dwarf Duo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-09-01

A new study has examined how the puzzling wide binary system HS 2220+2146 which consists of two white dwarfs orbiting each other might have formed. This system may be an example of a new evolutionary pathway for wide white-dwarf binaries.Evolution of a BinaryMore than 100 stellar systems have been discovered consisting of two white dwarfs in a wide orbit around each other. How do these binaries form? In the traditional picture, the system begins as a binary consisting of two main-sequence stars. Due to the large separation between the stars, the stars evolve independently, each passing through the main-sequence and giant branches and ending their lives as white dwarfs.An illustration of a hierarchical triple star system, in which two stars orbit each other, and a third star orbits the pair. [NASA/JPL-Caltech]Because more massive stars evolve more quickly, the most massive of the two stars in a binary pair should be the first to evolve into a white dwarf. Consequently, when we observe a double-white-dwarf binary, its usually a safe bet that the more massive of the two white dwarfs will also be the older and cooler of the pair, since it should have formed first.But in the case of the double-white-dwarf binary HS 2220+2146, the opposite is true: the more massive of the two white dwarfs appears to be the younger and hotter of the pair. If it wasnt created in the traditional way, then how did this system form?Two From Three?Led by Jeff Andrews (Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Greece and Columbia University), a team of scientists recently examined this system more carefully, analyzing its spectra to confirm our understanding of the white dwarfs temperatures and masses.Based on their observations, Andrews and collaborators determined that there are no hidden additional companions that could have caused the unusual evolution of this system. Instead, the team proposed that this unusual binary might be an example of an evolutionary channel that involves three stars.The authors proposed formation scenario for H220+2146. In this picture, the inner binary merges to form a blue straggler. This star and the remaining main-sequence star then evolve independently into white dwarfs, forming the system observed today. [Andrews et al. 2016]An Early MergerIn the model the authors propose for HS 2220+2146, the binary system began as a hierarchical triple system of main-sequence stars. The innermost binary then merged to form a large star known as a blue straggler a star that, due to the merger, will evolve more slowly than its larger mass implies it should.The blue straggler and the remaining main-sequence star, still in a wide orbit, then continued to evolve independently of each other. The smaller star ended its main-sequence lifetime and became a white dwarf first, followed by the more massive but slowly evolving blue straggler thus forming the system we observe today.If the authors model is correct, then HS 2220+2146 would be the first binary double white dwarf known to have formed through this channel. ESAs Gaia mission, currently underway, is expected to discover up to a million new white dwarfs, many of which will likely be in wide binary systems. Among these, we may well find many other systems like HS 2220+2146 that formed in the same way.CitationJeff J. Andrews et al 2016 ApJ 828 38. doi:10.3847/0004-637X/828/1/38

On the Existence of Low-Luminosity Cataclysmic Variables Beyond the Orbital Period Minimum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howell, Steve B.; Rappaport, Saul; Politano, Michael

1997-01-01

Models of the present-day intrinsic population of cataclysmic variables predict that 99 per cent of these systems should be of short orbital period. The Galaxy is old enough that approx. 70 per cent of these stars will have already reached their orbital period minimum (approx. 80 min), and should be evolving back toward longer periods. Mass-transfer rates in these highly evolved binaries are predicted to be less or equal to 10(exp -11), leading to M(sub V) of approx. 10 or fainter, and the secondaries would be degenerate, brown dwarf-like stars. Recent observations of a group of low-luminosity dwarf novae (TOADS) provide observational evidence for systems with very low intrinsic M,. and possibly low-mass secondaries. We carry out population synthesis and evolution calculations for a range of assumed ages of the Galaxy in order to study P(sub orb) and M distributions for comparison with the TOAD observations. We speculate that at least some of the TOADs are the predicted very low- luminosity, post-period-minimum cataclysmic variables containing degenerate (brown dwarf-like) secondaries having masses between 0.02 and 0.06 M, and radii near 0.1 R., We show that these low-luminosity systems are additionally interesting in that they can be used to set a lower limit on the age of the Galaxy. The TOAD with the longest orbital period currently known (123 min), corresponds to a Galaxy age of at least 8.6 x 10(exp 9) yr.

HS 2231+2441: an HW Vir system composed of a low-mass white dwarf and a brown dwarf★

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almeida, L. A.; Damineli, A.; Rodrigues, C. V.; Pereira, M. G.; Jablonski, F.

2017-12-01

HW Vir systems are rare evolved eclipsing binaries composed of a hot compact star and a low-mass main sequence star in a close orbit. These systems provide a direct way to measure the fundamental properties, e.g. masses and radii, of their components, hence they are crucial in studying the formation of subdwarf B stars and low-mass white dwarfs, the common-envelope phase and the pre-phase of cataclysmic variables. Here, we present a detailed study of HS 2231+2441, an HW Vir type system, by analysing BVRCIC photometry and phase-resolved optical spectroscopy. The spectra of this system, which are dominated by the primary component features, were fitted using non-local thermodynamic equilibrium models providing an effective temperature Teff = 28 500 ± 500 K, surface gravity log g = 5.40 ± 0.05 cm s-2 and helium abundance log (n(He)/n(H)) = -2.52 ± 0.07. The geometrical orbit and physical parameters were derived by simultaneously modelling the photometric and spectroscopic data using the Wilson-Devinney code. We derive two possible solutions for HS 2231+2441 that provide the component masses: M1 = 0.19 M⊙ and M2 = 0.036 M⊙ or M1 = 0.288 M⊙ and M2 = 0.046 M⊙. Considering the possible evolutionary channels for forming a compact hot star, the primary of HS 2231+2441 probably evolved through the red-giant branch scenario and does not have a helium-burning core, which is consistent with a low-mass white dwarf. Both solutions are consistent with a brown dwarf as the secondary.

Characterizing a New Candidate Benchmark Brown Dwarf Companion in the β Pic Moving Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Caprice; Bowler, Brendan; Liu, Michael C.; Mace, Gregory N.; Sokal, Kimberly R.

2018-01-01

Benchmark brown dwarfs are objects that have at least two measured fundamental quantities such as luminosity and age, and therefore can be used to test substellar atmospheric and evolutionary models. Nearby, young, loose associations such as the β Pic moving group represent some of the best regions in which to identify intermediate-age benchmark brown dwarfs due to their well-constrained ages and metallicities. We present a spectroscopic study of a new companion at the hydrogen-burning limit orbiting a low-mass star at a separation of 9″ (650 AU) in the 23 Myr old β Pic moving group. The medium-resolution near-infrared spectrum of this companion from IRTF/SpeX shows clear signs of low surface gravity and yields an index-based spectral type of M6±1 with a VL-G gravity on the Allers & Liu classification system. Currently, there are four known brown dwarf and giant planet companions in the β Pic moving group: HR 7329 B, PZ Tel B, β Pic b, and 51 Eri b. Depending on its exact age and accretion history, this new object may represent the third brown dwarf companion and fifth substellar companion in this association.

The First Brown Dwarf Discovered by the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 Citizen Science Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuchner, Marc J.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Schneider, Adam C.; Meisner, Aaron M.; Filippazzo, Joseph C.; Gagne, Jonathan; Trouille, Laura; Silverberg, Steven M.; Castro, Rosa; Fletcher, Bob;

Determining the Locations of Brown Dwarfs in Young Star Clusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Porter, Lauren A.

2005-01-01

Brown dwarfs are stellar objects with masses less than 0.08 times that of the Sun that are unable to sustain nuclear fusion. Because of the lack of fusion, they are relatively cold, allowing the formation of methane and water molecules in their atmospheres. Brown dwarfs can be detected by examining stars' absorption spectra in the near-infrared to see whether methane and water are present. The objective of this research is to determine the locations of brown dwarfs in Rho Ophiuchus, a star cluster that is only 1 million years old. The cluster was observed in four filters in the near-infrared range using the Wide-Field Infra-Red Camera (WIRC) on the 100" DuPont Telescope and Persson's Auxiliary Nasymith Infrared Camera (PANIC) on the 6.5-m Magellan Telescope. By comparing the magnitude of a star in each of the four filters, an absorption spectrum can be formed. This project uses standard astronomical techniques to reduce raw frames into final images and perform photometry on them to obtain publishable data. Once this is done, it will be possible to determine the locations and magnitudes of brown dwarfs within the cluster.

Birth of an Unusual Planetary System Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-02-08

This artist animation shows a brown dwarf surrounded by a swirling disc of planet-building dust. NASA Spitzer Space Telescope spotted such a disc around a surprisingly low-mass brown dwarf, or failed star.

Anatomy of Brown Dwarf Atmosphere Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-01-08

This artist illustration shows the atmosphere of a brown dwarf called 2MASSJ22282889-431026, which was observed simultaneously by NASA Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes. The results were unexpected, revealing offset layers of material.

A Trio of Brown Dwarfs Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-08-23

This artist conception based on data from NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer illustrates what brown dwarfs of different types might look like to a hypothetical interstellar traveler who has flown a spaceship to each one.

White dwarf-main sequence binaries from LAMOST: the DR5 catalogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, J.-J.; Rebassa-Mansergas, A.; Parsons, S. G.; Liu, X.-W.; Luo, A.-L.; Kong, X.; Zhang, H.-T.

2018-07-01

We present the data release (DR) 5 catalogue of white dwarf-main sequence (WDMS) binaries from the Large sky Area Multi-Object fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST). The catalogue contains 876 WDMS binaries, of which 757 are additions to our previous LAMOST DR1 sample and 357 are systems that have not been published before. We also describe a LAMOST-dedicated survey that aims at obtaining spectra of photometrically selected WDMS binaries from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) that are expected to contain cool white dwarfs and/or early-type M dwarf companions. This is a population under-represented in previous SDSS WDMS binary catalogues. We determine the stellar parameters (white dwarf effective temperatures, surface gravities and masses, and M dwarf spectral types) of the LAMOST DR5 WDMS binaries and make use of the parameter distributions to analyse the properties of the sample. We find that, despite our efforts, systems containing cool white dwarfs remain under-represented. Moreover, we make use of LAMOST DR5 and SDSS DR14 (when available) spectra to measure the Na I λλ 8183.27, 8194.81 absorption doublet and/or Hα emission radial velocities of our systems. This allows identifying 128 binaries displaying significant radial velocity variations, 76 of which are new. Finally, we cross-match our catalogue with the Catalina Surveys and identify 57 systems displaying light-curve variations. These include 16 eclipsing systems, two of which are new, and nine binaries that are new eclipsing candidates. We calculate periodograms from the photometric data and measure (estimate) the orbital periods of 30 (15) WDMS binaries.

White dwarf-main sequence binaries from LAMOST: the DR5 catalogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, J.-J.; Rebassa-Mansergas, A.; Parsons, S. G.; Liu, X.-W.; Luo, A.-L.; Kong, X.; Zhang, H.-T.

2018-03-01

We present the data release (DR) 5 catalogue of white dwarf-main sequence (WDMS) binaries from the Large Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST). The catalogue contains 876 WDMS binaries, of which 757 are additions to our previous LAMOST DR1 sample and 357 are systems that have not been published before. We also describe a LAMOST-dedicated survey that aims at obtaining spectra of photometrically-selected WDMS binaries from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) that are expected to contain cool white dwarfs and/or early type M dwarf companions. This is a population under-represented in previous SDSS WDMS binary catalogues. We determine the stellar parameters (white dwarf effective temperatures, surface gravities and masses, and M dwarf spectral types) of the LAMOST DR5 WDMS binaries and make use of the parameter distributions to analyse the properties of the sample. We find that, despite our efforts, systems containing cool white dwarfs remain under-represented. Moreover, we make use of LAMOST DR5 and SDSS DR14 (when available) spectra to measure the Na I λλ 8183.27, 8194.81 absorption doublet and/or Hα emission radial velocities of our systems. This allows identifying 128 binaries displaying significant radial velocity variations, 76 of which are new. Finally, we cross-match our catalogue with the Catalina Surveys and identify 57 systems displaying light curve variations. These include 16 eclipsing systems, two of which are new, and nine binaries that are new eclipsing candidates. We calculate periodograms from the photometric data and measure (estimate) the orbital periods of 30 (15) WDMS binaries.

Discovery of Nearest Known Brown Dwarf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-01-01

Bright Southern Star Epsilon Indi Has Cool, Substellar Companion [1] Summary A team of European astronomers [2] has discovered a Brown Dwarf object (a 'failed' star) less than 12 light-years from the Sun. It is the nearest yet known. Now designated Epsilon Indi B, it is a companion to a well-known bright star in the southern sky, Epsilon Indi (now "Epsilon Indi A"), previously thought to be single. The binary system is one of the twenty nearest stellar systems to the Sun. The brown dwarf was discovered from the comparatively rapid motion across the sky which it shares with its brighter companion : the pair move a full lunar diameter in less than 400 years. It was first identified using digitised archival photographic plates from the SuperCOSMOS Sky Surveys (SSS) and confirmed using data from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). Follow-up observations with the near-infrared sensitive SOFI instrument on the ESO 3.5-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) at the La Silla Observatory confirmed its nature and has allowed measurements of its physical properties. Epsilon Indi B has a mass just 45 times that of Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System, and a surface temperature of only 1000 °C. It belongs to the so-called 'T dwarf' category of objects which straddle the domain between stars and giant planets. Epsilon Indi B is the nearest and brightest T dwarf known. Future studies of the new object promise to provide astronomers with important new clues as to the formation and evolution of these exotic celestial bodies, at the same time yielding interesting insights into the border zone between planets and stars. TINY MOVING NEEDLES IN GIANT HAYSTACKS ESO PR Photo 03a/03 ESO PR Photo 03a/03 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 605 pix - 92k [Normal - JPEG: 1200 x 1815 pix - 1.0M] Caption: PR Photo 03a/03 shows Epsilon Indi A (the bright star at far right) and its newly discovered brown dwarf companion Epsilon Indi B (circled). The upper image comes from one of the SuperCOSMOS Sky Surveys (SSS) optical photographic plates (I-band, centred at wavelength 0.7 µm) on which this very high proper motion object was discovered. The lower image is the 'Quicklook atlas' infrared image (Ks-band, 2.1 µm) from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). Epsilon Indi B is much brighter in the near-infrared than at optical wavelengths, indicating that it is a very cool object. Both images cover roughly 7 x 5 arcmin. Imagine you are a professional ornithologist, recently returned home from an expedition to the jungles of South America, where you spent long weeks using your high-powered telephoto lenses searching for rare species of birds. Relaxing, you take a couple of wide-angle snapshots of the blooming flowers in your back garden, undistracted by the common blackbird flying across your viewfinder. Only later, when carefully comparing those snaps, you notice something tiny and unusually coloured, flittering close behind the blackbird: you've discovered an exotic, rare bird, right there at home. In much the same way, a team of astronomers [2] has just found one of the closest neighbours to the Sun, an exotic 'failed star' known as a 'brown dwarf', moving rapidly across the sky in the southern constellation Indus (The Indian). Interestingly, at a time when telescopes are growing larger and are equipped with ever more sophisticated electronic detectors, there is still much to be learned by combining old photographic plates with this modern technology. Photographic plates taken by wide-field ("Schmidt") telescopes over the past decades have been given a new lease on life through being digitised by automated measuring machines, allowing computers to trawl effectively through huge and invaluable data archives that are by far not yet fully exploited [3]. For the Southern Sky, the Institute for Astronomy in Edinburgh (Scotland, UK) has recently released scans made by the SuperCOSMOS machine of plates spanning several decades in three optical passbands. These data are perfectly suited to the search for objects with large proper motions and extreme colours, such as brown dwarfs in the Solar vicinity. Everything is moving - a question of perspective In astronomy, the `proper motion' of a star signifies its apparent motion on the celestial sphere; it is usually expressed in arcseconds per year [4]. The corresponding, real velocity of a star (in kilometres per second) can only be estimated if the distance is known. A star with a large proper motion may indicate a real large velocity or simply that the star is close to us. By analogy, an airplane just after takeoff has a much lower true speed than when it's cruising at high altitude, but to an observer watching near an airport, the departing airplane seems to be moving much more quickly across the sky. Proxima Centauri, our nearest stellar neighbour, is just 4.2 light-years away (cf. ESO PR 22/02) and has a proper motion of 3.8 arcsec/year (corresponding to 23 km/sec relative to the Sun, in the direction perpendicular to the line-of-sight). The highest known proper motion star is Barnard's Star at 6 light-years distance and moving 10 arcsec/year (87 km/sec relative to the Sun). All known stars within 30 light-years are high-proper-motion objects and move at least 0.2 arcsec/year. Trawling for fast moving objects For some time, astronomers at the Astrophysical Institute in Potsdam have been making a systematic computerised search for high-proper-motion objects which appear on red photographic sky plates, but not on the equivalent blue plates. Their goal is to identify hitherto unknown cool objects in the Solar neighbourhood. They had previously found a handful of new objects within 30 light-years in this way, but nothing as red or moving remotely as fast as the one they have now snared in the constellation of Indus in the southern sky. This object was only seen on the very longest-wavelength plates in the SuperCOSMOS Sky Survey database. It was moving so quickly that on plates taken just two years apart in the 1990s, it had moved almost 10 arcseconds on the sky, giving a proper motion of 4.7 arcsec/year. It was also very faint at optical wavelengths, the reason why it had never been spotted before. However, when confirmed in data from the digital Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), it was seen to be much brighter in the infrared, with the typical colour signature of a cool brown dwarf. At this point, the object was thought to be an isolated traveller. However, a search through available online catalogues quickly revealed that just 7 arcminutes away was a well-known star, Epsilon Indi. The two share exactly the same very large proper motion, and thus it was immediately clear the two must be related, forming a wide binary system separated by more than 1500 times the distance between the Sun and the Earth. Epsilon Indi is one of the 20 nearest stars to the Sun at just 11.8 light years [5]. It is a dwarf star (of spectral type K5) and with a surface temperature of about 4000 °C, somewhat cooler than the Sun. As such, it often appears in science fiction as the home of a habitable planetary system [6]. That all remains firmly in the realm of speculation, but nevertheless, we now know that it most certainly has a very interesting companion. This is a remarkable discovery: Epsilon Indi B is the nearest star-like source to the Sun found in 15 years, the highest proper motion source found in over 70 years, and with a total luminosity just 0.002% that of the Sun, one of the intrinsically faintest sources ever seen outside the Solar System! After Proxima and Alpha Centauri, the Epsilon Indi system is also just the second known wide binary system within 15 light years. However, unlike Proxima Centauri, Epsilon Indi B is no ordinary star. BROWN DWARFS: COOLING, COOLING, COOLING... ESO PR Photo 03b/03 ESO PR Photo 03b/03 [Preview - JPEG: 480 x 400 pix - 41k [Normal - JPEG: 960 x 800 pix - 120k] [Full-Res - JPEG: 2200 x 1834 pix - 304k] Caption: PR Photo 03b/03 shows the near-infrared (0.9-2.5 µm) spectrum of Epsilon Indi B, obtained on November 16-17, 2002, with the SOFI multi-mode instrument on the ESO 3.5-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) at the La Silla Observatory (Chile) The total integration time is 360 sec. Regions of strong absorption in the Earth's atmosphere have been removed for clarity. The locations of prominent molecular absorption bands from water (H2O), methane (CH4) and carbon monoxide (CO) in the atmosphere of Epsilon Indi B are indicated. Also labelled are some spectral lines from potassium (KI, at 1.25 and 1.52 µm) and sodium (NaI, at 2.33 µm) atoms. From these data, the spectral type of Epsilon Indi B is determined as T2.5V, corresponding to an effective temperature of 'just' 1000 ± 60 °C. Within days of its discovery in the database, the astronomers managed to secure an infrared spectrum of Epsilon Indi B using the SOFI instrument on the ESO 3.5-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) at the La Silla Observatory (Chile). The spectrum showed the broad absorption features due to methane and water steam in its upper atmosphere, indicating a temperature of 'only' 1000 °C. Ordinary stars are never this cool - Epsilon Indi B was confirmed as a brown dwarf. Brown dwarfs are thought to form in much the same way as stars, by the gravitational collapse of clumps of cold gas and dust in dense molecular clouds. However, for reasons not yet entirely clear, some clumps end up with masses less than about 7.5% of that of our Sun, or 75 times the mass of planet Jupiter. Below that boundary, there is not enough pressure in the core to initiate nuclear hydrogen fusion, the long-lasting and stable source of power for ordinary stars like the Sun. Except for a brief early phase where some deuterium is burned, these low-mass objects simply continue to cool and fade slowly away while releasing the heat left-over from their birth. Theoretical discussions of such objects began some 40 years ago. They were first named 'black dwarfs' and later 'brown dwarfs', in recognition of their predicted very cool temperatures. However, they were also predicted to be very faint and very red, and it was only in 1995 that such objects began to be detected. The first were seen as faint companions to nearby stars, and then later, some were found floating freely in the Solar neighbourhood. Most brown dwarfs belong to the recently classified spectral types L and T, below the long-known cool dwarfs of type M. These are very red to human eyes, but L and T dwarfs are cooler still, so much so that they are almost invisible at optical wavelengths, with most of their emission coming out in the infrared. [7]. How massive is Epsilon Indi B? The age of most brown dwarfs detected to date is unknown and thus it is hard to estimate their masses. However, it may be assumed that the age of Epsilon Indi B is the same as that of Epsilon Indi A, whose age is estimated to be 1.3 billion years based on its rotational speed. Combining this information with the measured temperature, brightness, and distance, it is then possible to determine the mass of Epsilon Indi B using theoretical models of brown dwarfs. Two independent sets of models yield the same result: Epsilon Indi B must have a mass somewhere between 4-6% of that of the Sun, or 40-60 Jupiter masses. The most likely value is around 45 Jupiter masses, i.e. well below the hydrogen fusion limit, and definitively confirming this new discovery as a bona-fide brown dwarf. THE IMPORTANCE OF EPSILON INDI B ESO PR Photo 03c/03 ESO PR Photo 03c/03 [Preview - JPEG: 469 x 400 pix - 77k [Normal - JPEG: 937 x 800 pix - 328k] [Full-Res - JPEG: 2718 x 2321 pix - 3.1M] [Java Applet] Caption: PR Photo 03c/03 displays a 3D map of all known stellar systems in the solar neighbourhood within a radius of 12.5 light-years. The Sun is at the centre and the Epsilon Indi binary system with the newly found brown dwarf Epsilon Indi B lies near the bottom. The colour is indicative of the temperature and the spectral class - white stars are (main-sequence) A and F dwarfs; yellow stars like the Sun are G dwarfs; orange stars are K dwarfs; and red stars are M dwarfs, by far the most common type of star in the solar neighbourhood. The blue axes are oriented along the galactic coordinate system, and the radii of the rings are 5, 10, and 15 light-years, respectively. The Java Applet conveniently provides detailed information about the stars in the figure - just move the cursor over the field. The figure is adapted from a diagram by Richard Powell. PR Photo 03c/03 shows the current census of the stars in the solar neighbourhood. All these stars have been known for many years, including GJ1061, which, however, only had its distance firmly established in 1997. The discovery of Epsilon Indi B, however, is an extreme case, never before catalogued, and the first brown dwarf to be found within the 12.5 light year horizon. If current predictions are correct, there should be twice as many brown dwarfs as main sequence stars. Consequently, Epsilon Indi B may be the first of perhaps 100 brown dwarfs within this distance, still waiting to be discovered! Epsilon Indi B is an important catch well beyond the cataloguing the Solar neighbourhood. As the nearest and brightest known brown dwarf and with a very accurately measured distance, it can be subjected to a wide variety of detailed observational studies. It may thus serve as a template for more distant members of its class. With the help of Epsilon Indi B, astronomers should now be able to see further into the mysteries surrounding the formation and evolution of the exotic objects known as brown dwarfs, halfway between stars and giant planets, the physics of their inner cores, and the weather and chemistry of their atmospheres. AN HISTORICAL NOTE - THE SOUTHERN CONSTELLATION INDUS ESO PR Photo 03d/03 ESO PR Photo 03d/03 [Preview - JPEG: 478 x 400 pix - 91k [Normal - JPEG: 956 x 800 pix - 952k] [Full-Res - JPEG: 2260 x 1892 pix - 3.2M] Caption: PR Photo 03d/03 shows the southern constellation Indus (The Indian) and its surroundings, as drawn in the famous Uranographia published 1801 of German astronomer Johann Elert Bode. This reproduction was made from original printing plates held by the library of the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam (Germany). The binary stellar system Epsilon Indi is associated with one of the arrows in the Indian's hand. However, because of its proximity, only 12 light-years away, it is moving so fast across the sky that it is now located someway below the arrows. In only a few thousand years, it will have moved out of the Indus constellation and into the neighbouring constellation Tucana (The Toucan). The constellation Indus lies deep in the southern sky, nestled between three birds, Grus (The Crane), Tucana (The Toucan) and Pavo (The Peacock), cf. PR Photo 03d/03. First catalogued in 1595-1597 by the Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, this constellation was added to the southern sky by Johann Bayer in his book 'Uranometria' (1603) to honour the Native Americans that European explorers had encountered on their travels. In particular, it has been suggested that it is specifically the native peoples of Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia that are represented in Indus, just over two thousand kilometres south of La Silla where the first spectroscopic observations of Epsilon Indi B were made some 400 years later. In the later drawing by Bode shown here, Epsilon Indi, the fifth brightest star in Indus, is associated with one of the arrows in the Indian's hand. More information The information in this press release is based on a paper ("Epsilon Indi B: a new benchmark T dwarf" by Ralf-Dieter Scholz and co-authors), soon to be published in the European journal Astronomy & Astrophysics (Letters). It is available on the web in preprint form at http://babbage.sissa.it/abs/astro-ph/0212487.

WISEP J004701.06+680352.1: An Intermediate Surface Gravity, Dusty Brown Dwarf in the AB Dor Moving Group

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-01

reserved. WISEP J004701.06+680352.1: AN INTERMEDIATE SURFACE GRAVITY, DUSTY BROWN DWARF IN THE AB DOR MOVING GROUP John E. Gizis1,9, Katelyn N...pc. The three-dimensional space mo- tion identifies it as a member of the AB Dor Moving Group, an identification supported by our classification of...SUBTITLE WISEP J004701+680352.1: An Intermediate Surface Gravity, Dusty Brown Dwarf In The AB Dor Moving Group 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER

NTT Observations Indicate that Brown Dwarfs Form Like Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2001-06-01

Dusty Disks Detected around Very Young Substellar Objects in the Orion Nebula Summary An international team of astronomers [2] is announcing today the discovery of dusty disks surrounding numerous very faint objects that are believed to be recently formed Brown Dwarfs in the Orion Nebula [3]. This finding is based on detailed observations with SOFI, a specialised infrared-sensitive instrument at the ESO 3.5-m New Technology Telescope at the La Silla Observatory. It is of special interest because it sheds light on the origin and nature of substellar objects, known as "Brown Dwarfs" . In particular, these results suggest that Brown Dwarfs share a common origin with stars and that Brown Dwarfs are more similar in nature to stars than to planets and, like stars, have the potential to form with accompanying systems of planets. Moreover, the presence of dusty protoplanetary disks around the faintest objects in the Orion Nebula cluster confirms both the membership of these faint stars in the cluster and their nature as bona-fide substellar objects, making this the largest population of Brown Dwarf objects yet known . These important results are being reported today to the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Pasadena (California, USA). PR Photo 22a/01 : Infrared picture of the Orion Nebula (NTT + SOFI). PR Photo 22b/01 : "Finding Chart" for Very Young Brown Dwarfs in the Orion Nebula. PR Photo 22c/01 : Animated GIF presentation of PR Photos 22a+b/01. Faint substellar objects in the Milky Way Over the past 5 years, several groups of astronomers have identified a type of very faint, substellar objects within our Milky Way galaxy. These gaseous objects have very low masses and will never shine like normal stars because they cannot achieve central temperatures high enough for sustained thermal nuclear reactions to occur in their cores. Such objects weigh less than about 7% of our Sun and have been variously called "Brown Dwarfs" , "Failed Stars" or "Super Planets" . Indeed, since they have no sustained energy generation by thermal nuclear reactions, many of their properties are more similar to those of giant gas planets in our own solar system such as Jupiter, than to stars like the Sun. For example, even though their masses range between 10-70 times that of Jupiter (the largest and most massive planet in our solar system), the sizes of Brown Dwarfs are still comparable to that of Jupiter, approximately 140,000 km, or roughly 10 times smaller than the Sun. Are Brown Dwarfs giant planets or failed stars? Among the most fundamental issues raised by the existence of Brown Dwarfs is the question of their origin and genetic relationship to planets and stars. Are Brown Dwarfs giant planets or small, failed stars, or perhaps something completely different? The critical test needed to resolve this very basic question is to learn whether Brown Dwarfs form by a process similar to what produces stars or rather to one which produces planets. Stars are thought to form when gravity causes a cold, dusty and rarefied cloud of gas to contract. Such clouds are inevitably rotating so the gas naturally collapses into a rotating disk before it falls onto the forming star. These disks are called circumstellar or protoplanetary disks . They have been found around virtually all young stars and are considered to be sites of planet formation. Gravity helps planets form too, but this occurs by condensation and agglomeration of material contained in the circumstellar disk around a young star. Thus, stars form with a disk around them while planets form within disks around young stars . The planets in our own solar system were formed in such a circumstellar disk around the young Sun about 4.6 billion years ago. To date, the most important observations bearing on the question of Brown Dwarf origin have been: * the observed lack of Brown Dwarf companions to normal stars (something astronomers have called the "Brown Dwarf desert"), and * the existence of free-floating Brown Dwarfs in the Milky Way galaxy. Both facts would appear to imply a stellar, rather than a planet-like origin for these objects. However, one might also explain these observations if most Brown Dwarfs initially formed as companions to stars (within circumstellar disks), but were later ejected from the systems, e.g., because of gravitational effects during encounters with other stars. So the issue of Brown Dwarf origin is still unsettled. NTT observations of substellar objects in the Orion Nebula ESO PR Photo 22a/01 ESO PR Photo 22a/01 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 434 pix - 192k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 877 pix - 496k] [Full Resolution - JPEG: 1772 x 1943 pix - 1.2Mb Caption : PR Photo 22a/01 shows a colour composite of near-infrared images of the central regions of the Orion Nebula, obtained on March 14, 2000, with the SOFI instrument at the ESO 3.5-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) at La Silla. Three exposures were made through J- (wavelength 1.25 µm here colour-coded as "blue"), H- (1.65 µm; "green") and Ks-filters (2.16 µm; "red"), respectively. The central group of bright stars is the famous "Trapezium" . The total effective exposure time was 86.4 seconds per band. The sky field measures about 4.9 x 4.9 arcmin 2 (1024 x 1024 pix 2 ). North is up and East is left. ESO PR Photo 22b/01 ESO PR Photo 22b/01 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 439 pix - 35k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 877 pix - 90k] Caption : PR Photo 22b/01 contains the corresponding "finding chart" with the positions of the very young Brown Dwarfs in the Orion Nebula that were studied during the present investigation. The starlike symbols represent the brightest stars in PR Photo 22a/01 and are plotted for reference. In this chart, very young Brown Dwarfs are represented by a double open circle (if a dusty disk was detected) or with a single open circle (if no dusty disk was detected). The scale is exactly as in PR Photo 22a/01 . ESO PR Photo 22c/01 ESO PR Photo 22c/01 [Animated GIF: 482 x 465 pix - 248k] Caption : PR Photo 22c/01 is an animated GIF-composite of PR Photo 22a/01 and PR Photo 22b/01 for easy comparison. To resolve this mystery, an international team of astronomers [2] has obtained sensitive near-infrared observations of young Brown Dwarf candidates in the Trapezium cluster , at the centre of the Orion Nebula. For this, they used the state-of-the-art near-infrared SOFI instrument on the ESO 3.5-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) at the La Silla Observatory (Chile). The Trapezium Cluster is a group of young stars that appears to the unaided eye as a faint central 'star' in the Orion Nebula . This cluster is located at a distance of about 1200 light-years and contains nearly 1000 stars, most of which are younger than 1 million years. The stars in this cluster are in their infancy when compared to our middle-aged Sun that is about 4.6 billion years old (reduced to a human timescale, they would be just 3 days old, compared to the Sun's 40 years). Among the hundreds of normal stars in the Trapezium Cluster, astronomers have previously identified a population of objects so faint that they have been considered as prime candidates for very young Brown Dwarfs. The observations obtained with the NTT benefitted from superb atmospheric conditions (e.g., a seeing of 0.5 arcsec) and allowed the astronomers to examine the near-infrared light of more than 100 of the Brown Dwarf candidates in the cluster. More than half of them were found to have excess near-infrared light , compared to that a normal young Brown Dwarf should emit. The only plausible explanation is that this extra light originates from glowing, hot dust within protoplanetary disks surrounding these objects . It was the same method, albeit at longer infrared wavelengths, that first led to the discovery of dust disks around several normal stars, some of which have later been studied in much detail, e.g., that at the southern star Beta Pictoris. In fact, and strongly supporting this explanation, twenty-one of the Brown Dwarf candidates detected via the NTT observations are also identified with optical "proplyds" , the famous dusty disks first imaged in 1994 by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) at optical wavelengths, cf. the corresponding HST Press Release and images [4]. Dusty disks The presence of such hot and dusty disks around these objects is a clear sign of their extreme youth - this in turn confirms both their membership in the young cluster and their nature as bona-fide substellar objects . Thus, the Trapezium Cluster contains the largest population (approximately 100) of Brown Dwarfs yet known. Indeed, only about 80 freely floating Brown Dwarfs have so far been positively identified outside this cluster. " Brown Dwarfs are considerably easier to detect and study when they are young, because they are ten times larger and thousands of times brighter during their early youth than during their middle age " says Elizabeth Lada from the University of Florida and a member of the team. Her colleague August Muench explains that " even at their brightest, however, most Brown Dwarfs are still 100 or more times intrinsically fainter than our Sun, explaining why astronomers have great difficulties in detecting such objects ". A common origin of normal stars and Brown Dwarfs " The high incidence of disks around both young stars and Brown Dwarfs in this cluster strongly suggests that both stars and Brown Dwarfs trace their origin to a common physical process and that Brown Dwarfs are more similar in nature to stars than to planets " says Charles Lada from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Moreover, as is the case for stars, the disks that surround Brown Dwarfs may be capable of forming systems of planets. According to João Alves from ESO, " it is entirely possible that the Milky Way Galaxy contains numerous planetary systems that orbit cold and dark, failed stars. Whether these disks can indeed form planetary systems, however, still remains to be determined ". Even if Brown Dwarfs do have planetary systems, their planets would not have a stable climate and thus would be inhospitable to life as we know it. This is because Brown Dwarfs do not generate their own energy for any substantial period of time but instead fade rapidly as they age. The next steps For the moment being, the detection of disks around the Brown Dwarf candidates in the Trapezium Cluster rests entirely on the measurements of the near-infrared colours of these objects. Additional confirmation of the presence of such dust disks can be obtained with sensitive infrared observations made at longer wavelengths. Such observations are possible with the largest ground-based telescopes like the VLT [5] or with the upcoming NASA infrared satellite mission ( SIRTF ). Notes [1]: This ESO Press Release is issued in parallel with a Press Release on the same subject by the American Astronomical Society (AAS). The indicated embargo corresponds to the time of release at the AAS meting in Pasadena. [2]: The team consists of João F. Alves (ESO, Garching, Germany), Charles J. Lada (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge MA, USA), Elizabeth A. Lada and August A. Muench (both Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville FL, USA). The research reported here was supported in part by the US National Science Foundation. [3]: Other ESO Press Communications about Brown Dwarfs include PR 07/97 , PR 14/99 and PR 16/00. Discoveries of exoplanets and other small objects, some of which have masses near the borderline between Brown Dwarfs and planets, are reported in PR 18/98 , PR 13/00 and PR 07/01. A spectacular infrared image of the Orion Nebula with the VLT and the ISAAC instrument was published earlier this year ( PR Photo 03a/01 ) with a discussion about small objects within this nebula. [4]: More information about "proplyds" (PROto-PLanetarY DiskS) is available in ESO PR 06/97 that discusses the discovery of the first such object outside the Orion Nebula. [5]: The VLT is already equipped with one instrument suited for such measurements, the Infrared Spectrometer And Array Camera (ISAAC) - examples of mid-infrared observations of the giant planet Jupiter have just been published as ESO PR Photos 21a-f/01. The NAOS-CONICA adaptive optics multi-mode instrument will enter into operation later in 2001, to be followed by the VLT Mid Infrared Spectrometer/Imager (VISIR). Another powerful mid-infrared facility at ESO is the Thermal Infrared Multimode Instrument (TIMMI2) , now in operation at the ESO 3.6-m telescope on La Silla and with which observations of the central part of the Orion Nebula were recently made, cf. PR Photos 12a-e/01.

The population of single and binary white dwarfs of the Galactic bulge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres, S.; García-Berro, E.; Cojocaru, R.; Calamida, A.

2018-05-01

Recent Hubble Space Telescope observations have unveiled the white dwarf cooling sequence of the Galactic bulge. Although the degenerate sequence can be well fitted employing the most up-to-date theoretical cooling sequences, observations show a systematic excess of red objects that cannot be explained by the theoretical models of single carbon-oxygen white dwarfs of the appropriate masses. Here, we present a population synthesis study of the white dwarf cooling sequence of the Galactic bulge that takes into account the populations of both single white dwarfs and binary systems containing at least one white dwarf. These calculations incorporate state-of-the-art cooling sequences for white dwarfs with hydrogen-rich and hydrogen-deficient atmospheres, for both white dwarfs with carbon-oxygen and helium cores, and also take into account detailed prescriptions of the evolutionary history of binary systems. Our Monte Carlo simulator also incorporates all the known observational biases. This allows us to model with a high degree of realism the white dwarf population of the Galactic bulge. We find that the observed excess of red stars can be partially attributed to white dwarf plus main sequence binaries, and to cataclysmic variables or dwarf novae. Our best fit is obtained with a higher binary fraction and an initial mass function slope steeper than standard values, as well as with the inclusion of differential reddening and blending. Our results also show that the possible contribution of double degenerate systems or young and thick-discbulge stars is negligible.

Activity and Kinematics of White Dwarf-M Dwarf Binaries from the SUPERBLINK Proper Motion Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skinner, Julie N.; Morgan, Dylan P.; West, Andrew A.; Lépine, Sébastien; Thorstensen, John R.

2017-09-01

We present an activity and kinematic analysis of high proper motion white dwarf-M dwarf binaries (WD+dMs) found in the SUPERBLINK survey, 178 of which are new identifications. To identify WD+dMs, we developed a UV-optical-IR color criterion and conducted a spectroscopic survey to confirm each candidate binary. For the newly identified systems, we fit the two components using model white dwarf spectra and M dwarf template spectra to determine physical parameters. We use Hα chromospheric emission to examine the magnetic activity of the M dwarf in each system, and investigate how its activity is affected by the presence of a white dwarf companion. We find that the fraction of WD+dM binaries with active M dwarfs is significantly higher than their single M dwarf counterparts at early and mid-spectral types. We corroborate previous studies that find high activity fractions at both close and intermediate separations. At more distant separations, the binary fraction appears to approach the activity fraction for single M dwarfs. Using derived radial velocities and the proper motions, we calculate 3D space velocities for the WD+dMs in SUPERBLINK. For the entire SUPERBLINK WD+dMs, we find a large vertical velocity dispersion, indicating a dynamically hotter population compared to high proper motion samples of single M dwarfs. We compare the kinematics for systems with active M dwarfs and those with inactive M dwarfs, and find signatures of asymmetric drift in the inactive sample, indicating that they are drawn from an older population. Based on observations obtained at the MDM Observatory operated by Dartmouth College, Columbia University, The Ohio State University, and the University of Michigan.

How to find and type red/brown dwarf stars in near-infrared imaging space observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willemn Holwerda, Benne; Ryan, Russell; Bridge, Joanna; Pirzkal, Nor; Kenworthy, Matthew; Andersen, Morten; Wilkins, Stephen; Trenti, Michele; Meshkat, Tiffany; Bernard, Stephanie; Smit, Renske

2018-01-01

Here we evaluate the near-infrared colors of brown dwarfs as observed with four major infrared imaging space observatories: the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the EUCLID mission, and the WFIRST telescope. We use the splat ISPEX spectroscopic library to map out the colors of the M, L, and T-type brown dwarfs. We identify which color-color combination is optimal for identifying broad type and which single color is optimal to then identify the subtype (e.g., T0-9). We evaluate each observatory separately as well as the the narrow-field (HST and JWST) and wide-field (EULID and WFIRST) combinations.HST filters used thus far for high-redshift searches (e.g. CANDELS and BoRG) are close to optimal within the available filter combinations. A clear improvement over HST is one of two broad/medium filter combinations on JWST: pairing F140M with either F150W or F162M discriminates well between brown dwarf subtypes. The improvement of JWST the filter set over the HST one is so marked that any combination of HST and JWST filters does not improve the classification.The EUCLID filter set alone performs poorly in terms of typing brown dwarfs and WFIRST performs only marginally better, despite a wider selection of filters. A combined EUCLID and WFIRST observation, using WFIRST's W146 and F062 and EUCLID's Y-band, allows for a much better discrimination between broad brown dwarf categories. In this respect, WFIRST acts as a targeted follow-up observatory for the all-sky EUCLID survey. However, subsequent subtyping with the combination of EUCLID and WFIRST observations remains uncertain due to the lack of medium or narrow-band filters in this wavelength range. We argue that a medium band added to the WFIRST filter selection would greatly improve its ability to preselect against brown dwarfs in high-latitude surveys.

The Orbital Ephemeris of the Classical Nova RR Pictoris: Presence of a Third Body?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, N.; Schreiber, M. R.; Hambsch, F.-J.; Retamales, G.; Tappert, C.; Schmidtobreick, L.; Fuentes-Morales, I.

2017-01-01

The ex-nova RR Pic presents a periodic hump in its light curve which is considered to refer to its orbital period. By analyzing all available epochs of these hump maxima in the literature and then combining them with those from new light curves obtained in 2013 and 2014, we establish an unique cycle count scheme valid during the past 50 years and derive an ephemeris with the orbital period 0.145025959(15) days. The O—C diagram of this linear ephemeris reveals systematic deviations that could have different causes. One of them could be a light-travel-time effect caused by the presence of a hypothetical third body near the star/brown dwarf mass limit, with an orbital period of the order of 70 years. We also examine the difficulty of the problematic of detecting substellar or planetary companions of close red-dwarf white-dwarf binaries (including cataclysmic variables) and discuss other possible mechanisms responsible for the observed deviations in O—C. For RR Pic, we propose strategies to solve this question by new observations.

SEVEN NEW BINARIES DISCOVERED IN THE KEPLER LIGHT CURVES THROUGH THE BEER METHOD CONFIRMED BY RADIAL-VELOCITY OBSERVATIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Faigler, S.; Mazeh, T.; Tal-Or, L.

We present seven newly discovered non-eclipsing short-period binary systems with low-mass companions, identified by the recently introduced BEER algorithm, applied to the publicly available 138-day photometric light curves obtained by the Kepler mission. The detection is based on the beaming effect (sometimes called Doppler boosting), which increases (decreases) the brightness of any light source approaching (receding from) the observer, enabling a prediction of the stellar Doppler radial-velocity (RV) modulation from its precise photometry. The BEER algorithm identifies the BEaming periodic modulation, with a combination of the well-known Ellipsoidal and Reflection/heating periodic effects, induced by short-period companions. The seven detections weremore » confirmed by spectroscopic RV follow-up observations, indicating minimum secondary masses in the range 0.07-0.4 M{sub Sun }. The binaries discovered establish for the first time the feasibility of the BEER algorithm as a new detection method for short-period non-eclipsing binaries, with the potential to detect in the near future non-transiting brown-dwarf secondaries, or even massive planets.« less

Characterization of the Mysteriously Cool Brown Dwarf HD 4113

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ednie, Michaela; Follette, Katherine; Ward-Duong, Kimberly

2018-01-01

Characterizing the physical properties of brown dwarfs is necessary to expand and improve our understanding of low mass companions, including exoplanets. Systems with both close radial velocity companions and distant directly imaged companions are particularly powerful in understanding planet formation mechanisms. Early in 2017, members of the SPHERE team discovered a companion brown dwarf in the HD 4113 system, which also contains a known RV planet. Atmospheric model fits to the Y and J-band spectra and H2/H3 photometry of the brown dwarf suggested it is unusually cool. We obtained new Magellan data in the Z and K’ bands in mid-2017. This data will help us to complete a more detailed atmospheric and astrometric characterization of this unusually cool companion. Broader wavelength coverage will help in accurate spectral typing and estimations of luminosity, temperature, surface gravity, radius, and composition. Additionally, a second astrometric epoch will help constrain the architecture of the system.

ROSAT X-ray detection of a young brown dwarf in the chamaeleon I dark cloud

PubMed

Neuhauser; Comeron

1998-10-02

Photometry and spectroscopy of the object Cha Halpha 1, located in the Chamaeleon I star-forming cloud, show that it is a approximately 10(6)-year-old brown dwarf with spectral type M7.5 to M8 and 0.04 +/- 0.01 solar masses. Quiescent x-ray emission was detected in a 36-kilosecond observation with 31.4 +/- 7.7 x-ray photons, obtained with the Rontgen Satellite (ROSAT), with 9final sigma detection significance. This corresponds to an x-ray luminosity of 2.57 x 10(28) ergs per second and an x-ray to bolometric luminosity ratio of 10(-3.44). These are typical values for late M-type stars. Because the interior of brown dwarfs may be similar to that of convective late-type stars, which are well-known x-ray sources, x-ray emission from brown dwarfs may indicate magnetic activity.

The observed distribution of spectroscopic binaries from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenkins, J. S.; Díaz, M.; Jones, H. R. A.; Butler, R. P.; Tinney, C. G.; O'Toole, S. J.; Carter, B. D.; Wittenmyer, R. A.; Pinfield, D. J.

2015-10-01

We report the detection of sixteen binary systems from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search. Solutions to the radial velocity data indicate that the stars have companions orbiting with a wide range of masses, eccentricities and periods. Three of the systems potentially contain brown-dwarf companions while another two have eccentricities that place them in the extreme upper tail of the eccentricity distribution for binaries with periods less than 1000 d. For periods up to 12 years, the distribution of our stellar companion masses is fairly flat, mirroring that seen in other radial velocity surveys, and contrasts sharply with the current distribution of candidate planetary masses, which rises strongly below 10 MJ. When looking at a larger sample of binaries that have FGK star primaries as a function of the primary star metallicity, we find that the distribution maintains a binary fraction of ˜43 ± 4 per cent between -1.0 and +0.6 dex in metallicity. This is in stark contrast to the giant exoplanet distribution. This result is in good agreement with binary formation models that invoke fragmentation of a collapsing giant molecular cloud, suggesting that this is the dominant formation mechanism for close binaries and not fragmentation of the primary star's remnant protoplanetary disc.

A search for cataclysmic binaries containing strongly magnetic white dwarfs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bond, H. E.; Chanmugam, G.

1982-01-01

The AM Herculis type binaries which contain accreting white dwarfs with surface magnetic fields of a few times 10 to the seventh power gauss were studied. If white dwarfs in cataclysmic binaries have a range of field strengths similar to that among single white dwarfs. AM Her like systems should exist with fields as high as 3 x 10 to the eighth power gauss. It is suggested that such objects will not have the strong optical polarization of the AM Her variables; however, they exhibit high harmonic cyclotron emission, making them spectacular UV sources. We made IUE observations of seven candidate cataclysmic variables selected for optical similarity to AM Her binaries. Although all seven objects were detected in the UV, none display unusually strong UV continua. It is suggested that the distribution of magnetic field strengths among single white dwarfs may be different from that among binaries.

Uniform Atmospheric Retrieval Analysis of Ultracool Dwarfs. II. Properties of 11 T dwarfs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Line, Michael R.; Marley, Mark S.; Freedman, Richard

Brown dwarf spectra are rich in information revealing of the chemical and physical processes operating in their atmospheres. We apply a recently developed atmospheric retrieval tool to an ensemble of late-T dwarf (600–800 K) near-infrared (1–2.5 μ m) spectra. With these spectra we are able to directly constrain the molecular abundances for the first time of H{sub 2}O, CH{sub 4}, CO, CO{sub 2}, NH{sub 3}, H{sub 2}S, and Na+K, surface gravity, effective temperature, thermal structure, photometric radius, and cloud optical depths. We find that ammonia, water, methane, and the alkali metals are present and that their abundances are well constrainedmore » in all 11 objects. We find no significant trend in the water, methane, or ammonia abundances with temperature, but find a very strong (>25 σ ) decreasing trend in the alkali metal abundances with decreasing effective temperature, indicative of alkali rainout. As expected from previous work, we also find little evidence for optically thick clouds. With the methane and water abundances, we derive the intrinsic atmospheric metallicity and carbon-to-oxygen ratios. We find in our sample that metallicities are typically subsolar (−0.4 < [ M /H] < 0.1 dex) and carbon-to-oxygen ratios are somewhat supersolar (0.4 < C/O < 1.2), different than expectations from the local stellar population. We also find that the retrieved vertical thermal profiles are consistent with radiative equilibrium over the photospheric regions. Finally, we find that our retrieved effective temperatures are lower than previous inferences for some objects and that some of our radii are larger than expectations from evolutionary models, possibly indicative of unresolved binaries. This investigation and method represent a new and powerful paradigm for using spectra to determine the fundamental chemical and physical processes governing cool brown dwarf atmospheres.« less

A coronagraphic search for brown dwarfs around nearby stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakajima, T.; Durrance, S. T.; Golimowski, D. A.; Kulkarni, S. R.

1994-01-01

Brown dwarf companions have been searched for around stars within 10 pc of the Sun using the Johns-Hopkins University Adaptive Optics Coronagraph (AOC), a stellar coronagraph with an image stabilizer. The AOC covers the field around the target star with a minimum search radius of 1 sec .5 and a field of view of 1 arcmin sq. We have reached an unprecedented dynamic range of Delta m = 13 in our search for faint companions at I band. Comparison of our survey with other brown dwarf searches shows that the AOC technique is unique in its dynamic range while at the same time just as sensitive to brown dwarfs as the recent brown dwarf surveys. The present survey covered 24 target stars selected from the Gliese catalog. A total of 94 stars were detected in 16 fields. The low-latitude fields are completely dominated by background star contamination. Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests were carried out for a sample restricted to high latitudes and a sample with small angular separations. The high-latitude sample (b greater than or equal to 44 deg) appears to show spatial concentration toward target stars. The small separation sample (Delta Theta less than 20 sec) shows weaker dependence on Galactic coordinates than field stars. These statistical tests suggest that both the high-latitude sample and the small separation sample can include a substantial fraction of true companions. However, the nature of these putative companions is mysterious. They are too faint to be white dwarfs and too blue for brown dwarfs. Ignoring the signif icance of the statistical tests, we can reconcile most of the detections with distant main-sequence stars or white dwarfs except for a candidate next to GL 475. Given the small size of our sample, we conclude that considerably more targets need to be surveyed before a firm conclusion on the possibility of a new class of companions can be made.

High-Resolution Infrared Spectroscopic Observations of the Upper Scorpius Eclipsing Binary EPIC 203868608

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Marshall C.; Mace, Gregory N.; Kim, Hwihyun; Kaplan, Kyle; McLane, Jacob; Sokal, Kimberly R.

2017-06-01

EPIC 203868608 is a source in the ~10 Myr old Upper Scorpius OB association. Using K2 photometry and ground-based follow-up observations, David et al. (2016) found that it consists of two brown dwarfs with a tertiary object at a projected separation of ~20 AU; the former objects appear to be a double-lined eclipsing binary with a period of 4.5 days. This is one of only two known eclipsing SB2s where both components are below the hydrogen-burning limit. We present additional follow-up observations of this system from the IGRINS high-resolution near-infrared spectrograph at McDonald Observatory. Our measured radial velocities do not follow the orbital solution presented by David et al. (2016). Instead, our combined IGRINS plus literature radial velocity dataset appears to indicate a period significantly different than that of the eclipsing binary obvious from the K2 light curve. We will discuss possible scenarios to account for the conflicting observations of this system.

Discovery of a Highly Unequal-mass Binary T Dwarf with Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics: A Coevality Test of Substellar Theoretical Models and Effective Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Michael C.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Leggett, S. K.

2010-10-01

Highly unequal-mass ratio binaries are rare among field brown dwarfs, with the mass ratio distribution of the known census described by q (4.9±0.7). However, such systems enable a unique test of the joint accuracy of evolutionary and atmospheric models, under the constraint of coevality for the individual components (the "isochrone test"). We carry out this test using two of the most extreme field substellar binaries currently known, the T1 + T6 epsilon Ind Bab binary and a newly discovered 0farcs14 T2.0 + T7.5 binary, 2MASS J12095613-1004008AB, identified with Keck laser guide star adaptive optics. The latter is the most extreme tight binary resolved to date (q ≈ 0.5). Based on the locations of the binary components on the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram, current models successfully indicate that these two systems are coeval, with internal age differences of log(age) = -0.8 ± 1.3(-1.0+1.2 -1.3) dex and 0.5+0.4 -0.3(0.3+0.3 -0.4) dex for 2MASS J1209-1004AB and epsilon Ind Bab, respectively, as inferred from the Lyon (Tucson) models. However, the total mass of epsilon Ind Bab derived from the H-R diagram (≈ 80 M Jup using the Lyon models) is strongly discrepant with the reported dynamical mass. This problem, which is independent of the assumed age of the epsilon Ind Bab system, can be explained by a ≈ 50-100 K systematic error in the model atmosphere fitting, indicating slightly warmer temperatures for both components; bringing the mass determinations from the H-R diagram and the visual orbit into consistency leads to an inferred age of ≈ 6 Gyr for epsilon Ind Bab, older than previously assumed. Overall, the two T dwarf binaries studied here, along with recent results from T dwarfs in age and mass benchmark systems, yield evidence for small (≈100 K) errors in the evolutionary models and/or model atmospheres, but not significantly larger. Future parallax, resolved spectroscopy, and dynamical mass measurements for 2MASS J1209-1004AB will enable a more stringent application of the isochrone test. Finally, the binary nature of this object reduces its utility as the primary T3 near-IR spectral typing standard; we suggest SDSS J1206+2813 as a replacement. Most of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

First Detection of a Strong Magnetic Field on a Bursty Brown Dwarf: Puzzle Solved

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berdyugina, S. V.; Harrington, D. M.; Kuzmychov, O.; Kuhn, J. R.; Hallinan, G.; Kowalski, A. F.; Hawley, S. L.

2017-09-01

We report the first direct detection of a strong, 5 kG magnetic field on the surface of an active brown dwarf. LSR J1835+3259 is an M8.5 dwarf exhibiting transient radio and optical emission bursts modulated by fast rotation. We have detected the surface magnetic field as circularly polarized signatures in the 819 nm sodium lines when an active emission region faced the Earth. Modeling Stokes profiles of these lines reveals the effective temperature of 2800 K and log gravity acceleration of 4.5. These parameters place LSR J1835+3259 on evolutionary tracks as a young brown dwarf with the mass of 55+/- 4{M}{{J}} and age of 22 ± 4 Myr. Its magnetic field is at least 5.1 kG and covers at least 11% of the visible hemisphere. The active region topology recovered using line profile inversions comprises hot plasma loops with a vertical stratification of optical and radio emission sources. These loops rotate with the dwarf in and out of view causing periodic emission bursts. The magnetic field is detected at the base of the loops. This is the first time that we can quantitatively associate brown dwarf non-thermal bursts with a strong, 5 kG surface magnetic field and solve the puzzle of their driving mechanism. This is also the coolest known dwarf with such a strong surface magnetic field. The young age of LSR J1835+3259 implies that it may still maintain a disk, which may facilitate bursts via magnetospheric accretion, like in higher-mass T Tau-type stars. Our results pave a path toward magnetic studies of brown dwarfs and hot Jupiters.

Infrared rotational light curves on Jupiter induced by wave activities and cloud patterns andimplications on brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Huazhi; Zhang, Xi; Fletcher, Leigh; Orton, Glenn S.; Sinclair, James Andrew; Fernandes,, Joshua; Momary, Thomas W.; Warren, Ari; Kasaba, Yasumasa; Sato, Takao M.; Fujiyoshi, Takuya

2017-10-01

Many brown dwarfs exhibit infrared rotational light curves with amplitude varying from a fewpercent to twenty percent (Artigau et al. 2009, ApJ, 701, 1534; Radigan et al. 2012, ApJ, 750,105). Recently, it was claimed that weather patterns, especially planetary-scale waves in thebelts and cloud spots, are responsible for the light curves and their evolutions on brown dwarfs(Apai et al. 2017, Science, 357, 683). Here we present a clear relationship between the direct IRemission maps and light curves of Jupiter at multiple wavelengths, which might be similar withthat on cold brown dwarfs. Based on infrared disk maps from Subaru/COMICS and VLT/VISIR,we constructed full maps of Jupiter and rotational light curves at different wavelengths in thethermal infrared. We discovered a strong relationship between the light curves and weatherpatterns on Jupiter. The light curves also exhibit strong multi-bands phase shifts and temporalvariations, similar to that detected on brown dwarfs. Together with the spectra fromTEXES/IRTF, our observations further provide detailed information of the spatial variations oftemperature, ammonia clouds and aerosols in the troposphere of Jupiter (Fletcher et al. 2016,Icarus, 2016 128) and their influences on the shapes of the light curves. We conclude that waveactivities in Jupiter’s belts (Fletcher et al. 2017, GRL, 44, 7140), cloud holes, and long-livedvortices such as the Great Red Spot and ovals control the shapes of IR light curves and multi-wavelength phase shifts on Jupiter. Our finding supports the hypothesis that observed lightcurves on brown dwarfs are induced by planetary-scale waves and cloud spots.

Exoplanet Meteorology: Characterizing the Atmospheres of Directly Imaged Sub-Stellar Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajan, Abhijith; Gemini Planet Imager, Extrasolar Planets and Systems Imaging Group

2018-01-01

I study the structure, composition and dynamic evolution of directly imaged exoplanet and brown dwarf atmospheres, using spectrophotometric data collected from a range of ground and space based instrumentation. As part of my dissertation, I led studies exploring the atmospheres of brown dwarfs to search for weather variations, and characterized the near and mid infrared SEDs of imaged exoplanets to estimate their fundamental parameters. To understand the evolution of weather on brown dwarfs we conducted a multi-epoch study monitoring of 4 ultracool, T5 - Y0, brown dwarfs in the J-band to search for photometric variability. These cool brown dwarfs are predicted to have salt and sulfide clouds condensing in their upper atmosphere. The study found that cool brown dwarfs, fit with higher opacity clouds, were more likely to be variable. Through data taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and Gemini telescope we characterized the atmospheres of directly imaged exoplanets. For HR 8799, in near IR wavelengths unobservable from the ground, we constrained the presence of clouds in the outer planets. As a member of the Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey team, I analyzed archival HST data and examined the near-infrared colors of HD 106906b as seen with GPI, concluding that the companion shows weak evidence of a circumplanetary dust disk or cloud. Finally, by combining data spanning 1 - 5 um for the low mass Jupiter-like exoplanet, 51 Eri b, we found a cool effective temperature best fit by a patchy cloud atmosphere. This makes the planet an excellent candidate for future variability studies with the James Webb Space Telescope.

A Universal Spin–Mass Relation for Brown Dwarfs and Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholz, Aleks; Moore, Keavin; Jayawardhana, Ray; Aigrain, Suzanne; Peterson, Dawn; Stelzer, Beate

2018-06-01

While brown dwarfs show similarities to stars early in their lives, their spin evolutions are much more akin to those of planets. We have used light curves from the K2 mission to measure new rotation periods for 18 young brown dwarfs in the Taurus star-forming region. Our sample spans masses from 0.02 to 0.08 M ⊙ and has been characterized extensively in the past. To search for periods, we utilize three different methods (autocorrelation, periodogram, Gaussian processes). The median period for brown dwarfs with disks is twice as long as for those without (3.1 versus 1.6 days), a signature of rotational braking by the disk, albeit with small numbers. With an overall median period of 1.9 days, brown dwarfs in Taurus rotate slower than their counterparts in somewhat older (3–10 Myr) star-forming regions, consistent with spin-up of the latter due to contraction and angular momentum conservation, a clear sign that disk braking overall is inefficient and/or temporary in this mass domain. We confirm the presence of a linear increase of the typical rotation period as a function of mass in the substellar regime. The rotational velocities, when calculated forward to the age of the solar system, assuming angular momentum conservation, fit the known spin–mass relation for solar system planets and extra-solar planetary-mass objects. This spin–mass trend holds over six orders of magnitude in mass, including objects from several different formation paths. Our result implies that brown dwarfs by and large retain their primordial angular momentum through the first few Myr of their evolution.

Cold and Quick: a Fast-Moving Brown Dwarf

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-04-25

This frame from an animation shows the coldest brown dwarf yet seen, and the fourth closest system to our sun. Called WISE J085510.83-071442.5, this dim object was discovered through its rapid motion across the sky.

Measuring the Number of M Dwarfs per M Dwarf Using Kepler Eclipsing Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Yutong; Johnson, John A.; Morton, Timothy D.

2015-11-01

We measure the binarity of detached M dwarfs in the Kepler field with orbital periods in the range of 1-90 days. Kepler’s photometric precision and nearly continuous monitoring of stellar targets over time baselines ranging from 3 months to 4 years make its detection efficiency for eclipsing binaries nearly complete over this period range and for all radius ratios. Our investigation employs a statistical framework akin to that used for inferring planetary occurrence rates from planetary transits. The obvious simplification is that eclipsing binaries have a vastly improved detection efficiency that is limited chiefly by their geometric probabilities to eclipse. For the M-dwarf sample observed by the Kepler Mission, the fractional incidence of eclipsing binaries implies that there are {0.11}-0.04+0.02 close stellar companions per apparently single M dwarf. Our measured binarity is higher than previous inferences of the occurrence rate of close binaries via radial velocity techniques, at roughly the 2σ level. This study represents the first use of eclipsing binary detections from a high quality transiting planet mission to infer binary statistics. Application of this statistical framework to the eclipsing binaries discovered by future transit surveys will establish better constraints on short-period M+M binary rate, as well as binarity measurements for stars of other spectral types.

Students Use VLA to Make Startling Brown-Dwarf Discovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2001-03-01

A group of summer students making a long-shot astronomical gamble with the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Very Large Array (VLA) have found the first radio emission ever detected from a brown dwarf, an enigmatic object that is neither a star nor a planet, but something in between. Their surprising discovery is forcing experts to re-think their theories about how brown dwarfs work. The Very Large Array "Many astronomers are surprised at this discovery, because they didn't expect such strong radio emission from this object," said Shri Kulkarni, a Caltech professor who was on the team that first discovered a brown dwarf in 1995, and advisor to one of the students. "What is so cool is that this is research that probably nobody else would have tried to do because of its low chance of success. That made it ideal for summer students -- we had almost nothing to lose," said Kate Becker, a student at Oberlin College in Ohio. "The radio emission these students discovered coming from this brown dwarf is 10,000 times stronger than anyone expected," said Dale Frail, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Socorro, NM. "This student project is going to open up a whole new area of research for the VLA," Frail added. The students, in addition to Becker, are: Edo Berger from Caltech; Steven Ball from New Mexico Tech in Socorro, NM; Melanie Clarke from Carleton College in Northfield, MN; Therese Fukuda from the University of Denver; Ian Hoffman from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque; Richard Mellon from The Pennsylvania State University; Emmanuel Momjian from the University of Kentucky; Nathanial Murphy from Amherst College in Amherst, MA; Stacey Teng from the University of Maryland; Timothy Woodruff from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX; Ashley Zauderer from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA; and Robert Zavala from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM. Frail also is an author of the research paper, published in the March 15 edition of the scientific journal Nature. Berger, Hoffman, Momjian and Murphy are graduate students, and the rest were participants in the NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. The 14 students spent last summer working with NRAO scientists in Socorro. While each student had their own scientist-mentor, the VLA summer students also traditionally receive some VLA observing time for a collaborative project of their own. They sought ideas for their project from the NRAO staff, and, when they asked Frail, he suggested that they look at the latest research result from the recently-launched Chandra X-ray satellite. The students went to the Chandra World Wide Web site, and found that the satellite had detected an X-ray flare from the brown dwarf LP944-20. "We did some background reading, and realized that, based on predictions, the brown dwarf would be unobservable with the VLA, but we decided to try it anyway," said Berger. "Everybody we talked to said there was almost no chance that we'd see anything at all," said Becker. "They added, though, that it would be really exciting if we did," she said. The students had been given three hours of VLA observing time for their project. They used an hour and a half of it on the brown dwarf. The day after their observation, the students gathered at the NRAO Array Operations Center in Socorro to process their data and make their images. Berger, who had experience processing VLA data, worked alone in the same room as the other students, who were working together on another computer. Berger finished first and was shocked at his image. "I saw a bright object at the exact position of the brown dwarf, and was pretty sure I had made a mistake," Berger said. He waited for the others, who were working under the guidance of another NRAO astronomer. Ten minutes later, their image appeared on the screen, also showing the bright object at the brown dwarf's location. "We all got excited," said Berger, who then began breaking the hour and a half's worth of data up into smaller slices of time. This showed that the brown dwarf's radio emission had risen to a strong peak, then weakened. That meant that the star had undergone a flare. "Then we got real excited," Berger said. They immediately sought and received more observing time, ultimately capturing two more flares. "They got very lucky," Frail said. "The thing flared during their observation. Other astronomers had looked for radio emission from brown dwarfs and not found any. This one flared at just the right time," Frail added. "It was just an incredible fluke that we found it," said Becker. Brown dwarfs are too big to be planets but too small to be true stars, as they have too little mass to trigger hydrogen fusion reactions at their cores, the source of the energy output in larger stars. With roughly 15 to 80 times the mass of Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System, brown dwarfs had long been thought to exist. Actually finding them, however, proved difficult. After decades of searching, astronomers found the first brown dwarf in 1995, and a few dozen now are known. The strong radio emission was unexpected because brown dwarfs, according to conventional theories, are not supposed to have magnetic fields strong enough to generate the radio emission. "The presumed internal structure of a brown dwarf will not permit a strong enough magnetic field," said Frail. "It looks like we're going to have to re-examine how we believe brown dwarfs work," he said. "The mere fact that they detected radio emission is remarkable," said Tim Bastian, an astronomer at the NRAO in Charlottesville, Virginia, who added that this object "will likely have something to teach us." "We're going to have to study this and other brown dwarfs more extensively with the VLA to answer the questions raised by our summer students' discovery," Frail said. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Discovery of radio emission from the brown dwarf LP944-20.

PubMed

Berger, E; Ball, S; Becker, K M; Clarke, M; Frail, D A; Fukuda, T A; Hoffman, I M; Mellon, R; Momjian, E; Murphy, N W; Teng, S H; Woodruff, T; Zauderer, B A; Zavala, R T

2001-03-15

Brown dwarfs are not massive enough to sustain thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen at their centres, but are distinguished from gas-giant planets by their ability to burn deuterium. Brown dwarfs older than approximately 10 Myr are expected to possess short-lived magnetic fields and to emit radio and X-rays only very weakly from their coronae. An X-ray flare was recently detected on the brown dwarf LP944-20, whereas previous searches for optical activity (and one X-ray search) yielded negative results. Here we report the discovery of quiescent and flaring radio emission from LP944-20, with luminosities several orders of magnitude larger than predicted by the empirical relation between the X-ray and radio luminosities that has been found for many types of stars. Interpreting the radio data within the context of synchrotron emission, we show that LP944-20 has an unusually weak magnetic field in comparison to active M-dwarf stars, which might explain the previous null optical and X-ray results, as well as the strength of the radio emissions compared to those at X-ray wavelengths.

Mapping the Substellar Mass-Luminosity Relation Down to the L/T Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupuy, Trent

2016-10-01

Substellar models underpin our theoretical understanding of brown dwarfs and gas-giant exoplanets, so assessing their accuracy is paramount. The past several years have seen progress in testing models thanks to a growing number of dynamical (total) masses for brown dwarf binaries determined via (relative) orbit monitoring from ground-based AO. However, the strongest tests of models require individual masses, particularly for calibrating the mass-luminosity relation. This is poorly constrained over the range of spectral types most influenced by clouds (mid-L to early-T). Given the observed prevalence of clouds in the atmospheres of directly imaged planets, testing models at such temperatures is crucial.We propose a 3-year program to obtain individual masses for a sample of 11 substellar binaries. Our proposal builds on nearly a decade of orbital monitoring from the ground to measure dynamical total masses. Our goal is thus to measure precise mass ratios, utilizing HST's unique wide-field, high-angular resolution astrometric capabilities. We will obtain WFC3-UVIS images capturing our targets and numerous reference stars so that we can measure the relative amount of orbital motion in each component to determine mass ratios. Three of our targets have I-band photocenter orbits measured at USNO and VLT and thus only require one epoch of resolved I-band imaging to unlock individual masses. We will use this first large sample of substellar individual masses to map out the mass-luminosity relation over a wide range of temperatures (1000-2000 K) including the L/T transition. This will become a touchstone sample for tests of ultracool atmospheric models in the era of JWST.

Mapping the Substellar Mass-Luminosity Relation Down to the L/T Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupuy, Trent

2017-08-01

Substellar models underpin our theoretical understanding of brown dwarfs and gas-giant exoplanets, so assessing their accuracy is paramount. The past several years have seen progress in testing models thanks to a growing number of dynamical (total) masses for brown dwarf binaries determined via (relative) orbit monitoring from ground-based AO. However, the strongest tests of models require individual masses, particularly for calibrating the mass-luminosity relation. This is poorly constrained over the range of spectral types most influenced by clouds (mid-L to early-T). Given the observed prevalence of clouds in the atmospheres of directly imaged planets, testing models at such temperatures is crucial.We propose a 3-year program to obtain individual masses for a sample of 11 substellar binaries. Our proposal builds on nearly a decade of orbital monitoring from the ground to measure dynamical total masses. Our goal is thus to measure precise mass ratios, utilizing HST's unique wide-field, high-angular resolution astrometric capabilities. We will obtain WFC3-UVIS images capturing our targets and numerous reference stars so that we can measure the relative amount of orbital motion in each component to determine mass ratios. Three of our targets have I-band photocenter orbits measured at USNO and VLT and thus only require one epoch of resolved I-band imaging to unlock individual masses. We will use this first large sample of substellar individual masses to map out the mass-luminosity relation over a wide range of temperatures (1000-2000 K) including the L/T transition. This will become a touchstone sample for tests of ultracool atmospheric models in the era of JWST.

Isolated and companion young brown dwarfs in the taurus and chamaeleon molecular clouds

PubMed

Tamura; Itoh; Oasa; Nakajima

1998-11-06

Infrared imaging observations have detected a dozen faint young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Taurus and Chamaeleon molecular clouds whose near-infrared colors are similar to those of classical T Tauri stars (TTS). They are around four magnitudes fainter than low-luminosity YSOs in Taurus detected in earlier surveys and as much as eight magnitudes fainter than typical TTS. The extreme faintness of the objects and their lower luminosity relative to previously identified brown dwarfs in the Pleiades indicate that these faint YSOs are very young brown dwarfs on the order of 1 million years old.

A search for lithium in Pleiades brown dwarf candidates using the Keck hires echelle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marcy, Geoffrey W.; Basri, Gibor; Graham, James R.

1994-01-01

We report Keck Observatory high-resolution echelle spectra of lithium at 670.8 nm in two of the lowest luminosity brown dwarf candidates in the Pleiades. These objects have estimated masses of 0.055 to 0.059 solar mass from their location on a color-magnitude diagram relative to theoretical isochrones. Stellar interior models predict that Li has not burned in them. However, we find no evidence of the Li line, at limits 100 to 1000 times below the initial abundance. This indicates that Li has in fact been depleted, presumably by nuclear processing as occurs in Pleiades stars. Interior models suggest that such large Li depletion occurs only for objects with M greater than 0.09 solar mass at the age of the Pleiades. Thus, it is unlikely that the candidates are brown dwarfs. The brown dwarf candidates present a conflict: either they have masses greater than suggested from their placement on the H-R diagram, or they do have the very low suggested masses but are nonetheless capable of destroying Li, in only 70 Myr. Until this dilemma is resolved, the photometric identification of brown dwarfs will remain difficult. Resolution may reside in higher T(sub eff) derived from optical and IR colors or in lower T(sub eff) in the interior models.

The First Brown Dwarf Discovered by the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 Citizen Science Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuchner, Marc J.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Schneider, Adam C.; Meisner, Aaron M.; Filippazzo, Joseph C.; Gagné, Jonathan; Trouille, Laura; Silverberg, Steven M.; Castro, Rosa; Fletcher, Bob; Mokaev, Khasan; Stajic, Tamara

2017-06-01

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is a powerful tool for finding nearby brown dwarfs and searching for new planets in the outer solar system, especially with the incorporation of NEOWISE and NEOWISE-Reactivation data. However, so far, searches for brown dwarfs in WISE data have yet to take advantage of the full depth of the WISE images. To efficiently search this unexplored space via visual inspection, we have launched a new citizen science project, called “Backyard Worlds: Planet 9,” which asks volunteers to examine short animations composed of difference images constructed from time-resolved WISE coadds. We report the first new substellar object discovered by this project, WISEA J110125.95+540052.8, a T5.5 brown dwarf located approximately 34 pc from the Sun with a total proper motion of ˜0.″7 {{yr}}-1. WISEA J110125.95+540052.8 has a WISE W2 magnitude of W2=15.37+/- 0.09; our sensitivity to this source demonstrates the ability of citizen scientists to identify moving objects via visual inspection that are 0.9 mag fainter than the W2 single-exposure sensitivity, a threshold that has limited prior motion-based brown dwarf searches with WISE.

THREE NEW ECLIPSING WHITE-DWARF-M-DWARF BINARIES DISCOVERED IN A SEARCH FOR TRANSITING PLANETS AROUND M-DWARFS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Law, Nicholas M.; Kraus, Adam L.; Street, Rachel

2012-10-01

We present three new eclipsing white-dwarf/M-dwarf binary systems discovered during a search for transiting planets around M-dwarfs. Unlike most known eclipsing systems of this type, the optical and infrared emission is dominated by the M-dwarf components, and the systems have optical colors and discovery light curves consistent with being Jupiter-radius transiting planets around early M-dwarfs. We detail the PTF/M-dwarf transiting planet survey, part of the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). We present a graphics processing unit (GPU)-based box-least-squares search for transits that runs approximately 8 Multiplication-Sign faster than similar algorithms implemented on general purpose systems. For the discovered systems, we decomposemore » low-resolution spectra of the systems into white-dwarf and M-dwarf components, and use radial velocity measurements and cooling models to estimate masses and radii for the white dwarfs. The systems are compact, with periods between 0.35 and 0.45 days and semimajor axes of approximately 2 R{sub Sun} (0.01 AU). The M-dwarfs have masses of approximately 0.35 M{sub Sun }, and the white dwarfs have hydrogen-rich atmospheres with temperatures of around 8000 K and have masses of approximately 0.5 M{sub Sun }. We use the Robo-AO laser guide star adaptive optics system to tentatively identify one of the objects as a triple system. We also use high-cadence photometry to put an upper limit on the white-dwarf radius of 0.025 R{sub Sun} (95% confidence) in one of the systems. Accounting for our detection efficiency and geometric factors, we estimate that 0.08%{sub -0.05%}{sup +0.10%} (90% confidence) of M-dwarfs are in these short-period, post-common-envelope white-dwarf/M-dwarf binaries where the optical light is dominated by the M-dwarf. The lack of detections at shorter periods, despite near-100% detection efficiency for such systems, suggests that binaries including these relatively low-temperature white dwarfs are preferentially found at relatively large orbital radii. Similar eclipsing binary systems can have arbitrarily small eclipse depths in red bands and generate plausible small-planet-transit light curves. As such, these systems are a source of false positives for M-dwarf transiting planet searches. We present several ways to rapidly distinguish these binaries from transiting planet systems.« less

Characterizing the Cool KOIs. VII. Refined Physical Properties of the Transiting Brown Dwarf LHS 6343 C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montet, Benjamin T.; Johnson, John Asher; Muirhead, Philip S.; Villar, Ashley; Vassallo, Corinne; Baranec, Christoph; Law, Nicholas M.; Riddle, Reed; Marcy, Geoffrey W.; Howard, Andrew W.; Isaacson, Howard

2015-02-01

We present an updated analysis of LHS 6343, a triple system in the Kepler field which consists of a brown dwarf transiting one member of a widely separated M+M binary system. By analyzing the full Kepler data set and 34 Keck/HIgh Resolution Echelle Spectrometer radial velocity observations, we measure both the observed transit depth and Doppler semiamplitude to 0.5% precision. With Robo-AO and Palomar/PHARO adaptive optics imaging as well as TripleSpec spectroscopy, we measure a model-dependent mass for LHS 6343 C of 62.1 ± 1.2 M Jup and a radius of 0.783 ± 0.011 R Jup. We detect the secondary eclipse in the Kepler data at 3.5σ, measuring ecos ω = 0.0228 ± 0.0008. We also derive a method to measure the mass and radius of a star and transiting companion directly, without any direct reliance on stellar models. The mass and radius of both objects depend only on the orbital period, stellar density, reduced semimajor axis, Doppler semiamplitude, eccentricity, and inclination, as well as the knowledge that the primary star falls on the main sequence. With this method, we calculate a mass and radius for LHS 6343 C to a precision of 3% and 2%, respectively.

UNIFORM ATMOSPHERIC RETRIEVAL ANALYSIS OF ULTRACOOL DWARFS. I. CHARACTERIZING BENCHMARKS, Gl 570D AND HD 3651B

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Line, Michael R.; Fortney, Jonathan J.; Teske, Johanna

Interpreting the spectra of brown dwarfs is key to determining the fundamental physical and chemical processes occurring in their atmospheres. Powerful Bayesian atmospheric retrieval tools have recently been applied to both exoplanet and brown dwarf spectra to tease out the thermal structures and molecular abundances to understand those processes. In this manuscript we develop a significantly upgraded retrieval method and apply it to the SpeX spectral library data of two benchmark late T dwarfs, Gl 570D and HD 3651B, to establish the validity of our upgraded forward model parameterization and Bayesian estimator. Our retrieved metallicities, gravities, and effective temperatures are consistentmore » with the metallicity and presumed ages of the systems. We add the carbon-to-oxygen ratio as a new dimension to benchmark systems and find good agreement between carbon-to-oxygen ratios derived in the brown dwarfs and the host stars. Furthermore, we have for the first time unambiguously determined the presence of ammonia in the low-resolution spectra of these two late T dwarfs. We also show that the retrieved results are not significantly impacted by the possible presence of clouds, though some quantities are significantly impacted by uncertainties in photometry. This investigation represents a watershed study in establishing the utility of atmospheric retrieval approaches on brown dwarf spectra.« less

Wolf 1130: A Nearby Triple System Containing a Cool, Ultramassive White Dwarf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mace, Gregory N.; Mann, Andrew W.; Skiff, Brian A.; Sneden, Christopher; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Schneider, Adam C.; Kidder, Benjamin; Gosnell, Natalie M.; Kim, Hwihyun; Mulligan, Brian W.; Prato, L.; Jaffe, Daniel

2018-02-01

Following the discovery of the T8 subdwarf WISE J200520.38+542433.9 (Wolf 1130C), which has a proper motion in common with a binary (Wolf 1130AB) consisting of an M subdwarf and a white dwarf, we set out to learn more about the old binary in the system. We find that the A and B components of Wolf 1130 are tidally locked, which is revealed by the coherence of more than a year of V-band photometry phase-folded to the derived orbital period of 0.4967 days. Forty new high-resolution, near-infrared spectra obtained with the Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrometer provide radial velocities and a projected rotational velocity (v sin i) of 14.7 ± 0.7 {km} {{{s}}}-1 for the M subdwarf. In tandem with a Gaia parallax-derived radius and verified tidal locking, we calculate an inclination of i = 29° ± 2°. From the single-lined orbital solution and the inclination we derive an absolute mass for the unseen primary ({1.24}-0.15+0.19 M ⊙). Its non-detection between 0.2 and 2.5 μm implies that it is an old (>3.7 Gyr) and cool (T eff < 7000 K) ONe white dwarf. This is the first ultramassive white dwarf within 25 pc. The evolution of Wolf 1130AB into a cataclysmic variable is inevitable, making it a potential SN Ia progenitor. The formation of a triple system with a primary mass >100 times the tertiary mass and the survival of the system through the common-envelope phase, where ∼80% of the system mass was lost, is remarkable. Our analysis of Wolf 1130 allows us to infer its formation and evolutionary history, which has unique implications for understanding low-mass star and brown dwarf formation around intermediate-mass stars.

Reigning Title-Holder for Coldest Brown Dwarf

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-08-23

NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer has uncovered the coldest brown dwarf known so far green dot in very center of this infrared image. WISE 1828+2650 is located in the constellation Lyra. The blue dots are a mix of stars and galaxies.

Observations of Disks around Brown Dwarfs in the TW Hydra Association with the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrow, A. L.; Luhman, K. L.; Espaillat, C.; D'Alessio, P.; Adame, L.; Calvet, N.; Forrest, W. J.; Sargent, B.; Hartmann, L.; Watson, D. M.; Bohac, C. J.

2008-04-01

Using SpeX at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph, we have obtained infrared spectra from 0.7 to 40 μm for three young brown dwarfs in the TW Hydra association (τ ~ 10 Myr), 2MASSW J1207334-393254, 2MASSW J1139511-315921, and SSSPM J1102-3431. The spectral energy distribution for 2MASSW J1139511-315921 is consistent with a stellar photosphere for the entire wavelength range of our data, whereas the other two objects exhibit significant excess emission at λ > 5μm. We are able to reproduce the excess emission from each brown dwarf using our models of irradiated accretion disks. According to our model fits, both disks have experienced a high degree of dust settling. We also find that silicate emission at 10 and 20 μm is absent from the spectra of these disks, indicating that grains in the upper disk layers have grown to sizes larger than ~5 μm. Both of these characteristics are consistent with previous observations of decreasing silicate emission with lower stellar masses and older ages. These trends suggest that either (1) the growth of dust grains, and perhaps planetesimal formation, occurs faster in disks around brown dwarfs than in disks around stars or (2) the radii of the mid-IR-emitting regions of disks are smaller for brown dwarfs than for stars, and grains grow faster at smaller disk radii. Finally, we note the possible detection of an unexplained emission feature near 14 μm in the spectra of both of the disk-bearing brown dwarfs. Based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology under NASA contract 1407.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parsons, S. G.; Marsh, T. R.; Gaensicke, B. T.

Using Liverpool Telescope+RISE photometry we identify the 2.78 hr period binary star CSS 41177 as a detached eclipsing double white dwarf binary with a 21,100 K primary star and a 10,500 K secondary star. This makes CSS 41177 only the second known eclipsing double white dwarf binary after NLTT 11748. The 2 minute long primary eclipse is 40% deep and the secondary eclipse 10% deep. From Gemini+GMOS spectroscopy, we measure the radial velocities of both components of the binary from the H{alpha} absorption line cores. These measurements, combined with the light curve information, yield white dwarf masses of M{sub 1}more » = 0.283 {+-} 0.064 M{sub sun} and M{sub 2} = 0.274 {+-} 0.034 M{sub sun}, making them both helium core white dwarfs. As an eclipsing, double-lined spectroscopic binary, CSS 41177 is ideally suited to measuring precise, model-independent masses and radii. The two white dwarfs will merge in roughly 1.1 Gyr to form a single sdB star.« less

An expanded set of brown dwarf and very low mass star models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burrows, A.; Hubbard, W. B.; Saumon, D.; Lunine, J. I.

1993-01-01

We present in this paper updated and improved theoretical models of brown dwarfs and late M dwarfs. The evolution and characteristics of objects between 0.01 and 0.2 solar mass are exhaustively investigated and special emphasis is placed on their properties at early ages. The dependence on the helium fraction, deuterium fraction, and metallicity of the masses, effective temperature and luminosities at the edge of the hydrogen main sequence are calculated. We derive luminosity functions for representative mass functions and compare our predictions to recent cluster data. We show that there are distinctive features in the theoretical luminosity functions that can serve as diagnostics of brown dwarf physics. A zero-metallicity model is presented as a bound to or approximation of a putative extreme halo population.

Optical Searches for Baryonic Dark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graff, David Steven

1997-08-01

Microlensing results suggest that a good fraction of the halo is composed of massive chunks (0.1-1 Msolar) called MACHOs. I examine several optical searches for dim stars to constrain the local density of MACHOs. These searches show that (1) there are few red dwarfs in the galactic halo, and (2) they suggest that there are few brown dwarfs. I also find that (3) there may be sufficiently many white dwarfs in the halo to account for the microlensing results, but only if certain interesting conditions are met. (1) I examine a deep search for halo red dwarfs (Bahcall, Flynn, Gould & Kirhakos 1994). Using new stellar models and parallax observations of low mass, low metallicity stars, I find the halo red dwarf density to be <1% of the halo, while my best estimate of this value is 0.14-0.37%. (2) I derive mass functions (MF) for halo red dwarfs (the faintest hydrogen burning stars) and then extrapolate to place limits on the total mass of halo brown dwarfs (stars not quite massive enough to burn hydrogen). I find that the MF for halo red dwarfs cannot rise more quickly than 1/m2 as one approaches the hydrogen burning limit. Using recent results from star formation theory, I extrapolate the MF into the brown-dwarf regime. Likely extrapolations imply that the total mass of brown dwarfs in the halo is less than ~3% of the local mass density of the halo (~0.3% for the more realistic models I consider). My limits apply to brown dwarfs in the halo that come from the same stellar population as the red dwarfs. (3) A ground based search by Liebert, Dahn & Monet (1988) and a search of the Hubble Deep Field by Flynn, Bahcall & Gould (1996) have found no evidence for a substantial halo population of white dwarfs, implying that the putative halo population is either dim enough or sparse enough to elude detection. I use white dwarf luminosity functions calculated from various main sequence progenitor mass functions to re-examine the implications of these searches in light of recent microlensing results. I show that the minimum age of the white dwarf population depends upon assumptions regarding the initial mass function, atmospheric composition, and their total density. When I compare various theoretical white dwarf luminosity functions in which I vary these three parameters with the non detections of Liebert et al. and Flynn et al., I conclude that if white dwarfs constitute a significant portion of the halo then (I) the Universe must be 11 Gyr old and (II) they must have helium dominated atmospheres. Thus, white dwarfs could be the MACHOs and could make a significant contribution to galactic dark matter.

On the Li and Be tests for brown dwarfs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, L. A.; Rappaport, S.; Chiang, E.

1993-01-01

We present the results of stellar evolution calculations which show quantitatively how the measured abundances of Li and Be in low-mass stellar objects can be used to discriminate between brown dwarfs and low-mass main-sequence stars. The evolution of B, although less useful, is also studied. We define a transition mass range, below which at least 50 percent of the light element remains at the end of nuclear burning, and above which no more than 10 percent remains. We find that the transition mass range for Li burning is 0.059-0.062 solar mass, while for Be the range is 0.075-0.077 solar mass. Using these results, we then examine the factors (e.g., age and luminosity) that affect our ability to identify low-luminosity objects as brown dwarfs. In particular, we show that the Li test would be well suited for brown dwarf candidates located in nearby open clusters with ages in the range of 2 x 10 exp 8 to 5 x 10 exp 8 yr.

A global cloud map of the nearest known brown dwarf.

PubMed

Crossfield, I J M; Biller, B; Schlieder, J E; Deacon, N R; Bonnefoy, M; Homeier, D; Allard, F; Buenzli, E; Henning, Th; Brandner, W; Goldman, B; Kopytova, T

2014-01-30

Brown dwarfs--substellar bodies more massive than planets but not massive enough to initiate the sustained hydrogen fusion that powers self-luminous stars--are born hot and slowly cool as they age. As they cool below about 2,300 kelvin, liquid or crystalline particles composed of calcium aluminates, silicates and iron condense into atmospheric 'dust', which disappears at still cooler temperatures (around 1,300 kelvin). Models to explain this dust dispersal include both an abrupt sinking of the entire cloud deck into the deep, unobservable atmosphere and breakup of the cloud into scattered patches (as seen on Jupiter and Saturn). However, hitherto observations of brown dwarfs have been limited to globally integrated measurements, which can reveal surface inhomogeneities but cannot unambiguously resolve surface features. Here we report a two-dimensional map of a brown dwarf's surface that allows identification of large-scale bright and dark features, indicative of patchy clouds. Monitoring suggests that the characteristic timescale for the evolution of global weather patterns is approximately one day.

BANYAN. V. A SYSTEMATIC ALL-SKY SURVEY FOR NEW VERY LATE-TYPE LOW-MASS STARS AND BROWN DWARFS IN NEARBY YOUNG MOVING GROUPS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gagné, Jonathan; Lafrenière, David; Doyon, René

2015-01-10

We present the BANYAN All-Sky Survey (BASS) catalog, consisting of 228 new late-type (M4-L6) candidate members of nearby young moving groups (YMGs) with an expected false-positive rate of ∼13%. This sample includes 79 new candidate young brown dwarfs and 22 planetary-mass objects. These candidates were identified through the first systematic all-sky survey for late-type low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in YMGs. We cross-matched the Two Micron All Sky Survey and AllWISE catalogs outside of the galactic plane to build a sample of 98,970 potential ≥M5 dwarfs in the solar neighborhood and calculated their proper motions with typical precisions of 5-15more » mas yr{sup –1}. We selected highly probable candidate members of several YMGs from this sample using the Bayesian Analysis for Nearby Young AssociatioNs II tool (BANYAN II). We used the most probable statistical distances inferred from BANYAN II to estimate the spectral type and mass of these candidate YMG members. We used this unique sample to show tentative signs of mass segregation in the AB Doradus moving group and the Tucana-Horologium and Columba associations. The BASS sample has already been successful in identifying several new young brown dwarfs in earlier publications, and will be of great interest in studying the initial mass function of YMGs and for the search of exoplanets by direct imaging; the input sample of potential close-by ≥M5 dwarfs will be useful to study the kinematics of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs and search for new proper motion pairs.« less

A Pan-STARRS1 Proper-Motion Survey for Young Brown Dwarfs in the Nearest Star-Forming Regions and a Reddening-Free Classification Method for Ultracool Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhoujian; Liu, Michael C.; Best, William M. J.; Magnier, Eugene; Aller, Kimberly

2018-01-01

Young brown dwarfs are of prime importance to investigate the universality of the initial mass function (IMF). Based on photometry and proper motions from the Pan-STARRS1 (PS1) 3π survey, we are conducting the widest and deepest brown dwarf survey in the nearby star-forming regions, Taurus–Auriga (Taurus) and Upper Scorpius (USco). Our work is the first to measure proper motions, a robust proxy of membership, for brown dwarf candidates in Taurus and USco over such a large area and long time baseline (≈ 15 year) with such high precision (≈ 4 mas yr-1). Since extinction complicates spectral classification, we have developed a new approach to quantitatively determine reddening-free spectral types, extinctions, and gravity classifications for mid-M to late-L ultracool dwarfs (≈ 100–5 MJup), using low-resolution near-infrared spectra. So far, our IRTF/SpeX spectroscopic follow-up has increased the substellar and planetary-mass census of Taurus by ≈ 50% and almost doubled the substellar census of USco, constituting the largest single increases of brown dwarfs and free-floating planets found in both regions to date. Most notably, our new discoveries reveal an older (> 10 Myr) low-mass population in Taurus, in accord with recent studies of the higher-mass stellar members. In addition, the mass function appears to differ between the younger and older Taurus populations, possibly due to incompleteness of the older stellar members or different star formation processes. Upon completion, our survey will establish the most complete substellar and planetary-mass census in both Taurus and USco associations, make a significant addition to the low-mass IMF in both regions, and deliver more comprehensive pictures of star formation histories.

KOI-3278: a self-lensing binary star system.

PubMed

Kruse, Ethan; Agol, Eric

2014-04-18

Over 40% of Sun-like stars are bound in binary or multistar systems. Stellar remnants in edge-on binary systems can gravitationally magnify their companions, as predicted 40 years ago. By using data from the Kepler spacecraft, we report the detection of such a "self-lensing" system, in which a 5-hour pulse of 0.1% amplitude occurs every orbital period. The white dwarf stellar remnant and its Sun-like companion orbit one another every 88.18 days, a long period for a white dwarf-eclipsing binary. By modeling the pulse as gravitational magnification (microlensing) along with Kepler's laws and stellar models, we constrain the mass of the white dwarf to be ~63% of the mass of our Sun. Further study of this system, and any others discovered like it, will help to constrain the physics of white dwarfs and binary star evolution.

IUE spectrophotometry of the DA4 primary in the short-period white dwarf-red dwarf spectroscopic binary Case 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sion, E. M.; Guinan, E. F.; Wesemael, F.

1984-01-01

Low-resolution ultraviolet International Ultraviolet Explorer spectra of the DA white dwarf Case 1 are presented. The spectra show the presence of the 1400 A feature, already discovered in several other DA stars, and of a shallower trough in the 1550-1700 A range. A model atmosphere analysis of the ultraviolet energy distribution of the Ly-alpha red wing yields T(e) = 13,000 + or - 500 K. Possible interpretations of the 1400 A feature are reviewed. Case 1 is the coolest white dwarf found in a short-period, detached white dwarf-red dwarf binary, and its cooling time is consistent with estimates of the efficiency of angular momentum removal mechanisms in the phases subsequent to common envelope binary evolution.

Periodic optical variability of radio-detected ultracool dwarfs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harding, L. K.; Golden, A.; Singh, Navtej

2013-12-20

A fraction of very low mass stars and brown dwarfs are known to be radio active, in some cases producing periodic pulses. Extensive studies of two such objects have also revealed optical periodic variability, and the nature of this variability remains unclear. Here, we report on multi-epoch optical photometric monitoring of six radio-detected dwarfs, spanning the ∼M8-L3.5 spectral range, conducted to investigate the ubiquity of periodic optical variability in radio-detected ultracool dwarfs. This survey is the most sensitive ground-based study carried out to date in search of periodic optical variability from late-type dwarfs, where we obtained 250 hr of monitoring,more » delivering photometric precision as low as ∼0.15%. Five of the six targets exhibit clear periodicity, in all cases likely associated with the rotation period of the dwarf, with a marginal detection found for the sixth. Our data points to a likely association between radio and optical periodic variability in late-M/early-L dwarfs, although the underlying physical cause of this correlation remains unclear. In one case, we have multiple epochs of monitoring of the archetype of pulsing radio dwarfs, the M9 TVLM 513–46546, spanning a period of 5 yr, which is sufficiently stable in phase to allow us to establish a period of 1.95958 ± 0.00005 hr. This phase stability may be associated with a large-scale stable magnetic field, further strengthening the correlation between radio activity and periodic optical variability. Finally, we find a tentative spin-orbit alignment of one component of the very low mass binary, LP 349–25.« less

PLANETS AROUND LOW-MASS STARS (PALMS). IV. THE OUTER ARCHITECTURE OF M DWARF PLANETARY SYSTEMS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bowler, Brendan P.; Liu, Michael C.; Shkolnik, Evgenya L.

2015-01-01

We present results from a high-contrast adaptive optics imaging search for giant planets and brown dwarfs (≳1 M {sub Jup}) around 122 newly identified nearby (≲40 pc) young M dwarfs. Half of our targets are younger than 135 Myr and 90% are younger than the Hyades (620 Myr). After removing 44 close stellar binaries (implying a stellar companion fraction of >35.4% ± 4.3% within 100 AU), 27 of which are new or spatially resolved for the first time, our remaining sample of 78 single M dwarfs makes this the largest imaging search for planets around young low-mass stars (0.1-0.6 M {sub ☉}) to date. Our H-more » and K-band coronagraphic observations with Keck/NIRC2 and Subaru/HiCIAO achieve typical contrasts of 12-14 mag and 9-13 mag at 1'', respectively, which correspond to limiting planet masses of 0.5-10 M {sub Jup} at 5-33 AU for 85% of our sample. We discovered four young brown dwarf companions: 1RXS J235133.3+312720 B (32 ± 6 M {sub Jup}; L0{sub −1}{sup +2}; 120 ± 20 AU), GJ 3629 B (64{sub −23}{sup +30} M {sub Jup}; M7.5 ± 0.5; 6.5 ± 0.5 AU), 1RXS J034231.8+121622 B (35 ± 8 M {sub Jup}; L0 ± 1; 19.8 ± 0.9 AU), and 2MASS J15594729+4403595 B (43 ± 9 M {sub Jup}; M8.0 ± 0.5; 190 ± 20 AU). Over 150 candidate planets were identified; we obtained follow-up imaging for 56% of these but all are consistent with background stars. Our null detection of planets enables strong statistical constraints on the occurrence rate of long-period giant planets around single M dwarfs. We infer an upper limit (at the 95% confidence level) of 10.3% and 16.0% for 1-13 M {sub Jup} planets between 10-100 AU for hot-start and cold-start (Fortney) evolutionary models, respectively. Fewer than 6.0% (9.9%) of M dwarfs harbor massive gas giants in the 5-13 M {sub Jup} range like those orbiting HR 8799 and β Pictoris between 10-100 AU for a hot-start (cold-start) formation scenario. The frequency of brown dwarf (13-75 M {sub Jup}) companions to single M dwarfs between 10-100 AU is 2.8{sub −1.5}{sup +2.4}%. Altogether we find that giant planets, especially massive ones, are rare in the outskirts of M dwarf planetary systems. Although the first directly imaged planets were found around massive stars, there is currently no statistical evidence for a trend of giant planet frequency with stellar host mass at large separations as predicted by the disk instability model of giant planet formation.« less

SOAR Adaptive Optics Observations of Young Stellar Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briceno, Cesar

2018-01-01

I present results from recent studies of nearby star-forming regions using the SOAR 4.1m telescope Ground-layer Adaptive Optics system.Using narrow-band Hα and [SII] imaging we discovered a spectacular extended Herbig-Haro jet powered by a 26 MJup young brown dwarf located in the vicinity of the σ Orionis cluster. The collimated structure of multiple knots spans 0.26 pc, making it a scaled down version of the parsec-length jets seen in T Tauri stars, and the first substellar analog of an HH jet system.In the ε Chamaeleon stellar group we carried out an Adaptive Optics-aided speckle imaging study of 47 members and candidate members, to characterize the multiplicity of this, one of the nearest groups of young (~3-5 Myr) stars. We resolved 10 new binary pairs, 5 previously know binaries and two triple systems. We find a companion frequency of 0.010±0.04 per decade of separation, in the 4 to 300 AU separation range, a result comparable to main sequence dwarfs in the field. However, the more massive association members, with B and A spectral types, all have companions in this separation range. Finally, we provide new constraints on the orbital elements of the ε Cha triple system.

The Discovery of a Companion to the Very Cool Dwarf Gliese 569B with the Keck Adaptive Optics Facility.

PubMed

Martín; Koresko; Kulkarni; Lane; Wizinowich

2000-01-20

We report observations obtained with the Keck adaptive optics facility of the nearby (d=9.8 pc) binary Gl 569. The system was known to be composed of a cool primary (dM2) and a very cool secondary (dM8.5) with a separation of 5&arcsec; (49 AU). We have found that Gl 569B is itself double with a separation of only 0&farcs;101+/-0&farcs;002 (1 AU). This detection demonstrates the superb spatial resolution that can be achieved with adaptive optics at Keck. The difference in brightness between Gl 569B and the companion is approximately 0.5 mag in the J, H, and K&arcmin; bands. Thus, both objects have similarly red colors and very likely constitute a very low mass binary system. For reasonable assumptions about the age (0.12-1.0 Gyr) and total mass of the system (0.09-0.15 M middle dot in circle), we estimate that the orbital period is approximately 3 yr. Follow-up observations will allow us to obtain an astrometric orbit solution and will yield direct dynamical masses that can constrain evolutionary models of very low mass stars and brown dwarfs.

The first X-ray emitting brown dwarf.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comerón, F.; Neuhäuser, R.; Kaas, A. A.

1998-12-01

The increasing number of brown dwarfs discovered in the last few years is rapidly opening the possibilities of studying a wide range of their properties and the ways in which these depend on essential parameters, such as the mass, the age, the rotation, or the environment. One of these properties is the magnetic field, which in principle should be expected to be important in fully convective objects such as brown dwarfs. The chromospheric X-ray emission, widely observed in M-type dwarfs (Neuhäuser 1997), has its origin in this magnetic activity. As such, it offers an observational tool to probe the interior of these objects, the mechanisms for the generation and maintenance of their magnetic fields, and the way in which the magnetic activity is affected by the basic parameters of the object. The detection of X-ray emission from brown dwarfs is thus of great importance to extend our understanding of the properties of stellar magnetic fields to the substellar domain, as well as to ascertain to what extent a small, substellar mass, and the consequent lack of a permanent nuclear energy source, can have an impact in the production and the evolution of a magnetic field.

Parallaxes for the Coldest Brown Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupuy, Trent; Kraus, Adam; Liu, Michael

2014-12-01

Understanding extremely cool atmospheres is a major goal of both brown dwarf and exoplanet studies. The WISE all-sky survey has uncovered the coolest brown dwarfs to date including the first unambiguous Y dwarfs. These discoveries are spectroscopically estimated to have temperatures of ~300-500 K and masses of ~5-20 Mjup, overlapping discoveries from radial velocity exoplanet surveys. However, direct distances are needed to determine model-independent temperatures and to test the observed properties against theoretical models in this new physical frontier. From our Cycle 8 program, we have successfully measured the first robust parallaxes for these extremely low-luminosity objects using Spitzer [3.6]-band astrometry, made possible with our improved distortion solution for IRAC. Our results, comprising less than half the currently known late-T/Y census, have uncovered a number of puzzles. Perhaps the most intriguing is the possibility that the observed near-IR spectral types and spectral energy distributions do not follow a simple correspondence with temperature, in contrast to all other (hotter) substellar and stellar objects. We propose here to obtain definitive parallaxes and temperatures to the ~2 dozen known coldest brown dwarfs. For our Cycle 8 sample, these new data will double the time baseline, leading to major improvements over our preliminary results. We will also double the total sample with parallaxes for more recent discoveries. Altogether, our work will establish the temperature scale as a function of spectral type, delineate the cooling (and intrinsic scatter) through the T/Y transition, and enable strong test of theoretical models for these coldest brown dwarfs, which are ~100x fainter than previously known objects at near-IR wavelengths.

A Brown Dwarf Joins the Jet-Set

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2007-05-01

Jets of matter have been discovered around a very low mass 'failed star', mimicking a process seen in young stars. This suggests that these 'brown dwarfs' form in a similar manner to normal stars but also that outflows are driven out by objects as massive as hundreds of millions of solar masses down to Jupiter-sized objects. The brown dwarf with the name 2MASS1207-3932 is full of surprises [1]. Its companion, a 5 Jupiter-mass giant, was the first confirmed exoplanet for which astronomers could obtain an image (see ESO 23/04 and 12/05), thereby opening a new field of research - the direct detection of alien worlds. It was then later found (see ESO 19/06) that the brown dwarf has a disc surrounding it, not unlike very young stars. ESO PR Photo 24/07 ESO PR Photo 24/07 Jets from a Brown Dwarf (Artist's Impression) Now, astronomers using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) have found that the young brown dwarf is also spewing jets, a behaviour again quite similar to young stars. The mass of the brown dwarf is only 24 Jupiter-masses. Hence, it is by far the smallest object known to drive an outflow. "This leads us to the tantalizing prospect that young giant planets could also be associated with outflows," says Emma Whelan, the lead-author of the paper reporting the results. The outflows were discovered using an amazing technique known as spectro-astrometry, based on high resolution spectra taken with UVES on the VLT. Such a technique was required due to the difficulty of the task. While in normal young stars - known as T-Tauri stars for the prototype of their class - the jets are large and bright enough to be seen directly, this is not the case around brown dwarfs: the length scale of the jets, recovered with spectro-astrometry is only about 0.1 arcsecond long, that is, the size of a two Euro coin seen from 40 km away. The jets stretch about 1 billion kilometres and the material is rushing away from the brown dwarf with a speed of a few kilometres per second. The astronomers had to rely on the power of the VLT because the observed emission is extremely faint and only UVES on the VLT could provide both the sensitivity and the spectral resolution they required. "Discoveries like these are purely reliant on excellent telescopes and instruments, such as the VLT," says Whelan. "Our result also highlights the incredible level of quality which is available today to astronomers: the first telescopes built by Galileo were used to observe the moons of Jupiter. Today, the largest ground-based telescopes can be used to observe a Jupiter size object at a distance of 200 light-years and find it has outflows!" Using the same technique and the same telescope, the team had previously discovered outflows in another young brown dwarf. The new discovery sets a record for the lowest mass object in which jets are seen [2]. Outflows are ubiquitous in the Universe, as they are observed rushing away from the active nuclei of galaxies - AGNs - but also emerging from young stars. The present observations show they even arise in still lower mass objects. The outflow mechanism is thus very robust over an enormous range of masses, from several tens of millions of solar mass (for AGNs) down to a few tens of Jupiter masses (for brown dwarfs). More Information These results were reported in a Letter to the Editor in the Astrophysical Journal (vol. 659, p. L45): "Discovery of a Bipolar Outflow from 2MASSW J1207334-393254 a 24 MJup Brown Dwarf", by E.T. Whelan et al. The team is composed of Emma Whelan and Tom Ray (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Ireland), Ray Jayawardhana (University of Toronto, Canada), Francesca Bacciotti, Antonella Natta and Sofia Randich (Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Italy), Leonardo Testi (ESO), and Subu Mohanty (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA, USA).

Testing Ultracool Atmospheres with Mass Benchmarks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupuy, Trent J.; Liu, Michael C.

2011-08-01

After years of patient orbital monitoring, there is now a sample of ~10 very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs with precise (~5%) dynamical masses. These binaries represent the gold standard for testing substellar theoretical models. Work to date has identified problems with the model-predicted broad-band colors, effective temperatures, and possibly even luminosity evolution with age. However, our ability to test models is currently limited by how well the individual components of these highly prized binaries are characterized. To solve this problem, we propose to obtain narrow-band imaging with Keck/OSIRIS LGS to measure resolved SEDs for this first sizable sample of ultracool binaries with well-determined dynamical masses. This multi- band photometry will enable us to precisely estimate spectral types and effective temperatures of individual binary components, providing the strongest constraints to date on widely used evolutionary and atmospheric models. Our proposed Keck observations are much less daunting in comparison to the years of orbital monitoring needed to yield dynamical masses, but these data are equally vital for robust tests of theory. (Note: Our proposed time is intended to replace the 1 night awarded by NOAO to carry out this program in 2010B, which was completely lost due to weather.)

A T8.5 BROWN DWARF MEMBER OF THE {xi} URSAE MAJORIS SYSTEM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wright, Edward L.; Mace, Gregory; McLean, Ian S.

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer has revealed a T8.5 brown dwarf (WISE J111838.70+312537.9) that exhibits common proper motion with a solar-neighborhood (8 pc) quadruple star system-{xi} Ursae Majoris. The angular separation is 8.'5, and the projected physical separation is Almost-Equal-To 4000 AU. The sub-solar metallicity and low chromospheric activity of {xi} UMa A argue that the system has an age of at least 2 Gyr. The infrared luminosity and color of the brown dwarf suggests the mass of this companion ranges between 14 and 38 M{sub J} for system ages of 2 and 8 Gyr, respectively.

A Pulsar and White Dwarf in an Unexpected Orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-11-01

Astronomers have discovered a binary system consisting of a low-mass white dwarf and a millisecond pulsar but its eccentric orbit defies all expectations of how such binaries form.Observed orbital periods and binary eccentricities for binary millisecond pulsars. PSR J2234+0511 is the furthest right of the green stars that mark the five known eccentric systems. [Antoniadis et al. 2016]Unusual EccentricityIt would take a low-mass (0.4 solar masses) white dwarf over 100 billion years to form from the evolution of a single star. Since this is longer than the age of the universe, we believe that these lightweights are instead products of binary-star evolution and indeed, we observe many of these stars to still be in binary systems.But the binary evolution that can create a low-mass white dwarf includes a period of mass transfer, in which efficient tidal dissipation damps the systems orbital eccentricity. Because of this, we would expect all systems containing low-mass white dwarfs to have circular orbits.In the past, our observations of low-mass white dwarfmillisecond pulsar binaries have all been consistent with this expectation. But a new detection has thrown a wrench in the works: the unambiguous identification of a low-mass white dwarf thats in an eccentric (e=0.13) orbit with the millisecond pulsar PSR J2234+0511. How could this system have formed?Eliminating Formation ModelsLed by John Antoniadis (Dunlap Institute at University of Toronto), a team of scientists has used newly obtained optical photometry (from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey) and spectroscopy (from the Very Large Telescope in Chile) of the white dwarf to confirm the identification of this system.Antoniadis and collaborators then use measurements of the bodies masses (0.28 and 1.4 solar masses for the white dwarf and pulsar, respectively) and velocities, and constraints on the white dwarfs temperature, radius and surface gravity, to address three proposed models for the formation of this system.The 3D motion of the pulsar (black solid lines; current position marked with diamond) in our galaxy over the past 1.5 Gyr. This motion is typical for low-mass X-ray binary descendants, favoring a binary-evolution model over a 3-body-interaction model. [Antoniadis et al. 2016]In the first model, the eccentric binary was created via adynamic three-body formation channel. This possibility is deemed unlikely, as the white-dwarf properties and all the kinematic properties of the system point to normal binary evolution.In the secondmodel, the binary system gains its high eccentricity after mass transfer ends, when the pulsar progenitor experiences a spontaneous phase transition. The authors explore two options for this: one in which the neutron star implodes into a strange-quark star, and the other in which an over-massive white dwarf suffers a delayed collapse into a neutron star. Both cases are deemed unlikely, because the mass inferred for the pulsar progenitor is not consistent with either model.In the third model, the system forms a circumbinary disk fueled by material escaping the proto-white dwarf. After mass transfer has ended, interactions between the binary and its disk gradually increase the eccentricity of the system, pumping it up to what we observe today. All of the properties of the system measured by Antoniadis and collaborators are thus far consistent with this model.Further observations of this system and systems like it (several others have been detected, though not yet confirmed) will help determine whether binary evolution combined with interactions with a disk can indeed explain the formation of this unexpectedly eccentricsystem.CitationJohn Antoniadis et al 2016 ApJ 830 36. doi:10.3847/0004-637X/830/1/36

Ultracool Dwarfs in the Ukirt Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burningham, Ben; Pinfield, D.; Leggett, S. K.; Lodieu, N.; Warren, S. J.; Lucas, P. W.; Tamura, M.; Mortlock, D.; Kendall, T. R.; Jones, H. R.; Jameson, R. F.; Richard, M.; Martin, E. L.; UKIDSS Cool Dwarf Science Working Group

2007-05-01

The UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey (LAS) presents an unparallelled resource for the study of field brown dwarfs. The UKIDSS Cool Dwarf Science Working Group (CDSWG) is carrying out a search for the lowest temperature brown dwarfs ever discovered, with the possibility of identifying a new spectral class of ultracool dwarf: the Y dwarf. CDSWG members identified 10 new T dwarfs in the early and first data releases of the LAS, including 2 objects with spectral types later than T7.5. One of these is thought to be the coolest T dwarf ever found with a spectral type of T8.5, and an estimated temperature of 650K. Data release 2 (DR2) took place on 1st March 2007, and already the most promising objects have been selected and followed-up photometrically and spectroscopically. In this contribution I will discuss the capabilities of UKIDSS for identifying ultracool dwarfs and summarise our latest results.

Deep search for companions to probable young brown dwarfs. VLT/NACO adaptive optics imaging using IR wavefront sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauvin, G.; Faherty, J.; Boccaletti, A.; Cruz, K.; Lagrange, A.-M.; Zuckerman, B.; Bessell, M. S.; Beuzit, J.-L.; Bonnefoy, M.; Dumas, C.; Lowrance, P.; Mouillet, D.; Song, I.

2012-12-01

Aims: We have obtained high contrast images of four nearby, faint, and very low mass objects 2MASS J04351455-1414468, SDSS J044337.61+000205.1, 2MASS J06085283-2753583 and 2MASS J06524851-5741376 (hereafter 2MASS0435-14, SDSS0443+00, 2MASS0608-27 and 2MASS0652-57), identified in the field as probable isolated young brown dwarfs. Our goal was to search for binary companions down to the planetary mass regime. Methods: We used the NAOS-CONICA adaptive optics instrument (NACO) and its unique capability to sense the wavefront in the near-infrared to acquire sharp images of the four systems in Ks, with a field of view of 28'' × 28''. Additional J and L' imaging and follow-up observations at a second epoch were obtained for 2MASS0652-57. Results: With a typical contrast ΔKs = 4.0-7.0 mag, our observations are sensitive down to the planetary mass regime considering a minimum age of 10 to 120 Myr for these systems. No additional point sources are detected in the environment of 2MASS0435-14, SDSS0443+00 and 2MASS0608-27 between 0.1-12'' (i.e. about 2 to 250 AU at 20 pc). 2MASS0652-57 is resolved as a ~230 mas binary. Follow-up observations reject a background contaminate, resolve the orbital motion of the pair, and confirm with high confidence that the system is physically bound. The J, Ks and L' photometry suggest a q ~ 0.7-0.8 mass ratio binary with a probable semi-major axis of 5-6 AU. Among the four systems, 2MASS0652-57 is probably the less constrained in terms of age determination. Further analysis would be necessary to confirm its youth. It would then be interesting to determine its orbital and physical properties to derive the system's dynamical mass and to test evolutionary model predictions. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Chile (ESO programmes 076.C-0554(A), 076.C-0554(B) and 085.C-0257(A).

Radial Velocity Survey of T Tauri Stars in Taurus-Auriga

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crockett, Christopher; Mahmud, N.; Huerta, M.; Prato, L.; Johns-Krull, C.; Hartigan, P.; Jaffe, D.

2009-01-01

Is the frequency of giant planet companions to young stars similar to that seen around old stars? Is the "brown dwarf desert" a product of how low-mass companion objects form, or of how they evolve? Some models indicate that both giant planets and brown dwarfs should be common at young ages within 3 AU of a primary star, but migration induced by massive disks drive brown dwarfs into the parent stars, leaving behind proportionally more giant planets. Our radial velocity survey of young stars will provide a census of the young giant planet and brown dwarf population in Taurus-Auriga. In this poster we present our progress in quantifying how spurious radial velocity signatures are caused by stellar activity and in developing models to help distinguish between companion induced and spot induced radial velocity variations. Early results stress the importance of complementary observations in both visible light and NIR. We present our technique to determine radial velocities by fitting telluric features and model stellar features to our observed spectra. Finally, we discuss ongoing observations at McDonald Observatory, KPNO, and the IRTF, and several new exoplanet host candidates.

ROTATION PERIODS OF YOUNG BROWN DWARFS: K2 SURVEY IN UPPER SCORPIUS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scholz, Alexander; Kostov, Veselin; Jayawardhana, Ray

2015-08-20

We report rotational periods for 16 young brown dwarfs in the nearby Upper Scorpius association, based on 72 days of high-cadence, high-precision photometry from the Keplerspace telescope’s K2 mission. The periods range from a few hours to two days (plus one outlier at five days), with a median just above one day, confirming that brown dwarfs, except at the very youngest ages, are fast rotators. Interestingly, four of the slowest rotators in our sample exhibit mid-infrared excess emission from disks; at least two also show signs of disk eclipses and accretion in the light curves. Comparing these new periods withmore » those for two other young clusters and simple angular momentum evolution tracks, we find little or no rotational braking in brown dwarfs between 1–10 Myr, in contrast to low-mass stars. Our findings show that disk braking, while still at work, is inefficient in the substellar regime, thus providing an important constraint on the mass dependence of the braking mechanism.« less

Exoplanet exploration for brown dwarfs with infrared astrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, Masaki

The astrometry is one of the oldest method for the exoplanet exploration. However, only one exoplanet has been found with the method. This is because the planet mass is sufficiently smaller than the mass of the central star, so that it is hard to observe the fluctuation of the central star by the planet. Therefore, we investigate the orbital period and mass of planets which we can discover by the future astrometric satellites for brown dwarfs, with the mass less than a tenth of the solar mass. So far five planetary systems of brown dwarfs have been found, whose mass ratios are larger than a tenth. For example, for the system whose distance, orbital period and mass ratio are 10 pc, 1 year and a tenth, respectively, the apparent semi-major axis reaches 3 milli-arcsecond, which can be well detected with the future astrometric satellites such as Small-JASMINE and Gaia. With these satellite, we can discover even super-Earth for the above system. We further investigate where in the period-mass plane we can explore the planet for individual brown dwarf with Small-JASMINE and Gaia. As a result, we find that we can explore a wide region where period and mass are within 5 years and larger than 3 earth mass. In addition, we can explore the region around 0.1 day and 10 Jovian mass, where planets have never found for any central star, and where we can explore only with Small-JASMINE for most target brown dwarfs.

Powerful Auroras Found at Brown Dwarf

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

This artist's concept shows an auroral display on a brown dwarf. If you could see an aurora on a brown dwarf, it would be a million times brighter than an aurora on Earth. Credits: Chuck Carter and Gregg Hallinan/Caltech --- Mysterious objects called brown dwarfs are sometimes called "failed stars." They are too small to fuse hydrogen in their cores, the way most stars do, but also too large to be classified as planets. But a new study in the journal Nature suggests they succeed in creating powerful auroral displays, similar to the kind seen around the magnetic poles on Earth. "This is a whole new manifestation of magnetic activity for that kind of object," said Leon Harding, a technologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, and co-author on the study. On Earth, auroras are created when charged particles from the solar wind enter our planet's magnetosphere, a region where Earth's magnetic field accelerates and sends them toward the poles. There, they collide with atoms of gas in the atmosphere, resulting in a brilliant display of colors in the sky. Read more: www.nasa.gov/jpl/powerful-auroras-found-at-brown-dwarf NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

VLA Observations of the Disk around the Young Brown Dwarf 2MASS J044427+2512

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ricci, L.; Rome, H.; Pinilla, P.

We present multi-wavelength radio observations obtained with the VLA of the protoplanetary disk surrounding the young brown dwarf 2MASS J04442713+2512164 (2M0444) in the Taurus star-forming region. 2M0444 is the brightest known brown dwarf disk at millimeter wavelengths, making this an ideal target to probe radio emission from a young brown dwarf. Thermal emission from dust in the disk is detected at 6.8 and 9.1 mm, whereas the 1.36 cm measured flux is dominated by ionized gas emission. We combine these data with previous observations at shorter sub-mm and mm wavelengths to test the predictions of dust evolution models in gas-richmore » disks after adapting their parameters to the case of 2M0444. These models show that the radial drift mechanism affecting solids in a gaseous environment has to be either completely made inefficient, or significantly slowed down by very strong gas pressure bumps in order to explain the presence of mm/cm-sized grains in the outer regions of the 2M0444 disk. We also discuss the possible mechanisms for the origin of the ionized gas emission detected at 1.36 cm. The inferred radio luminosity for this emission is in line with the relation between radio and bolometric luminosity valid for for more massive and luminous young stellar objects, and extrapolated down to the very low luminosity of the 2M0444 brown dwarf.« less

Go Long! Identifying Distant Brown Dwarfs in HST/WFC3 Parallel Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aganze, Christian; Burgasser, Adam J.; Malkan, Matthew Arnold; Masters, Daniel C.; Mercado, Gretel; Suarez, Adrian; Tamiya, Tomoki

2016-01-01

The spatial distribution of brown dwarfs beyond the local Solar Neighborhood is crucial for understanding their Galactic formation, dynamical and evolutionary history. Wide-field red optical and infrared surveys (e.g., 2MASS, SDSS, WISE) have enabled measures of the local density of brown dwarfs, but probe a relatively shallow (˜100 parsecs) volume; few constraints exist for the scale height or radial distributions of these low mass and low luminosity objects. We have searched ~1400 square arcminutes of WFC3 Infrared Spectroscopic Parallel Survey (WISPS) data to identify distant brown dwarfs (d > 300 pc) with near-infrared grism spectra from the the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Using spectral indices to identify candidates, measure spectral types and estimate distances, and comparing the WFC3 spectra to spectral templates in the SpeX Prism Library, we report our first results from this work, the discovery of ~50 late-M, L and T dwarfs with distances of 30 - 1000+ pc. We compare the distance and spectral type distribution to population simulations, and discuss current selection biases.The material presented here is based on work supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Grant No. NNX15AI75G

Proper-motion age dating of the progeny of Nova Scorpii AD 1437.

PubMed

Shara, M M; Iłkiewicz, K; Mikołajewska, J; Pagnotta, A; Bode, M F; Crause, L A; Drozd, K; Faherty, J; Fuentes-Morales, I; Grindlay, J E; Moffat, A F J; Pretorius, M L; Schmidtobreick, L; Stephenson, F R; Tappert, C; Zurek, D

2017-08-30

'Cataclysmic variables' are binary star systems in which one star of the pair is a white dwarf, and which often generate bright and energetic stellar outbursts. Classical novae are one type of outburst: when the white dwarf accretes enough matter from its companion, the resulting hydrogen-rich atmospheric envelope can host a runaway thermonuclear reaction that generates a rapid brightening. Achieving peak luminosities of up to one million times that of the Sun, all classical novae are recurrent, on timescales of months to millennia. During the century before and after an eruption, the 'novalike' binary systems that give rise to classical novae exhibit high rates of mass transfer to their white dwarfs. Another type of outburst is the dwarf nova: these occur in binaries that have stellar masses and periods indistinguishable from those of novalikes but much lower mass-transfer rates, when accretion-disk instabilities drop matter onto the white dwarfs. The co-existence at the same orbital period of novalike binaries and dwarf novae-which are identical but for their widely varying accretion rates-has been a longstanding puzzle. Here we report the recovery of the binary star underlying the classical nova eruption of 11 March AD 1437 (refs 12, 13), and independently confirm its age by proper-motion dating. We show that, almost 500 years after a classical-nova event, the system exhibited dwarf-nova eruptions. The three other oldest recovered classical novae display nova shells, but lack firm post-eruption ages, and are also dwarf novae at present. We conclude that many old novae become dwarf novae for part of the millennia between successive nova eruptions.

SPIRAL INSTABILITY CAN DRIVE THERMONUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS IN BINARY WHITE DWARF MERGERS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kashyap, Rahul; Fisher, Robert; García-Berro, Enrique

2015-02-10

Thermonuclear, or Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), originate from the explosion of carbon–oxygen white dwarfs, and serve as standardizable cosmological candles. However, despite their importance, the nature of the progenitor systems that give rise to SNe Ia has not been hitherto elucidated. Observational evidence favors the double-degenerate channel in which merging white dwarf binaries lead to SNe Ia. Furthermore, significant discrepancies exist between observations and theory, and to date, there has been no self-consistent merger model that yields a SNe Ia. Here we show that a spiral mode instability in the accretion disk formed during a binary white dwarf mergermore » leads to a detonation on a dynamical timescale. This mechanism sheds light on how white dwarf mergers may frequently yield SNe Ia.« less

Binary Microlensing Events from the MACHO Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alcock, C.; Allsman, R. A.; Alves, D.; Axelrod, T. S.; Baines, D.; Becker, A. C.; Bennett, D. P.; Bourke, A.; Brakel, A.; Cook, K. H.; Crook, B.; Crouch, A.; Dan, J.; Drake, A. J.; Fragile, P. C.; Freeman, K. C.; Gal-Yam, A.; Geha, M.; Gray, J.; Griest, K.; Gurtierrez, A.; Heller, A.; Howard, J.; Johnson, B. R.; Kaspi, S.; Keane, M.; Kovo, O.; Leach, C.; Leach, T.; Leibowitz, E. M.; Lehner, M. J.; Lipkin, Y.; Maoz, D.; Marshall, S. L.; McDowell, D.; McKeown, S.; Mendelson, H.; Messenger, B.; Minniti, D.; Nelson, C.; Peterson, B. A.; Popowski, P.; Pozza, E.; Purcell, P.; Pratt, M. R.; Quinn, J.; Quinn, P. J.; Rhie, S. H.; Rodgers, A. W.; Salmon, A.; Shemmer, O.; Stetson, P.; Stubbs, C. W.; Sutherland, W.; Thomson, S.; Tomaney, A.; Vandehei, T.; Walker, A.; Ward, K.; Wyper, G.

2000-09-01

We present the light curves of 21 gravitational microlensing events from the first six years of the MACHO Project gravitational microlensing survey that are likely examples of lensing by binary systems. These events were manually selected from a total sample of ~350 candidate microlensing events that were either detected by the MACHO Alert System or discovered through retrospective analyses of the MACHO database. At least 14 of these 21 events exhibit strong (caustic) features, and four of the events are well fit with lensing by large mass ratio (brown dwarf or planetary) systems, although these fits are not necessarily unique. The total binary event rate is roughly consistent with predictions based upon our knowledge of the properties of binary stars, but a precise comparison cannot be made without a determination of our binary lens event detection efficiency. Toward the Galactic bulge, we find a ratio of caustic crossing to noncaustic crossing binary lensing events of 12:4, excluding one event for which we present two fits. This suggests significant incompleteness in our ability to detect and characterize noncaustic crossing binary lensing. The distribution of mass ratios, N(q), for these binary lenses appears relatively flat. We are also able to reliably measure source-face crossing times in four of the bulge caustic crossing events, and recover from them a distribution of lens proper motions, masses, and distances consistent with a population of Galactic bulge lenses at a distance of 7+/-1 kpc. This analysis yields two systems with companions of ~0.05 Msolar.

Orbital synchronization capture of two binaries emitting gravitational waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seto, Naoki

2018-03-01

We study the possibility of orbital synchronization capture for a hierarchical quadrupole stellar system composed by two binaries emitting gravitational waves. Based on a simple model including the mass transfer for white dwarf binaries, we find that the capture might be realized for inter-binary distances less than their gravitational wavelength. We also discuss related intriguing phenomena such as a parasitic relation between the coupled white dwarf binaries and significant reductions of gravitational and electromagnetic radiations.

The Missing Link: Early Methane ("T") Dwarfs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

PubMed

Leggett; Geballe; Fan; Schneider; Gunn; Lupton; Knapp; Strauss; McDaniel; Golimowski; Henry; Peng; Tsvetanov; Uomoto; Zheng; Hill; Ramsey; Anderson; Annis; Bahcall; Brinkmann; Chen; Csabai; Fukugita; Hennessy; Hindsley; Ivezic; Lamb; Munn; Pier; Schlegel; Smith; Stoughton; Thakar; York

2000-06-10

We report the discovery of three cool brown dwarfs that fall in the effective temperature gap between the latest L dwarfs currently known, with no methane absorption bands in the 1-2.5 µm range, and the previously known methane (T) dwarfs, whose spectra are dominated by methane and water. The newly discovered objects were detected as very red objects in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging data and have JHK colors between the red L dwarfs and the blue Gl 229B-like T dwarfs. They show both CO and CH(4) absorption in their near-infrared spectra in addition to H(2)O, with weaker CH(4) absorption features in the H and K bands than those in all other methane dwarfs reported to date. Due to the presence of CH(4) in these bands, we propose that these objects are early T dwarfs. The three form part of the brown dwarf spectral sequence and fill in the large gap in the overall spectral sequence from the hottest main-sequence stars to the coolest methane dwarfs currently known.

K2 Ultracool Dwarfs Survey. II. The White Light Flare Rate of Young Brown Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gizis, John E.; Paudel, Rishi R.; Mullan, Dermott; Schmidt, Sarah J.; Burgasser, Adam J.; Williams, Peter K. G.

2017-08-01

We use Kepler K2 Campaign 4 short-cadence (one-minute) photometry to measure white light flares in the young, moving group brown dwarfs 2MASS J03350208+2342356 (2M0335+23) and 2MASS J03552337+1133437 (2M0355+11), and report on long-cadence (thirty-minute) photometry of a superflare in the Pleiades M8 brown dwarf CFHT-PL-17. The rotation period (5.24 hr) and projected rotational velocity (45 km s-1) confirm 2M0335+23 is inflated (R≥slant 0.20 {R}⊙ ) as predicted for a 0.06 {M}⊙ , 24 Myr old brown dwarf βPic moving group member. We detect 22 white light flares on 2M0335+23. The flare frequency distribution follows a power-law distribution with slope -α =-1.8+/- 0.2 over the range 1031 to 1033 erg. This slope is similar to that observed in the Sun and warmer flare stars, and is consistent with lower-energy flares in previous work on M6-M8 very-low-mass stars; taking the two data sets together, the flare frequency distribution for ultracool dwarfs is a power law over 4.3 orders of magnitude. The superflare (2.6× {10}34 erg) on CFHT-PL-17 shows higher-energy flares are possible. We detect no flares down to a limit of 2× {10}30 erg in the nearby L5γ AB Dor moving group brown dwarf 2M0355+11, consistent with the view that fast magnetic reconnection is suppressed in cool atmospheres. We discuss two multi-peaked flares observed in 2M0335+23, and argue that these complex flares can be understood as sympathetic flares, in which fast-mode magnetohydrodynamic waves similar to extreme-ultraviolet waves in the Sun trigger magnetic reconnection in different active regions.

The sub-stellar birth rate from UKIDSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day-Jones, A. C.; Marocco, F.; Pinfield, D. J.; Zhang, Z. H.; Burningham, B.; Deacon, N.; Ruiz, M. T.; Gallardo, J.; Jones, H. R. A.; Lucas, P. W. L.; Jenkins, J. S.; Gomes, J.; Folkes, S. L.; Clarke, J. R. A.

2013-04-01

We present a new sample of mid-L to mid-T dwarfs with effective temperatures of 1100-1700 K selected from the UKIDSS Large Area Survey (LAS) and confirmed with infrared spectra from X-shooter/Very Large Telescope. This effective temperature range is especially sensitive to the formation history of Galactic brown dwarfs and allows us to constrain the form of the sub-stellar birth rate, with sensitivity to differentiate between a flat (stellar like) birth rate and an exponentially declining form. We present the discovery of 63 new L and T dwarfs from the UKIDSS LAS DR7, including the identification of 12 likely unresolved binaries, which form the first complete sub-set from our programme, covering 495 square degrees of sky, complete to J = 18.1. We compare our results for this sub-sample with simulations of differing birth rates for objects of masses 0.10-0.03 M⊙ and ages 1-10 Gyr. We find that the more extreme birth rates (e.g. a halo type form) can likely be excluded as the true form of the birth rate. In addition, we find that although there is substantial scatter we find a preference for a mass function, with a power-law index α in the range -1 < α < 0 that is consistent (within the errors) with the studies of late T dwarfs.

Habitable planets around white and brown dwarfs: the perils of a cooling primary.

PubMed

Barnes, Rory; Heller, René

2013-03-01

White and brown dwarfs are astrophysical objects that are bright enough to support an insolation habitable zone (IHZ). Unlike hydrogen-burning stars, they cool and become less luminous with time; hence their IHZ moves in with time. The inner edge of the IHZ is defined as the orbital radius at which a planet may enter a moist or runaway greenhouse, phenomena that can remove a planet's surface water forever. Thus, as the IHZ moves in, planets that enter it may no longer have any water and are still uninhabitable. Additionally, the close proximity of the IHZ to the primary leads to concern that tidal heating may also be strong enough to trigger a runaway greenhouse, even for orbital eccentricities as small as 10(-6). Water loss occurs due to photolyzation by UV photons in the planetary stratosphere, followed by hydrogen escape. Young white dwarfs emit a large amount of these photons, as their surface temperatures are over 10(4) K. The situation is less clear for brown dwarfs, as observational data do not constrain their early activity and UV emission very well. Nonetheless, both types of planets are at risk of never achieving habitable conditions, but planets orbiting white dwarfs may be less likely to sustain life than those orbiting brown dwarfs. We consider the future habitability of the planet candidates KOI 55.01 and 55.02 in these terms and find they are unlikely to become habitable.

Radial Velocities and Binarity of Southern SIM Grid Stars

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

the range 0.005–0.008M of companion mass, thus, these data should be sensitive to super- Jupiters and brown dwarf companions in 1-yr orbits. The absence...freedom. Hence, these results do not preclude the exis- tence of a limited number (∼20) of super- Jupiter planets or brown dwarf companions in our

The BDNYC database of low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and planetary mass companions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz, Kelle; Rodriguez, David; Filippazzo, Joseph; Gonzales, Eileen; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Rice, Emily; BDNYC

2018-01-01

We present a web-interface to a database of low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and planetary mass companions. Users can send SELECT SQL queries to the database, perform searches by coordinates or name, check the database inventory on specified objects, and even plot spectra interactively. The initial version of this database contains information for 198 objects and version 2 will contain over 1000 objects. The database currently includes photometric data from 2MASS, WISE, and Spitzer and version 2 will include a significant portion of the publicly available optical and NIR spectra for brown dwarfs. The database is maintained and curated by the BDNYC research group and we welcome contributions from other researchers via GitHub.

Planets around Low-mass Stars (PALMS). IV. The Outer Architecture of M Dwarf Planetary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowler, Brendan P.; Liu, Michael C.; Shkolnik, Evgenya L.; Tamura, Motohide

2015-01-01

We present results from a high-contrast adaptive optics imaging search for giant planets and brown dwarfs (gsim1 M Jup) around 122 newly identified nearby (lsim40 pc) young M dwarfs. Half of our targets are younger than 135 Myr and 90% are younger than the Hyades (620 Myr). After removing 44 close stellar binaries (implying a stellar companion fraction of >35.4% ± 4.3% within 100 AU), 27 of which are new or spatially resolved for the first time, our remaining sample of 78 single M dwarfs makes this the largest imaging search for planets around young low-mass stars (0.1-0.6 M ⊙) to date. Our H- and K-band coronagraphic observations with Keck/NIRC2 and Subaru/HiCIAO achieve typical contrasts of 12-14 mag and 9-13 mag at 1'', respectively, which correspond to limiting planet masses of 0.5-10 M Jup at 5-33 AU for 85% of our sample. We discovered four young brown dwarf companions: 1RXS J235133.3+312720 B (32 ± 6 M Jup; L0+2-1; 120 ± 20 AU), GJ 3629 B (64+30-23 M Jup; M7.5 ± 0.5; 6.5 ± 0.5 AU), 1RXS J034231.8+121622 B (35 ± 8 M Jup; L0 ± 1; 19.8 ± 0.9 AU), and 2MASS J15594729+4403595 B (43 ± 9 M Jup; M8.0 ± 0.5; 190 ± 20 AU). Over 150 candidate planets were identified; we obtained follow-up imaging for 56% of these but all are consistent with background stars. Our null detection of planets enables strong statistical constraints on the occurrence rate of long-period giant planets around single M dwarfs. We infer an upper limit (at the 95% confidence level) of 10.3% and 16.0% for 1-13 M Jup planets between 10-100 AU for hot-start and cold-start (Fortney) evolutionary models, respectively. Fewer than 6.0% (9.9%) of M dwarfs harbor massive gas giants in the 5-13 M Jup range like those orbiting HR 8799 and β Pictoris between 10-100 AU for a hot-start (cold-start) formation scenario. The frequency of brown dwarf (13-75 M Jup) companions to single M dwarfs between 10-100 AU is 2.8+2.4-1.5%. Altogether we find that giant planets, especially massive ones, are rare in the outskirts of M dwarf planetary systems. Although the first directly imaged planets were found around massive stars, there is currently no statistical evidence for a trend of giant planet frequency with stellar host mass at large separations as predicted by the disk instability model of giant planet formation. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W.M. Keck Foundation. This work was also based on data collected at Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

A radio-pulsing white dwarf binary star.

PubMed

Marsh, T R; Gänsicke, B T; Hümmerich, S; Hambsch, F-J; Bernhard, K; Lloyd, C; Breedt, E; Stanway, E R; Steeghs, D T; Parsons, S G; Toloza, O; Schreiber, M R; Jonker, P G; van Roestel, J; Kupfer, T; Pala, A F; Dhillon, V S; Hardy, L K; Littlefair, S P; Aungwerojwit, A; Arjyotha, S; Koester, D; Bochinski, J J; Haswell, C A; Frank, P; Wheatley, P J

2016-09-15

White dwarfs are compact stars, similar in size to Earth but approximately 200,000 times more massive. Isolated white dwarfs emit most of their power from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths, but when in close orbits with less dense stars, white dwarfs can strip material from their companions and the resulting mass transfer can generate atomic line and X-ray emission, as well as near- and mid-infrared radiation if the white dwarf is magnetic. However, even in binaries, white dwarfs are rarely detected at far-infrared or radio frequencies. Here we report the discovery of a white dwarf/cool star binary that emits from X-ray to radio wavelengths. The star, AR Scorpii (henceforth AR Sco), was classified in the early 1970s as a δ-Scuti star, a common variety of periodic variable star. Our observations reveal instead a 3.56-hour period close binary, pulsing in brightness on a period of 1.97 minutes. The pulses are so intense that AR Sco's optical flux can increase by a factor of four within 30 seconds, and they are also detectable at radio frequencies. They reflect the spin of a magnetic white dwarf, which we find to be slowing down on a 10 7 -year timescale. The spin-down power is an order of magnitude larger than that seen in electromagnetic radiation, which, together with an absence of obvious signs of accretion, suggests that AR Sco is primarily spin-powered. Although the pulsations are driven by the white dwarf's spin, they mainly originate from the cool star. AR Sco's broadband spectrum is characteristic of synchrotron radiation, requiring relativistic electrons. These must either originate from near the white dwarf or be generated in situ at the M star through direct interaction with the white dwarf's magnetosphere.

Evolution of double white dwarf binaries undergoing direct-impact accretion: Implications for gravitational wave astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kremer, Kyle; Breivik, Katelyn; Larson, Shane L.; Kalogera, Vassiliki

2017-01-01

For close double white dwarf binaries, the mass-transfer phenomenon known as direct-impact accretion (when the mass transfer stream impacts the accretor directly rather than forming a disc) may play a pivotal role in the long-term evolution of the systems. In this analysis, we explore the long-term evolution of white dwarf binaries accreting through direct-impact and explore implications of such systems to gravitational wave astronomy. We cover a broad range of parameter space which includes initial component masses and the strength of tidal coupling, and show that these systems, which lie firmly within the LISA frequency range, show strong negative chirps which can last as long as several million years. Detections of double white dwarf systems in the direct-impact phase by detectors such as LISA would provide astronomers with unique ways of probing the physics governing close compact object binaries.

The Rotation Period and Magnetic Field of the T Dwarf 2MASSI J1047539+212423 Measured from Periodic Radio Bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, P. K. G.; Berger, E.

2015-08-01

Periodic radio bursts from very low mass stars and brown dwarfs simultaneously probe their magnetic and rotational properties. The brown dwarf 2MASSI J1047539+212423 (2M 1047+21) is currently the only T dwarf (T6.5) detected at radio wavelengths. Previous observations of this source with the Arecibo observatory revealed intermittent, 100%-polarized radio pulses similar to those detected from other brown dwarfs, but were unable to constrain a pulse periodicity; previous Very Large Array (VLA) observations detected quiescent emission a factor of ∼100 times fainter than the Arecibo pulses but no additional events. Here we present 14 hr of VLA observations of this object that reveal a series of pulses at ∼6 GHz with highly variable profiles, showing that the pulsing behavior evolves on time scales that are both long and short compared to the rotation period. We measure a periodicity of ∼1.77 hr and identify it with the rotation period. This is just the sixth rotation period measurement in a late T dwarf, and the first obtained in the radio. We detect a pulse at 10 GHz as well, suggesting that the magnetic field strength of 2 M 1047+21 reaches at least 3.6 kG. Although this object is the coolest and most rapidly rotating radio-detected brown dwarf to date, its properties appear continuous with those of other such objects, suggesting that the generation of strong magnetic fields and radio emission may continue to even cooler objects. Further studies of this kind will help to clarify the relationships between mass, age, rotation, and magnetic activity at and beyond the end of the main sequence, where both theories and observational data are currently scarce.

Sonora: A New Generation Model Atmosphere Grid for Brown Dwarfs and Young Extrasolar Giant Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marley, Mark S.; Saumon, Didier; Fortney, Jonathan J.; Morley, Caroline; Lupu, Roxana E.; Freedman, Richard; Visscher, Channon

2017-06-01

Brown dwarf and giant planet atmospheric structure and composition has been studied both by forward models and, increasingly so, by retrieval methods. While indisputably informative, retrieval methods are of greatest value when judged in the context of grid model predictions. Meanwhile retrieval models can test the assumptions inherent in the forward modeling procedure.In order to provide a new, systematic survey of brown dwarf atmospheric structure, emergent spectra, and evolution, we have constructed a new grid of brown dwarf model atmospheres. We ultimately aim for our grid to span substantial ranges of atmospheric metallilcity, C/O ratios, cloud properties, atmospheric mixing, and other parameters. Spectra predicted by our modeling grid can be compared to both observations and retrieval results to aid in the interpretation and planning of future telescopic observations.We thus present Sonora, a new generation of substellar atmosphere models, appropriate for application to studies of L, T, and Y-type brown dwarfs and young extrasolar giant planets. The models describe the expected temperature-pressure profile and emergent spectra of an atmosphere in radiative-convective equilibrium for ranges of effective temperatures and gravities encompassing 200 ≤ Teff ≤ 2400 K and 2.5 ≤ log g ≤ 5.5. In our poster we briefly describe our modeling methodology, enumerate various updates since our group's previous models, and present our initial tranche of models for cloudless, solar metallicity, and solar carbon-to-oxygen ratio, chemical equilibrium atmospheres. These models will be available online and will be updated as opacities and cloud modeling methods continue to improve.

Brown Dwarf Microlensing Diagram

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-10

For the first time, two space-based telescopes have teamed up with ground-based observatories to observe a microlensing event, a magnification of the light of a distant star due to the gravitational effects of an unseen object in the foreground. In this case, the cause of the microlensing event was a brown dwarf, dubbed OGLE-2015-BLG-1319, orbiting a star. In terms of mass, brown dwarfs fall somewhere between the size of the largest planets and the smallest stars. Curiously, scientists have found that, for stars roughly the mass of our sun, less than 1 percent have a brown dwarf orbiting within 3 AU (1 AU is the distance between Earth and the sun). This newly discovered brown dwarf may fall in that distance range. This microlensing event was observed by ground-based telescopes looking for these uncommon events, and subsequently seen by NASA's Spitzer and Swift space telescopes. As the diagram shows, Spitzer and Swift offer additional vantage points for viewing this chance alignment. While Swift orbits close to Earth, and saw (blue diamonds) essentially the same change in light that the ground-based telescopes measured (grey markers), Spitzer's location much farther away from Earth gave it a very different perspective on the event (red circles). In particular, Spitzer's vantage point resulted in a time lag in the microlensing event it observed, compared to what was seen by Swift and the ground-based telescope. This offset allowed astronomers to determine the distance to OGLE-2015-BLG-1319 as well as its mass: around 30-65 times that of Jupiter. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21077

Brown dwarf distances and atmospheres: Spitzer Parallaxes and the Keck/NIRSPEC upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Emily C.

2018-01-01

Advances in infrared technology have been essential towards improving our understanding of the solar neighborhood, revealing a large population of brown dwarfs, which span the mass regime between planets and stars. My thesis combines near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic and astrometric analysis of nearby low-mass stars and brown dwarfs with instrumentation work to upgrade the NIRSPEC instrument for the Keck II Telescope. I will present results from a program using Spitzer/IRAC data to measure precise locations and distances to 22 of the coldest and closest brown dwarfs. These distances allow us to constrain absolute physical properties, such as mass, radius, and age, of free-floating planetary-mass objects through comparison to atmospheric and evolutionary models. NIR spectroscopy combined with the Spitzer photometry reveals a detailed look into the atmospheres of brown dwarfs and gaseous extrasolar planets. Additionally, I will discuss the improvements we are making to the NIRSPEC instrument at Keck. NIRSPEC is a NIR echelle spectrograph, capable of R~2000 and R~25,000 observations in the 1-5 μm range. As part of the upgrade, I performed detector characterization, optical design of a new slit-viewing camera, mechanical testing, and electronics design. NIRSPEC’s increased efficiency will allow us to obtain moderate- and high-resolution NIR spectra of objects up to a magnitude fainter than the current NIRSPEC design. Finally, I will demonstrate the utility of a NIR laser frequency comb as a high-resolution calibrator. This new technology will revolutionize precision radial velocity measurements in the coming decade.

OGLE-2016-BLG-0168 Binary Microlensing Event: Prediction and Confirmation of the Microlens Parallax Effect from Space-based Observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shin, I.-G.; Yee, J. C.; Jung, Y. K.

The microlens parallax is a crucial observable for conclusively identifying the nature of lens systems in microlensing events containing or composed of faint (even dark) astronomical objects such as planets, neutron stars, brown dwarfs, and black holes. With the commencement of a new era of microlensing in collaboration with space-based observations, the microlens parallax can be routinely measured. In addition, space-based observations can provide opportunities to verify the microlens parallax measured from ground-only observations and to find a unique solution to the lensing light-curve analysis. Furthermore, since most space-based observations cannot cover the full light curves of lensing events, itmore » is also necessary to verify the reliability of the information extracted from fragmentary space-based light curves. We conduct a test based on the microlensing event OGLE-2016-BLG-0168, created by a binary lens system consisting of almost equal mass M-dwarf stars, to demonstrate that it is possible to verify the microlens parallax and to resolve degeneracies using the space-based light curve even though the observations are fragmentary. Since space-based observatories will frequently produce fragmentary light curves due to their short observing windows, the methodology of this test will be useful for next-generation microlensing experiments that combine space-based and ground-based collaboration.« less

OGLE-2016-BLG-0168 Binary Microlensing Event: Prediction and Confirmation of the Microlens Parallax Effect from Space-based Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, I.-G.; Udalski, A.; Yee, J. C.; Calchi Novati, S.; Han, C.; Skowron, J.; Mróz, P.; Soszyński, I.; Poleski, R.; Szymański, M. K.; Kozłowski, S.; Pietrukowicz, P.; Ulaczyk, K.; Pawlak, M.; OGLE Collaboration; Albrow, M. D.; Gould, A.; Chung, S.-J.; Hwang, K.-H.; Jung, Y. K.; Ryu, Y.-H.; Zhu, W.; Cha, S.-M.; Kim, D.-J.; Kim, H.-W.; Kim, S.-L.; Lee, C.-U.; Lee, Y.; Park, B.-G.; Pogge, R. W.; KMTNet Group; Beichman, C.; Bryden, G.; Carey, S.; Gaudi, B. S.; Henderson, C. B.; Shvartzvald, Y.; Spitzer Team

2017-11-01

The microlens parallax is a crucial observable for conclusively identifying the nature of lens systems in microlensing events containing or composed of faint (even dark) astronomical objects such as planets, neutron stars, brown dwarfs, and black holes. With the commencement of a new era of microlensing in collaboration with space-based observations, the microlens parallax can be routinely measured. In addition, space-based observations can provide opportunities to verify the microlens parallax measured from ground-only observations and to find a unique solution to the lensing light-curve analysis. Furthermore, since most space-based observations cannot cover the full light curves of lensing events, it is also necessary to verify the reliability of the information extracted from fragmentary space-based light curves. We conduct a test based on the microlensing event OGLE-2016-BLG-0168, created by a binary lens system consisting of almost equal mass M-dwarf stars, to demonstrate that it is possible to verify the microlens parallax and to resolve degeneracies using the space-based light curve even though the observations are fragmentary. Since space-based observatories will frequently produce fragmentary light curves due to their short observing windows, the methodology of this test will be useful for next-generation microlensing experiments that combine space-based and ground-based collaboration.

Brown Dwarf HIP 79124 B

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-01-30

This image shows brown dwarf HIP 79124 B, located 23 times as far from its host star as Earth is from the sun. The vortex coronagraph, an instrument at the W.M. Keck Observatory, was used to suppress light from the much brighter host star, allowing its dim companion to be imaged for the first time. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21417

Observational diagnostics of accretion on young stars and brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stelzer, Beate; Argiroffi, Costanza

I present a summary of recent observational constraints on the accretion properties of young stars and brown dwarfs with focus on the high-energy emission. In their T Tauri phase young stars assemble a few percent of their mass by accretion from a disk. Various observational signatures of disks around pre-main sequence stars and the ensuing accretion process are found in the IR and optical regime: e.g. excess emission above the stellar photosphere, strong and broad emission lines, optical veiling. At high energies evidence for accretion is less obvious, and the X-ray emission from stars has historically been ascribed to magnetically confined coronal plasmas. While being true for the bulk of the emission, new insight obtained from XMM-Newton and Chandra observations has unveiled contributions from accretion and outflow processes to the X-ray emission from young stars. Their smaller siblings, the brown dwarfs, have been shown to undergo a T Tauri phase on the basis of optical/IR observations of disks and measurements of accretion rates. Most re-cently, first evidence was found for X-rays produced by accretion in a young brown dwarf, complementing the suspected analogy between stars and substellar objects.

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SPECTROSCOPY OF BROWN DWARFS DISCOVERED WITH THE WIDE-FIELD INFRARED SURVEY EXPLORER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schneider, Adam C.; Cushing, Michael C.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy

2015-05-10

We present a sample of brown dwarfs identified with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) for which we have obtained Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) near-infrared grism spectroscopy. The sample (22 in total) was observed with the G141 grism covering 1.10–1.70 μm, while 15 were also observed with the G102 grism, which covers 0.90–1.10 μm. The additional wavelength coverage provided by the G102 grism allows us to (1) search for spectroscopic features predicted to emerge at low effective temperatures (e.g.,ammonia bands) and (2) construct a smooth spectral sequence across the T/Y boundary. We find no evidencemore » of absorption due to ammonia in the G102 spectra. Six of these brown dwarfs are new discoveries, three of which are found to have spectral types of T8 or T9. The remaining three, WISE J082507.35+280548.5 (Y0.5), WISE J120604.38+840110.6 (Y0), and WISE J235402.77+024015.0 (Y1), are the 19th, 20th, and 21st spectroscopically confirmed Y dwarfs to date. We also present HST grism spectroscopy and reevaluate the spectral types of five brown dwarfs for which spectral types have been determined previously using other instruments.« less

Double-lined M dwarf eclipsing binaries from Catalina Sky Survey and LAMOST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Chien-Hsiu; Lin, Chien-Cheng

2017-02-01

Eclipsing binaries provide a unique opportunity to determine fundamental stellar properties. In the era of wide-field cameras and all-sky imaging surveys, thousands of eclipsing binaries have been reported through light curve classification, yet their basic properties remain unexplored due to the extensive efforts needed to follow them up spectroscopically. In this paper we investigate three M2-M3 type double-lined eclipsing binaries discovered by cross-matching eclipsing binaries from the Catalina Sky Survey with spectroscopically classified M dwarfs from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope survey data release one and two. Because these three M dwarf binaries are faint, we further acquire radial velocity measurements using GMOS on the Gemini North telescope with R˜ 4000, enabling us to determine the mass and radius of individual stellar components. By jointly fitting the light and radial velocity curves of these systems, we derive the mass and radius of the primary and secondary components of these three systems, in the range between 0.28-0.42M_⊙ and 0.29-0.67R_⊙, respectively. Future observations with a high resolution spectrograph will help us pin down the uncertainties in their stellar parameters, and render these systems benchmarks to study M dwarfs, providing inputs to improving stellar models in the low mass regime, or establishing an empirical mass-radius relation for M dwarf stars.

The Role of Binarity in the Angular Momentum Evolution of M Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stauffer, John; Rebull, Luisa; K2 clusters team

2018-01-01

We have analysed K2 light curves for of order a thousand low mass stars in each of the 8 Myr old Upper Sco association, the 125 Myr age Pleiades open cluster and the ~700 Myr old Praesepe cluster. A very large fraction of these stars show well-determined rotation periods with K2, and where the star is a binary, we usually are able to determine periods for both stars. In Upper Sco, where there are ~150 M dwarf binaries with K2 light curves, the binary stars have periods that are much shorter on average and much closer to each other than would be true if drawn at random from the Upper Sco M dwarf single stars. The same is true in the Pleiades,though the size of the differences from the single M dwarf population is smaller. By Praesepe age, the M dwarf binaries are still somewhat rapidly rotating but their period differences are not significantly different from what would be true if drawn by chance from the singles.

Characterizing Water Ice Clouds on the Coldest Known Brown Dwarf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luhman, Kevin; Burgasser, Adam; Cushing, Michael; Esplin, Taran; Fortney, Jonathan; Hardegree-Ullman, Kevin; Marley, Mark; Morley, Caroline; Schneider, Adam; Trucks, Jesica

2014-12-01

We have conducted a search for high proper motion brown dwarfs using multi-epoch all-sky mid-infrared images from the WISE satellite. Through this work, we have discovered an object with a parallactic distance of 2.3 pc and a temperature of 250 K, making it the 4th closest neighbor of the Sun, and the coldest known brown dwarf. Because of its extreme proximity and temperature, it represents an unparalleled laboratory for studying planet-like atmospheres in an unexplored temperature regime. We propose to photometrically monitor this object with IRAC to 1) detect and characterize water ice clouds in its atmosphere via the short-term variations induced during rotation and 2) constrain the long-term evolution of its clouds across a period of months.

New Y and T Dwarfs from WISE Identified by Methane Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tinney, C. G.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Mace, Gregory N.; Cushing, Mike; Gelino, Christopher R.; Burgasser, Adam J.; Sheppard, Scott S.; Wright, Edward L.

2018-06-01

We identify new Y- and T-type brown dwarfs from the WISE All Sky data release using images obtained in filters that divide the traditional near-infrared H and J bands into two halves—specifically {CH}}4{{s}} and CH4l in the H and J2, and J3 in the J. This proves to be very effective at identifying cool brown dwarfs via the detection of their methane absorption, as well as providing preliminary classification using methane colors and WISE -to-near-infrared colors. New and updated calibrations between T/Y spectral types and {CH}}4{{s}}–CH4l J3–W2, and {CH}}4{{s}}–W2 colors are derived, producing classification estimates good to a few spectral sub-types. We present photometry for a large sample of T and Y dwarfs in these filters, together with spectroscopy for 23 new ultra-cool dwarfs—2 Y dwarfs and 21 T dwarfs. We identify a further 8 new cool brown dwarfs, which we have high confidence are T dwarfs based on their methane photometry. We find that, for objects observed on a 4 m class telescope at J-band magnitudes of ∼20 or brighter, {CH}}4{{s}}–CH4l is the more powerful color for detecting objects and then estimating spectral types. Due to the lower sky background in the J-band, the J3 and J2 bands are more useful for identifying fainter cool dwarfs at J ≳ 22. The J3–J2 color is poor at estimating spectral types. But fortunately, once J3–J2 confirms that an object is a cool dwarf, the J3–W2 color is very effective at estimating approximate spectral types.

Habitable Planets Around White and Brown Dwarfs: The Perils of a Cooling Primary

PubMed Central

Heller, René

2013-01-01

Abstract White and brown dwarfs are astrophysical objects that are bright enough to support an insolation habitable zone (IHZ). Unlike hydrogen-burning stars, they cool and become less luminous with time; hence their IHZ moves in with time. The inner edge of the IHZ is defined as the orbital radius at which a planet may enter a moist or runaway greenhouse, phenomena that can remove a planet's surface water forever. Thus, as the IHZ moves in, planets that enter it may no longer have any water and are still uninhabitable. Additionally, the close proximity of the IHZ to the primary leads to concern that tidal heating may also be strong enough to trigger a runaway greenhouse, even for orbital eccentricities as small as 10−6. Water loss occurs due to photolyzation by UV photons in the planetary stratosphere, followed by hydrogen escape. Young white dwarfs emit a large amount of these photons, as their surface temperatures are over 104 K. The situation is less clear for brown dwarfs, as observational data do not constrain their early activity and UV emission very well. Nonetheless, both types of planets are at risk of never achieving habitable conditions, but planets orbiting white dwarfs may be less likely to sustain life than those orbiting brown dwarfs. We consider the future habitability of the planet candidates KOI 55.01 and 55.02 in these terms and find they are unlikely to become habitable. Key Words: Extrasolar terrestrial planets—Habitability—Habitable zone—Tides—Exoplanets. Astrobiology 13, 279–291. PMID:23537137

BROWN DWARFS IN YOUNG MOVING GROUPS FROM PAN-STARRS1. I. AB DORADUS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aller, Kimberly M.; Liu, Michael C.; Magnier, Eugene A.

Substellar members of young (≲150 Myr) moving groups are valuable benchmarks to empirically define brown dwarf evolution with age and to study the low-mass end of the initial mass function. We have combined Pan-STARRS1 (PS1) proper motions with optical–IR photometry from PS1, Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), and WISE to search for substellar members of the AB Dor Moving Group within ≈50 pc and with spectral types of late M to early L, corresponding to masses down to ≈30 M {sub Jup} at the age of the group (≈125 Myr). Including both photometry and proper motions allows us tomore » better select candidates by excluding field dwarfs whose colors are similar to young AB Dor Moving Group members. Our near-IR spectroscopy has identified six ultracool dwarfs (M6–L4; ≈30–100 M {sub Jup}) with intermediate surface gravities (int-g) as candidate members of the AB Dor Moving Group. We find another two candidate members with spectra showing hints of youth but consistent with field gravities. We also find four field brown dwarfs unassociated with the AB Dor Moving Group, three of which have int-g gravity classification. While signatures of youth are present in the spectra of our ≈125 Myr objects, neither their J – K nor W 1 – W 2 colors are significantly redder than field dwarfs with the same spectral types, unlike younger ultracool dwarfs. We also determined PS1 parallaxes for eight of our candidates and one previously identified AB Dor Moving Group candidate. Although radial velocities (and parallaxes, for some) are still needed to fully assess membership, these new objects provide valuable insight into the spectral characteristics and evolution of young brown dwarfs.« less

A HST/WFC3 Search for Substellar Companions in the Orion Nebula Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strampelli, Giovanni Maria; Aguilar, Jonathan; Aparicio, Antonio; Piotto, Giampaolo; Pueyo, Laurent; Robberto, Massimo

2018-01-01

We present new results relative to the population of substellar binaries in the Orion Nebula Cluster. We reprocessed HST/WFC3 data using an analysis technique developed to detect close companions in the wings of the stellar PSFs, based on the PyKLIP implementation of the KLIP PSF subtraction algorithm. Starting from a sample of ~1200 stars selected over the range J=11-15 mag, we were able to uncover ~80 candidate companions in the magnitude range J=16-23 mag. We use the presence of the 1.4 micron H2O absorption feature in the companion photosphere to discriminate 32 bona-fide substellar candidates from a population of reddened background objects. We derive an estimate of the companion mass assuming a 2Myr isochrone and the reddening of their primary. With 8 stellar companions, 19 brown dwarfs and 5 planetary mass objects, our study provide us with an unbiased sample of companions at the low-mass end of the IMF, probing the transition from binary to planetary systems.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Cataclysmic Binaries, LMXBs, and related objects (Ritter+, 2003)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ritter, H.; Kolb, U.

2004-03-01

Cataclysmic Binaries are semi-detached binaries consisting of a white dwarf or a white dwarf precursor primary and a low-mass secondary which is filling its critical Roche lobe. The secondary is not necessarily unevolved, it may even be a highly evolved star as for example in the case of the AM CVn-type stars. Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries are semi-detached binaries consisting of either a neutron star or a black hole primary, and a low-mass secondary which is filling its critical Roche lobe. Related Objects are detached binaries consisting of either a white dwarf or a white dwarf precursor primary and of a low-mass secondary. The secondary may also be a highly evolved star. The catalogue lists coordinates, apparent magnitudes, orbital parameters, stellar parameters of the components and other characteristic properties of 522 cataclysmic binaries, 75 low-mass X-ray binaries and 117 related objects with known or suspected orbital periods together with a comprehensive selection of the relevant recent literature. In addition the catalogue contains a list of references to published finding charts for 695 of the 714 objects. A cross-reference list of alias object designations concludes the catalogue. Literature published before 31 December 2003 has, as far as possible, been taken into account. This catalogue supersedes the 5th edition (catalogue ) and the updated lists by Ritter and Kolb (1995; catalogue ) (1998; catalogue ). (10 data files).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Cataclysmic Binaries, LMXBs, and related objects (Ritter+, 2003)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ritter, H.; Kolb, U.

2005-03-01

Cataclysmic Binaries are semi-detached binaries consisting of a white dwarf or a white dwarf precursor primary and a low-mass secondary which is filling its critical Roche lobe. The secondary is not necessarily unevolved, it may even be a highly evolved star as for example in the case of the AM CVn-type stars. Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries are semi-detached binaries consisting of either a neutron star or a black hole primary, and a low-mass secondary which is filling its critical Roche lobe. Related Objects are detached binaries consisting of either a white dwarf or a white dwarf precursor primary and of a low-mass secondary. The secondary may also be a highly evolved star. The catalogue lists coordinates, apparent magnitudes, orbital parameters, stellar parameters of the components and other characteristic properties of 572 cataclysmic binaries, 80 low-mass X-ray binaries and 142 related objects with known or suspected orbital periods together with a comprehensive selection of the relevant recent literature. In addition the catalogue contains a list of references to published finding charts for 761 of the 794 objects. A cross-reference list of alias object designations concludes the catalogue. Literature published before 31 December 2004 has, as far as possible, been taken into account. This catalogue supersedes the 5th edition (catalogue ) and the updated lists by Ritter and Kolb (1995; catalogue ) (1998; catalogue ). (10 data files).

The possible false-detection of a transiting brown dwarf candidate in the overlapping fields of Kepler and MARVELS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes, Alan; Ge, Jian; Thomas, Neil; Ma, Bo; Heslar, Michael Francis; SDSS-III MARVELS Team

2016-01-01

While searching for exoplanets via the transit method, it has been documented that the periodicity of an unresolved background eclipsing binary (BEB) can be misinterpreted as the orbital companion of a target star. We explore the possibility that this false-positive contamination method can also occur in Doppler surveys if the angular separation between a BEB and a selected primary is under a certain threshold, dependent on the fiber diameter of the spectrometer instrument. The case example of this investigation is a K2 giant in the constellation Cygnus, in the region of overlap of the Kepler and MARVELS surveys. This star was originally flagged for potentially having a 5.56d period companion as per the Kepler transit photometry. It was also imbricated with radial velocity (RV) observations performed by the SDSS-III MARVELS survey, in which Doppler information was extracted from along the dispersion direction of the fiducially-calibrated, post-pipeline-rendered spectra. The 5.56d period was corroborated after testing its probability against that of others via a Lomb-Scargle periodogram analysis. The pipeline mass determination yielded a ~17 MJupiter companion, within the characteristic mass-range of brown dwarfs. The MARVELS results seem to constitute an independent discovery, and hence confirmation, of the brown dwarf candidate. However, a later investigation conducted by EXPERT, intent upon refining the system's physical parameters, failed to identify the RV signal of any companion whatsoever. EXPERT, with its superior resolving power (R=30,000 vs R=11,000 in MARVELS), finer fiber width (1.2 vs 1.9 arcsec), and higher degree of precision (~10 m/s), was expected to finalize the confirmation, but now offers a major challenge to previous models of the system. Additionally, high-resolution adaptive optics imaging reveals the presence of a distinct, close-in object. The object may itself be an unbound BEB, and thus the source of the period signals reported by Kepler and MARVELS. Further endeavors are underway to better understand the underlying theoretical explanation for the possible false-detections, currently attributed to differential fiber aperture, which may have implications for future Doppler surveys.

A spectrophotometric method for detecting substellar companions to late-type M stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oetiker, Brian Glen

The most common stars in the Galaxy are the main-sequence M stars, yet current techniques are not optimized for detecting companions around the lowest mass stars; those with spectral designations ranging from M6 to M10. Described in this study is a search for companions around such stars using two methods: a unique implementation of the transit method, and a newly designed differential spectrophotometric method. The TEP project focusses on the detection of transits of terrestrial sized and larger companions in the eclipsing binary system CM Draconis. The newly designed spectrophotometric technique combines the strengths of the spectroscopic and photometric methods, while minimizing their inherent weaknesses. This unique method relies on the placement of three narrow band optical filters on and around the Titanium Oxide (TiO) bandhead near 8420 Å, a feature commonly seen in the atmospheres of late M stars. One filter is placed on the slope of the bandhead feature, while the remaining two are located on the adjacent continuum portions of the star's spectrum. The companion-induced motion of the star results in a doppler shifting of the bandhead feature, which in turn causes a change in flux passing through the filter located on the slope of the TiO bandhead. The spectrophotometric method is optimized for detecting compact systems containing brown dwarfs and giant planets. Because of its low dispersion-high photon efficiency design, this method is well suited for surveying large numbers of faint M stars. A small scale survey has been implemented, producing a candidate brown dwarf class companion of the star WX UMa. Applying the spectrophotometric method to a larger scale survey for brown dwarf and giant planet companions, coupled with a photometric transit study addresses two key astronomical issues. By detecting or placing limits on compact late type M star systems, a discrimination among competing theories of planetary formation may be gained. Furthermore, searching for a broad range of companion masses, may result in a better understanding of the substellar mass function.

The Atmospheres of Directly Imaged Planets: Where Has All the Methane Gone?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marley, Mark S.; Zahnle, Kevin

2014-01-01

Methane and ammonia both first appear at lower effective temperatures in brown dwarf atmospheres than equilibrium chemistry models would suggest. This has traditionally been understood as a consequence of vertical mixing timescales being shorter than chemical equilibration timescales in brown dwarf photospheres. Indeed the eddy diffusivity, a variable accounting for the vigor of vertical mixing, has become a standard part of the description of brown dwarf atmosphere models, along with Teff and log g. While some models have suggested that methane is less favored at lower gravity, the almost complete absence of methane in the atmospheres of directly imaged planets, such as those orbiting HR 8799, even at effective temperatures where methane is readily apparent in brown dwarf spectra, has been puzzling. To better understand the paucity of methane in low gravity atmospheres we have revisited the problem of methane chemistry and mixing. We employed a 1-D atmospheric chemistry code augmented with an updated and complete network of the chemical reactions that link CO to CH4. We find the methane abundance at altitudes at or above the effective photosphere is a strong function of surface gravity because higher g shifts the p-T structure to higher pressures (i.e., a given optical depth is proportional to p/g, a relation mitigated somewhat by pressure broadening). Thus quenching in more massive brown dwarfs occurs at a lower temperature and higher pressure, both favoring CH4. We predict that in the lowest mass young giant planets, methane will appear very late, at effective temperatures as low as 600 K rather than the 1200 K seen among field brown dwarfs. This methane deficiency has important implications for the interpretation of spectra as well as methane-based planetary companion searches, such as the NICI survey. The GPI and SPHERE surveys will test these ideas and probe atmospheric chemistry and composition in an entire new range of parameter space. A caveat is that these calculations presume that the C to O ratio is comfortably less than one; the behavior is quite different if C and O are equally abundant, and of course CH4 is always present if C exceeds O.

Recent Variability Observations of Solar System Giant Planets: Fresh Context for Understanding Exoplanet and Brown Dwarf Weather

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marley, Mark Scott

2016-01-01

Over the past several years a number of high cadence photometric observations of solar system giant planets have been acquired by various platforms. Such observations are of interest as they provide points of comparison to the already expansive set of brown dwarf variability observations and the small, but growing, set of exoplanet variability observations. By measuring how rapidly the integrated light from solar system giant planets can evolve, variability observations of substellar objects that are unlikely to ever be resolved can be placed in a fuller context. Examples of brown dwarf variability observations include extensive work from the ground (e.g., Radigen et al. 2014), Spitzer (e.g., Metchev et al. 2015), Kepler (Gizis et al. 2015), and HST (Yang et al. 2015).Variability has been measured on the planetary mass companion to the brown dwarf 2MASS 1207b (Zhou et al. 2016) and further searches are planned in thermal emission for the known directly imaged planets with ground based telescopes (Apai et al. 2016) and in reflected light with future space based telescopes. Recent solar system variability observations include Kepler monitoring of Neptune (Simon et al. 2016) and Uranus, Spitzer observations of Neptune (Stauffer et al. 2016), and Cassini observations of Jupiter (West et al. in prep). The Cassini observations are of particular interest as they measured the variability of Jupiter at a phase angle of approximately 60 deg, comparable to the viewing geometry expected for space based direct imaging of cool extrasolar Jupiters in reflected light. These solar system analog observations capture many of the characteristics seen in brown dwarf variability, including large amplitudes and rapid light curve evolution on timescales as short as a few rotation periods. Simon et al. (2016) attribute such variations at Neptune to a combination of large scale, stable cloud structures along with smaller, more rapidly varying, cloud patches. The observed brown dwarf and exoplanet variability may well arise from comparable cloud structures. In my presentation I will compare and contrast the nature of the variability observed for the various solar system and other substelar objects and present a wish list for future observations.

Recent Variability Observations of Solar System Giant Planets: Fresh Context for Understanding Exoplanet and Brown Dwarf Weather

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marley, Mark S.; Kepler Giant Planet Variability Team, Spitzer Ice Giant Variability Team

2016-10-01

Over the past several years a number of of high cadence photometric observations of solar system giant planets have been acquired by various platforms. Such observations are of interest as they provide points of comparison to the already expansive set of brown dwarf variability observations and the small, but growing, set of exoplanet variability observations. By measuring how rapidly the integrated light from solar system giant planets can evolve, variability observations of substellar objects that are unlikely to ever be resolved can be placed in a fuller context. Examples of brown dwarf variability observations include extensive work from the ground (e.g., Radigan et al. 2014), Spitzer (e.g., Metchev et al. 2015), Kepler (Gizis et al. 2015), and HST (Yang et al. 2015). Variability has been measured on the planetary mass companion to the brown dwarf 2MASS 1207b (Zhou et al. 2016) and further searches are planned in thermal emission for the known directly imaged planets with ground based telescopes (Apai et al. 2016) and in reflected light with future space based telescopes. Recent solar system variability observations include Kepler monitoring of Neptune (Simon et al. 2016) and Uranus, Spitzer observations of Neptune (Stauffer et al. 2016), and Cassini observations of Jupiter (West et al. in prep). The Cassini observations are of particular interest as they measured the variability of Jupiter at a phase angle of ˜60○, comparable to the viewing geometry expected for space based direct imaging of cool extrasolar Jupiters in reflected light. These solar system analog observations capture many of the characteristics seen in brown dwarf variability, including large amplitudes and rapid light curve evolution on timescales as short as a few rotation periods. Simon et al. (2016) attribute such variations at Neptune to a combination of large scale, stable cloud structures along with smaller, more rapidly varying, cloud patches. The observed brown dwarf and exoplanet variability may well arise from comparable cloud structures. In my presentation I will compare and contrast the nature of the variability observed for the various solar system and other substellar objects and present a wish list for future observations.

NASA Space Telescopes See Weather Patterns in Brown Dwarf

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

JANUARY 8, 2013: Astronomers using NASA's Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes have probed the stormy atmosphere of a brown dwarf named 2MASSJ22282889-431026, creating the most detailed "weather map" yet for this class of cool, star-like orbs. The forecast shows wind-driven, planet-sized clouds enshrouding these strange worlds. Brown dwarfs form out of condensing gas, as stars do, but lack the mass to fuse atoms and produce energy. Instead, these objects, which some call failed stars, are more similar to gas planets with their complex, varied atmospheres. The new research is a stepping stone toward a better understanding not only brown dwarfs, but also of the atmospheres of planets beyond our solar system. Hubble and Spitzer simultaneously watched the brown dwarf as its light varied in time, brightening and dimming about every 90 minutes as the body rotated. Astronomers found the timing of this change in brightness depended on whether they looked using different wavelengths of infrared light. The variations are the result of different layers or patches of material swirling around in the brown dwarf in windy storms as large as Earth itself. Spitzer and Hubble see different atmospheric layers because certain infrared wavelengths are blocked by vapors of water and methane high up, while other infrared wavelengths emerge from much deeper layers. Daniel Apai, the principal investigator of the research from the University of Arizona, Tucson, presented the results at the American Astronomical Society meeting on January 8 in Long Beach, Calif. A study describing the results, led by Esther Buenzli, also of the University of Arizona, is published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. For more information about this study, visit www.nasa.gov/spitzer . NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

THE LEECH EXOPLANET IMAGING SURVEY: CHARACTERIZATION OF THE COLDEST DIRECTLY IMAGED EXOPLANET, GJ 504 b, AND EVIDENCE FOR SUPERSTELLAR METALLICITY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Skemer, Andrew J.; Leisenring, Jarron; Bailey, Vanessa

2016-02-01

As gas giant planets and brown dwarfs radiate away the residual heat from their formation, they cool through a spectral type transition from L to T, which encompasses the dissipation of cloud opacity and the appearance of strong methane absorption. While there are hundreds of known T-type brown dwarfs, the first generation of directly imaged exoplanets were all L type. Recently, Kuzuhara et al. announced the discovery of GJ 504 b, the first T dwarf exoplanet. GJ 504 b provides a unique opportunity to study the atmosphere of a new type of exoplanet with a ∼500 K temperature that bridges themore » gap between the first directly imaged planets (∼1000 K) and our own solar system's Jupiter (∼130 K). We observed GJ 504 b in three narrow L-band filters (3.71, 3.88, and 4.00 μm), spanning the red end of the broad methane fundamental absorption feature (3.3 μm) as part of the LBTI Exozodi Exoplanet Common Hunt (LEECH) exoplanet imaging survey. By comparing our new photometry and literature photometry with a grid of custom model atmospheres, we were able to fit GJ 504 b's unusual spectral energy distribution for the first time. We find that GJ 504 b is well fit by models with the following parameters: T{sub eff} = 544 ± 10 K, g < 600 m s{sup −2}, [M/H] = 0.60 ± 0.12, cloud opacity parameter of f{sub sed} = 2–5, R = 0.96 ± 0.07 R{sub Jup}, and log(L) = −6.13 ± 0.03 L{sub ⊙}, implying a hot start mass of 3–30 M{sub jup} for a conservative age range of 0.1–6.5 Gyr. Of particular interest, our model fits suggest that GJ 504 b has a superstellar metallicity. Since planet formation can create objects with nonstellar metallicities, while binary star formation cannot, this result suggests that GJ 504 b formed like a planet, not like a binary companion.« less

a Faint and Lonely Brown Dwarf in the Solar Vicinity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1997-04-01

Discovery of KELU-1 Promises New Insights into Strange Objects Brown Dwarfs are star-like objects which are too small to become real stars, yet too large to be real planets. Their mass is too small to ignite those nuclear processes which are responsible for the large energies and high temperatures of stars, but it is much larger than that of the planets we know in our solar system. Until now, very few Brown Dwarfs have been securely identified as such. Two are members of double-star systems, and a few more are located deep within the Pleiades star cluster. Now, however, Maria Teresa Ruiz of the Astronomy Department at Universidad de Chile (Santiago de Chile), using telescopes at the ESO La Silla observatory, has just discovered one that is all alone and apparently quite near to us. Contrary to the others which are influenced by other objects in their immediate surroundings, this new Brown Dwarf is unaffected and will thus be a perfect object for further investigations that may finally allow us to better understand these very interesting celestial bodies. It has been suggested that Brown Dwarfs may constitute a substantial part of the unseen dark matter in our Galaxy. This discovery may therefore also have important implications for this highly relevant research area. Searching for nearby faint stars The story of this discovery goes back to 1987 when Maria Teresa Ruiz decided to embark upon a long-term search (known as the Calan-ESO proper-motion survey ) for another type of unusual object, the so-called White Dwarfs , i.e. highly evolved, small and rather faint stars. Although they have masses similar to that of the Sun, such stars are no larger than the Earth and are therefore extremely compact. They are particularly interesting, because they most probably represent the future end point of evolution of our Sun, some billions of years from now. For this project, the Chilean astronomer obtained large-field photographic exposures with the 1-m ESO Schmidt telescope at La Silla, each covering a sky area of 5 o.5 x 5 o.5. When comparing plates of the same sky field obtained at time intervals of several years [1] , she was able to detect, among the hundreds of thousands of stellar images on the plates, a few faint ones whose positions had changed a little in the meantime. The search technique is based on the fact that such a shift is a good indicator of the object being relatively nearby. It must therefore also be intrinsically faint, i.e. a potential White Dwarf candidate. On every pair of plates, approximately twenty faint moving objects were detected with proper motions [2] of more than 0.25 arcsec per year. Indeed, follow-up spectroscopic observations showed that about 20 percent of these or about four per plate were White Dwarfs. Until now, a total of forty new White Dwarfs have been discovered during this very successful project, i.e. over ten times more than originally expected. And then - a Brown Dwarf! Caption to ESO PR Photo 11/97 [JPEG, 144k] ESO Press Photo 11/97 When checking two plates with a time inverval of 11 years, Maria Teresa Ruiz earlier this year discovered a very faint object in the southern constellation of Hydra (The Water-Snake), moving at 0.35 arcsec per year (cf. ESO Press Photo 11/97). In order to establish its true nature, she obtained its spectrum (in the visual to near-infrared region from wavelengths 450-1000 nm) on March 15 using the ESO 3.6-m telescope and the EFOSC1 spectrograph. Caption to ESO PR Photo 12/97 [GIF, 35k] ESO Press Photo 12/97 To her great surprise, the spectrum was of a type never seen before and certainly not that of a White Dwarf or any other easily identifiable type of star (cf. ESO Press Photo 12/97). In particular, there were no signs of spectral bands of titanium oxide (TiO) or vanadium oxide (VO) which are common in very cool stars, nor of the spectral lines seen in White Dwarfs. On the other hand, an absorption line of the short-lived element lithium was identified, as well as a hydrogen line in emission. However, when the colour of this mysterious object was measured in different wavebands, it was found to be very red and quite similar to that of one of the two known Brown Dwarfs in double star systems. The presence of the lithium line in the spectrum is also an indication that it might be of that type. The astronomer now decided to give the new object the name KELU-1 ; this word means `red' in the language of the Mapuche people, the ancient population in the central part of Chile. Its visual magnitude is 22.3, i.e. more than 3 million times fainter than what can be seen with the unaided eye. In early April, additional infrared observations with the UKIRT (UK Infrared Telescope) on Mauna Kea (Hawaii) by Sandra K. Leggett (Joint Astrophysical Centre, Hilo, Hawaii, USA) confirmed the Brown Dwarf nature of KELU-1, in particular through the unambiguous detection of Methane (CH 4 ) bands in its spectrum. The nature of Brown Dwarfs Brown Dwarfs are first of all characterised by their low mass. When a body of such a small mass is formed in an interstellar cloud and subsequently begins to contract, its temperature at the centre will rise, but it will never reach a level that is sufficient to ignite the nuclear burning of hydrogen to helium, the process that it is main source of energy in the Sun and most other stars. The Brown Dwarf will just continue to contract, more and more slowly, and it will eventually fade from view. This is also the reason that some astronomers consider Brown Dwarfs in the Milky Way and other galaxies as an important component of the `dark matter' whose presence is infered from other indirect measurements but has never been directly observed. It is assumed that the mass limit that separates nuclear-burning stars and slowly contracting Brown Dwarfs is at about 90 times the mass of the giant planet Jupiter, or 8 percent of that of the Sun. KELU-1: a great opportunity for Brown Dwarf studies Assuming that KELU-1 is identical to other known Brown Dwarfs, its measured characteristics indicate that it must be located at a distance of only 10 parsecs, that is about 33 light-years, from the solar system. Its temperature is obviously below 1700 degrees C (where TiO and VO condense as dust grains [3] so that the spectral lines of these molecules are no longer seen). Its mass can be no more than 75 times that of Jupiter, or 6 percent of that of the Sun. During recent years, several Brown Dwarf candidates have been de-masked as low-mass stars and only recently a few Brown Dwarfs were identified in the Pleiades star cluster. Those Brown Dwarfs are quite young and therefore comparatively hotter and brighter. Contrarily, KELU-1 is most probably somewhat older and its unique location so close to us greatly facilitates future investigations. Moreover, it is not at all `disturbed' by the presence of other objects in its immediate surroundings, as this is the case for all other known objects of this type. It will now be important to obtain accurate measurements of KELU-1's parallax , that is, the small annual change of its position in the sky that is caused by the Earth's motion around the Sun and thus the viewing angle of an Earth-based observer. This should be possible within the next year. Moreover, high resolution spectral investigations with large telescope facilities, soon to include the ESO Very Large Telescope at the Paranal observatory in northern Chile, will now for the first time enable us to investigate the processes that take place in the relatively cold upper layers of Brown Dwarfs. For instance, the observed presence of lithium shows that its atmosphere must be different from that of low-mass stars. KELU-1 and the `Dark Matter' From the fact that KELU-1 is so faint that it was barely detectable on the ESO Schmidt plates, it is possible to estimate that the total volume so far surveyed for this type of objects by this research programme is rather small, only about 23 cubic parsecs (800 cubic light-years). A further consideration of the search statistics indicates that less than 10 percent of the Brown Dwarfs present in the surveyed volume would have been found. This translates into a local density of about 0.4 such objects per cubic parsec. Although the mass density of Brown Dwarfs derived from this estimate is insufficient to constitute all the `dark matter' in the Milky Way Galaxy, it is consistent with the most recent estimates of the local mass density, both observed and as infered from dynamical considerations of the motions of stars in the solar neighborhood. Notes: [1] This is done by means of a so-called blink-comparator , an optical device in which the two plates are placed. A tilting mirror allows to view the same sky field alternately on the two plates. Any celestial object that has changed its position will appear to `jump' back and forth and can thus be identified. [2] A proper motion in the sky of 0.25 arcsec/year corresponds to a transversal speed of about 12 km/sec if the object is located at a distance of 10 parsec, or 32.6 light-years. The largest known proper motion of an object outside the solar system is that of Barnard's Star at about 10 arcsec/year. [3] For instance, as the mineral perovskite . How to obtain ESO Press Information ESO Press Information is made available on the World-Wide Web (URL: http://www.eso.org../). ESO Press Photos may be reproduced, if credit is given to the European Southern Observatory.

Using White Dwarf Companions of Blue Stragglers to Constrain Mass Transfer Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gosnell, Natalie M.; Leiner, Emily; Geller, Aaron M.; Knigge, Christian; Mathieu, Robert D.; Sills, Alison; Leigh, Nathan

2018-06-01

Complete membership studies of old open clusters reveal that 25% of the evolved stars follow pathways in stellar evolution that are impacted by binary evolution. Recent studies show that the majority of blue straggler stars, traditionally defined to be stars brighter and bluer than the corresponding main sequence turnoff, are formed through mass transfer from a giant star onto a main sequence companion, resulting in a white dwarf in a binary system with a blue straggler. We will present constraints on the histories and mass transfer efficiencies for two blue straggler-white dwarf binaries in open cluster NGC 188. The constraints are a result of measuring white dwarf cooling temperatures and surface gravities with HST COS far-ultraviolet spectroscopy. This information sets both the timeline for mass transfer and the stellar masses in the pre-mass transfer binary, allowing us to constrain aspects of the mass transfer physics. One system is formed through Case C mass transfer, leaving a CO-core white dwarf, and provides an interesting test case for mass transfer from an asymptotic giant branch star in an eccentric system. The other system formed through Case B mass transfer, leaving a He-core white dwarf, and challenges our current understanding of the expected regimes for stable mass transfer from red giant branch stars.

Sonora: A New Generation Model Atmosphere Grid for Brown Dwarfs and Young Extrasolar Giant Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marley, Mark S.; Saumon, Didier; Fortney, Jonathan J.; Morley, Caroline; Lupu, Roxana Elena; Freedman, Richard; Visscher, Channon

2017-01-01

Brown dwarf and giant planet atmospheric structure and composition has been studied both by forward models and, increasingly so, by retrieval methods. While indisputably informative, retrieval methods are of greatest value when judged in the context of grid model predictions. Meanwhile retrieval models can test the assumptions inherent in the forward modeling procedure. In order to provide a new, systematic survey of brown dwarf atmospheric structure, emergent spectra, and evolution, we have constructed a new grid of brown dwarf model atmospheres. We ultimately aim for our grid to span substantial ranges of atmospheric metallilcity, C/O ratios, cloud properties, atmospheric mixing, and other parameters. Spectra predicted by our modeling grid can be compared to both observations and retrieval results to aid in the interpretation and planning of future telescopic observations. We thus present Sonora, a new generation of substellar atmosphere models, appropriate for application to studies of L, T, and Y-type brown dwarfs and young extrasolar giant planets. The models describe the expected temperature-pressure profile and emergent spectra of an atmosphere in radiative-convective equilibrium for ranges of effective temperatures and gravities encompassing 200 less than or equal to T(sub eff) less than or equal to 2400 K and 2.5 less than or equal to log g less than or equal to 5.5. In our poster we briefly describe our modeling methodology, enumerate various updates since our group's previous models, and present our initial tranche of models for cloudless, solar metallicity, and solar carbon-to-oxygen ratio, chemical equilibrium atmospheres. These models will be available online and will be updated as opacities and cloud modeling methods continue to improve.

A transient radio jet in an erupting dwarf nova.

PubMed

Körding, Elmar; Rupen, Michael; Knigge, Christian; Fender, Rob; Dhawan, Vivek; Templeton, Matthew; Muxlow, Tom

2008-06-06

Astrophysical jets seem to occur in nearly all types of accreting objects, from supermassive black holes to young stellar objects. On the basis of x-ray binaries, a unified scenario describing the disc/jet coupling has evolved and been extended to many accreting objects. The only major exceptions are thought to be cataclysmic variables: Dwarf novae, weakly accreting white dwarfs, show similar outburst behavior to x-ray binaries, but no jet has yet been detected. Here we present radio observations of a dwarf nova in outburst showing variable flat-spectrum radio emission that is best explained as synchrotron emission originating in a transient jet. Both the inferred jet power and the relation to the outburst cycle are analogous to those seen in x-ray binaries, suggesting that the disc/jet coupling mechanism is ubiquitous.

Clouds and hazes in exoplanets and brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morley, Caroline Victoria

The formation of clouds significantly alters the spectra of cool substellar atmospheres from terrestrial planets to brown dwarfs. In cool planets like Earth and Jupiter, volatile species like water and ammonia condense to form ice clouds. In hot planets and brown dwarfs, iron and silicates instead condense, forming dusty clouds. Irradiated methane-rich planets may have substantial hydrocarbon hazes. During my dissertation, I have studied the impact of clouds and hazes in a variety of substellar objects. First, I present results for cool brown dwarfs including clouds previously neglected in model atmospheres. Model spectra that include sulfide and salt clouds can match the spectra of T dwarf atmospheres; water ice clouds will alter the spectra of the newest and coldest brown dwarfs, the Y dwarfs. These sulfide/salt and ice clouds potentially drive spectroscopic variability in these cool objects, and this variability should be distinguishable from variability caused by hot spots. Next, I present results for small, cool exoplanets between the size of Earth and Neptune. They likely have sulfide and salt clouds and also have photochemical hazes caused by stellar irradiation. Vast resources have been dedicated to characterizing the handful of super Earths and Neptunes accessible to current telescopes, yet of the planets smaller than Neptune studied to date, all have radii in the near-infrared consistent with being constant in wavelength, likely showing that these small planets are consistently enshrouded in thick hazes and clouds. For the super Earth GJ 1214b, very thick, lofted clouds of salts or sulfides in high metallicity (1000x solar) atmospheres create featureless transmission spectra in the near-infrared. Photochemical hazes also create featureless transmission spectra at lower metallicities. For the Neptune-sized GJ 436b, its thermal emission and transmission spectra combine indicate a high metallicity atmosphere, potentially heated by tides and affected by disequilibrium chemistry. I show that despite the challenges, there are promising avenues for understanding small planets: by observing thermal emission and reflected light, we can break the degeneracies and con- strain the atmospheric compositions. These future observations will provide rich diagnostics of molecules and clouds in small planets.

Metal Lines in DA White Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuckerman, B.; Koester, D.; Reid, I. N.; Hünsch, M.

2003-10-01

We report Keck telescope HIRES echelle observations of DA white dwarfs in a continuation of an extensive search for metals. These spectra are supplemented with new JHK magnitudes that are used to determine improved atmospheric parameters. Of the DA white dwarfs not in binary or common proper motion systems, about 25% show Ca II lines. For these, Ca abundances are determined from comparison with theoretical equivalent widths from model atmosphere calculations; in a few cases we also obtain Mg, Fe, Si, and Al abundances. If Ca is not observed, we generally determine very stringent upper limits. We compare the data to predictions of previously published models involving the accretion/diffusion of interstellar matter and of comets. The derived abundances are not obviously compatible with the predictions of either model, which up to now could only be tested with traces of metals in helium-rich white dwarfs. By modifying certain assumptions in the published interstellar accretion model we are able to match the distribution of the elements in the white dwarf atmospheres, but, even so, tests of other expectations from this scenario are less successful. Because comet accretion appears unlikely to be the primary cause of the DAZ phenomenon, the data suggest that no more than about 20% of F-type main-sequence stars are accompanied by Oort-like comet clouds. This represents the first observational estimate of this fraction. A plausible alternative to the accretion of cometary or interstellar matter is disruption and accretion of asteroidal material, a model first suggested in 1990 to explain excess near-infrared emission from the DAZ G29-38. An asteroidal debris model to account for the general DAZ phenomenon does not presently disagree with the HIRES data, but neither is there any compelling evidence in support of such a model. The HIRES data indicate that in close red dwarf/white dwarf binaries not known to be cataclysmic variables there is, nonetheless, significant mass transfer, perhaps in the form of a wind flowing off the red dwarf. As a by-product we find from the kinematics of GD 165 a likely age of more than 2 Gyr for its probable brown dwarf companion GD 165B. This paper is based in part on observations obtained at the Calar Alto Observatory of the Deutsch-Spanisches Astronomisches Zentrum and at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and NASA. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial suppport of the W. M. Keck Foundation. We have made use of the SIMBAD database at CDS.

Discovery of A Young L Dwarf Binary, SDSS J224953.47+004404.6AB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allers, K. N.; Liu, Michael C.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Cushing, Michael C.

2010-05-01

We report discovery of a young 0farcs32 L dwarf binary, SDSS J2249+0044AB, found as the result of a Keck laser guide star adaptive optics imaging survey of young field brown dwarfs. Weak K I, Na I, and FeH features as well as strong VO absorption in the integrated-light J-band spectrum indicate a low surface gravity and hence young age for the system. From spatially resolved K-band spectra we determine spectral types of L3 ± 0.5 and L5 ± 1 for components A and B, respectively. SDSS J2249+0044A is spectrally very similar to G196-3B, an L3 companion to a young M2.5 field dwarf. Thus, we adopt 100 Myr (the age estimate of the G196-3 system) as the age of SDSS J2249+0044AB, but ages of 12-790 Myr are possible. By comparing our photometry to the absolute magnitudes of G196-3B, we estimate a distance to SDSS J2249+0044AB of 54 ± 16 pc and infer a projected separation of 17 ± 5 AU for the binary. Comparison of the luminosities to evolutionary models at an age of 100 Myr yields masses of 0.029 ± 0.006 and 0.022+0.006 -0.009 M sun for SDSS J2249+0044A and B, respectively. Over the possible ages of the system (12-790 Myr), the mass of SDSS J2249+0044A could range from 0.011 to 0.070 M sun and the mass of SDSS J2249+0044B could range from 0.009 to 0.065 M sun. Evolutionary models predict that either component could be burning deuterium, which could result in a mass ratio as low as 0.4, or alternatively, a reversal in the luminosities of the binary. We find a likely proper motion companion, GSC 00568-01752, which lies 48farcs9 away (a projected separation of 2600 AU) and has Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Two Micron All Sky Survey colors consistent with an early M dwarf. We calculate a photometric distance to GSC 00568-01752 of 53 ± 15 pc, in good agreement with our distance estimate for SDSS J2249+0044AB. The space motion of SDSS J2249+0044AB shows no obvious coincidence with known young moving groups, though radial velocity and parallax measurements are necessary to refine our analysis. The unusually red near-IR colors, young age, and low masses of the binary make it an important template for studying planetary-mass objects found by direct imaging surveys. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

The interacting binary white dwarf systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Provencal, Judith Lucille

1994-01-01

Interacting binary white dwarfs are believed to contain two white dwarfs of extreme mass ratio, one of which is filling its Roche Lobe, transferring material to its companion via an accretion disk. The defining characteristic of an IBWD is the nondetection of hydrogen in the system. IBWD's represent the culmination of binary star evolution. In this final death dance, two degenerate objects are entangled, the massive white dwarf tidally stripping and devouring its helpless companion's outer layers. Because a white dwarf expands as it loses mass, the end result of this process is the complete absorption of one star by the other . My goal in the examination of these systems is to understand their photometric behavior and determine the best model of these objects. The IBWD's represent the endpoint of binary evolution. Knowledge of the physical properties of these objects will provide constraints on theories of binary evolution, white dwarf formation, the thermal and physical structure of accreting white dwarfs, and nucleosynthesis. To achieve this goal, I have analyzed the most comprehensive high speed photometric data sets available on 5 of the 6 known objects: AM CVn, PG1346+082, CP Eri, V803 Cen, and G61-29. AM CVn and PG1346+0S2 were targets of the Whole Earth Telescope in 1988 and 1990 respectively. We find a range of variation timescales, from minutes to days, and a range of physical behaviour. Most importantly, we measure a rate of period change of P = 1.68 +/- 0.03 x 10-11s/s for the dominant variation in AM CVn. We also find the differences in behavior can be attributed to a difference in mass transfer rate that may be evolutionary in origin. Finally, I discuss in detail the observational characteristics of each object, and overall properties of the IBWD family. In conclusion, I discuss past and future history of these objects, and touch on their possible influence on our knowledge of white dwarf evolution and formation. The IBWD's are possible progenitors of helium white dwarfs. If this hypothesis is correct, these systems represent a second entry point onto the white dwarf cooling curve.

Spitzer Space Telescope Observations of Polars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howell, S. B.; Brinkworth, C.; Chun, H.; Thomas, B.; Stefaniak, L.; Hoard, D. W.

2005-12-01

We have obtained the first Spitzer Space telescope observations of short orbital period polars. Using the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC), observations have been made in four broadband filters centered at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 microns of the polars V347 Pav, GG Leo, RX J0154, and EF Eri. Spectral energy distributions have been produced for all four stars and in each case indicate excess emission in the longest wavebands. We examine our observations with respect to these binaries containing late M or brown dwarf type secondaries. We discuss the implications of the observed long wavelength emission excess in terms of the presence of dust and/or other possible emission mechanisms. The impact of this finding on the evolution of polars is also presented.

Is There a Circumbinary Planet around NSVS 14256825?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasiroglu, Ilham; Goździewski, Krzysztof; Słowikowska, Aga; Krzeszowski, Krzysztof; Żejmo, Michał; Zola, Staszek; Er, Huseyin; Ogłoza, Waldemar; Dróżdż, Marek; Koziel-Wierzbowska, Dorota; Debski, Bartlomiej; Karaman, Nazli

2017-03-01

The cyclic behavior of (O-C) residuals of eclipse timings in the sdB+M eclipsing binary NSVS 14256825 was previously attributed to one or two Jovian-type circumbinary planets. We report 83 new eclipse timings that not only fill in the gaps in those already published but also extend the time span of the (O-C) diagram by three years. Based on the archival and our new data spanning over more than 17 years, we re-examined the up-to-date system (O-C). The data revealed a systematic, quasi-sinusoidal variation deviating from an older linear ephemeris by about 100 s. It also exhibits a maximum in the (O-C) near JD 2,456,400 that was previously unknown. We consider two most credible explanations of the (O-C) variability: the light propagation time due to the presence of an invisible companion in a distant circumbinary orbit, and magnetic cycles reshaping one of the binary components, known as the Applegate or Lanza-Rodonó effect. We found that the latter mechanism is unlikely due to the insufficient energy budget of the M-dwarf secondary. In the framework of the third-body hypothesis, we obtained meaningful constraints on the Keplerian parameters of a putative companion and its mass. Our best-fitting model indicates that the observed quasi-periodic (O-C) variability can be explained by the presence of a brown dwarf with the minimal mass of 15 Jupiter masses rather than a planet, orbiting the binary in a moderately elliptical orbit (e≃ 0.175) with a period of ˜10 years. Our analysis rules out the two-planet model proposed earlier.

Search for Wide Planetary-Mass Companions in Young Star-Forming Regions with UKIDSS and Pan-STARRS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aller, Kimberly M.; Kraus, A. L.; Liu, M. C.; Bowler, B. P.

2013-01-01

Over the past decade, planetary-mass (<15 MJup) companions have been discovered in very wide orbits (>100 AU) around young stars. It is unclear whether these objects formed like planets or like stars. If these are planets, then modifications to core accretion or disk instability models are needed to allow formation at such wide orbits, or planet scattering must be an important mechanism. On the other hand, if these objects formed like stars, we need to understand the frequency of these extremely low mass ratio binary companions which challenge brown dwarf formation models. Regardless of their origins, these wide companions are easier to observe than close-in planets and can be used as benchmarks to understand the properties of young planets. We have combined optical and NIR photometry from UKIDSS and Pan-STARRS-1 to search the young star-forming region of Upper Scorpius and Taurus for new planetary-mass objects, going ≈3 mag deeper than previous work with 2MASS. We identified several candidates with very wide separations (≈400-4000 AU) from known members using a combination of color selection and spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting to templates of known low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. Furthermore, we have obtained followup NIR spectra of several Upper Scorpius candidates to spectroscopically identify three new wide very low-mass companions (≈15-25 MJup spectral type of M8-L0).

Discovery of Rotational Modulations in the Planetary-mass Companion 2M1207b: Intermediate Rotation Period and Heterogeneous Clouds in a Low Gravity Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yifan; Apai, Dániel; Schneider, Glenn H.; Marley, Mark S.; Showman, Adam P.

2016-02-01

Rotational modulations of brown dwarfs have recently provided powerful constraints on the properties of ultra-cool atmospheres, including longitudinal and vertical cloud structures and cloud evolution. Furthermore, periodic light curves directly probe the rotational periods of ultra-cool objects. We present here, for the first time, time-resolved high-precision photometric measurements of a planetary-mass companion, 2M1207b. We observed the binary system with Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 in two bands and with two spacecraft roll angles. Using point-spread function-based photometry, we reach a nearly photon-noise limited accuracy for both the primary and the secondary. While the primary is consistent with a flat light curve, the secondary shows modulations that are clearly detected in the combined light curve as well as in different subsets of the data. The amplitudes are 1.36% in the F125W and 0.78% in the F160W filters, respectively. By fitting sine waves to the light curves, we find a consistent period of {10.7}-0.6+1.2 hr and similar phases in both bands. The J- and H-band amplitude ratio of 2M1207b is very similar to a field brown dwarf that has identical spectral type but different J-H color. Importantly, our study also measures, for the first time, the rotation period for a directly imaged extra-solar planetary-mass companion.

Multi-periodic pulsations of a stripped red-giant star in an eclipsing binary system.

PubMed

Maxted, Pierre F L; Serenelli, Aldo M; Miglio, Andrea; Marsh, Thomas R; Heber, Ulrich; Dhillon, Vikram S; Littlefair, Stuart; Copperwheat, Chris; Smalley, Barry; Breedt, Elmé; Schaffenroth, Veronika

2013-06-27

Low-mass white-dwarf stars are the remnants of disrupted red-giant stars in binary millisecond pulsars and other exotic binary star systems. Some low-mass white dwarfs cool rapidly, whereas others stay bright for millions of years because of stable fusion in thick surface hydrogen layers. This dichotomy is not well understood, so the potential use of low-mass white dwarfs as independent clocks with which to test the spin-down ages of pulsars or as probes of the extreme environments in which low-mass white dwarfs form cannot fully be exploited. Here we report precise mass and radius measurements for the precursor to a low-mass white dwarf. We find that only models in which this disrupted red-giant star has a thick hydrogen envelope can match the strong constraints provided by our data. Very cool low-mass white dwarfs must therefore have lost their thick hydrogen envelopes by irradiation from pulsar companions or by episodes of unstable hydrogen fusion (shell flashes). We also find that this low-mass white-dwarf precursor is a type of pulsating star not hitherto seen. The observed pulsation frequencies are sensitive to internal processes that determine whether this star will undergo shell flashes.

Probing Cloud-Driven Variability on Two of the Youngest, Lowest-Mass Brown Dwarfs in the Solar Neighborhood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Adam; Cushing, Michael; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy

2016-08-01

Young, late-type brown dwarfs share many properties with directly imaged giant extrasolar planets. They therefore provide unique testbeds for investigating the physical conditions present in this critical temperature and mass regime. WISEA 1147-2040 and 2MASS 1119-1137, two recently discovered late-type (~L7) brown dwarfs, have both been determined to be members of the ~10 Myr old TW Hya Association (Kellogg et al. 2016, Schneider et al. 2016). Each has an estimated mass of 5-6 MJup, making them two of the youngest and lowest-mass free floating objects yet found in the solar neighborhood. As such, these two planetary mass objects provide unparalleled laboratories for investigating giant planet-like atmospheres far from the contaminating starlight of a host sun. Condensate clouds play a critical role in shaping the emergent spectra of both brown dwarfs and gas giant planets, and can cause photometric variability via their non-uniform spatial distribution. We propose to photometrically monitor WISEA 1147-2040 and 2MASS 1119-1137 in order to search for the presence of cloud-driven variability to 1) investigate the potential trend of low surface gravity with high-amplitude variability in a previously unexplored mass regime and 2) explore the angular momentum evolution of isolated planetary mass objects.

Primeval very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs - III. The halo transitional brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Z. H.; Pinfield, D. J.; Gálvez-Ortiz, M. C.; Homeier, D.; Burgasser, A. J.; Lodieu, N.; Martín, E. L.; Osorio, M. R. Zapatero; Allard, F.; Jones, H. R. A.; Smart, R. L.; Martí, B. López; Burningham, B.; Rebolo, R.

2018-05-01

We report the discovery of an esdL3 subdwarf, ULAS J020858.62+020657.0 and a usdL4.5 subdwarf, ULAS J230711.01+014447.1. They were identified as L subdwarfs by optical spectra obtained with the Gran Telescopio Canarias, and followed up by optical to near infrared spectroscopy with the Very Large Telescope. We also obtained an optical to near infrared spectrum of a previously known L subdwarf, ULAS J135058.85+081506.8, and re-classified it as a usdL3 subdwarf. These three objects all have typical halo kinematics. They have Teff around 2050-2250 K, -1.8 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤-1.5, and mass around 0.0822-0.0833 M⊙, according to model spectral fitting and evolutionary models. These sources are likely halo transitional brown dwarfs with unsteady hydrogen fusions, as their masses are just below the hydrogen-burning minimum mass, which is ˜ 0.0845 M⊙ at [Fe/H] = -1.6 and ˜ 0.0855 M⊙ at [Fe/H] = -1.8. Including these, there are now nine objects in the `halo brown dwarf transition zone', which is a `substellar subdwarf gap' spans a wide temperature range within a narrow mass range of the substellar population.

Cloud Atlas: Rotational Modulations in the L/T Transition Brown Dwarf Companion HN Peg B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Yifan; Apai, Daniel; Metchev, Stanimir; Lew, Ben W. P.; Schneider, Glenn; Marley, Mark S.; Karalidi, Theodora; Manjavacas, Elena; Bedin, Luigi R.; Cowan, Nicolas B.;

Confirmation of the binary status of Chamaeleon Hα 2 - a very young low-mass binary in Chamaeleon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, T. O. B.; Neuhäuser, R.; Vogt, N.; Seifahrt, A.; Roell, T.; Bedalov, A.

2008-06-01

Context: Neuhäuser & Comerón (1998, Science, 282, 83; 1999, A&A, 350, 612) presented direct imaging evidence, as well as first spectra, of several young stellar and sub-stellar M6- to M8-type objects in the Cha I dark cloud. One of these objects is Cha Hα 2, classified as brown dwarf candidate in several publications and suggested as possible binary in Neuhäuser et al. (2002, A&A, 384, 999). Aims: We have searched around Cha Hα 2 for close and faint companions with adaptive optics imaging. Methods: Two epochs of direct imaging data were taken with the Very Large Telescope (VLT) Adaptive Optics instrument NACO in February 2006 and March 2007 in Ks-band together with a Hipparcos binary for astrometric calibration. Moreover, we took a J-band image in March 2007 to get color information. We retrieved an earlier image from 2005 from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Science Archive Facility, increasing the available time coverage. After confirmation of common proper motion, we deduce physical parameters of the objects by spectroscopy, like temperature and mass. Results: We find Cha Hα 2 to be a very close binary of 0.16 arcsec separation, having a flux ratio of 0.91, thus having almost equal brightness and indistinguishable spectral types within the errors. We show that the two tentative components of Cha Hα 2 form a common proper motion pair, and that neither component is a non-moving background object. We even find evidence for orbital motion. A combined spectrum of both stars spanning optical and near-infrared parts of the spectral energy distribution yields a temperature of 3000 ± 100 K, corresponding to a spectral type of M6 ± 1 and a surface gravity of log{g} = 4.0+0.75-0.5, both from a comparison with GAIA model atmospheres. Furthermore, we obtained an optical extinction of AV ≃ 4.3 mag from this comparison. Conclusions: We derive masses of 0.110 M⊙ (≥0.070 M⊙) and 0.124 M⊙ (≥0.077 M⊙) for the two components of Cha Hα 2, i.e., probably low-mass stars, but one component could possibly be a brown dwarf. Based on observations made with ESO telescopes at the Paranal Observatory under programme IDs 076.C-0292A, 076.C-0339B, 078.C-0535A, at the La Silla Observatory under programme ID 065.L-0144B, the Hubble Space Telescope under programme ID GO-8716 and on observations made with the European Southern Observatory telescopes obtained from the ESO/ST-ECF Science Archive Facility. Color version of Fig. [see full textsee full text] is only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clausen, Drew; Wade, Richard A.; Kopparapu, Ravi Kumar

Binaries that contain a hot subdwarf (sdB) star and a main-sequence companion may have interacted in the past. This binary population has historically helped determine our understanding of binary stellar evolution. We have computed a grid of binary population synthesis models using different assumptions about the minimum core mass for helium ignition, the envelope binding energy, the common-envelope ejection efficiency, the amount of mass and angular momentum lost during stable mass transfer, and the criteria for stable mass transfer on the red giant branch and in the Hertzsprung gap. These parameters separately and together can significantly change the entire predictedmore » population of sdBs. Nonetheless, several different parameter sets can reproduce the observed subpopulation of sdB + white dwarf and sdB + M dwarf binaries, which has been used to constrain these parameters in previous studies. The period distribution of sdB + early F dwarf binaries offers a better test of different mass transfer scenarios for stars that fill their Roche lobes on the red giant branch.« less

Stripped Red Giants - Helium Core White Dwarf Progenitors and their sdB Siblings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heber, U.

2017-03-01

Some gaps in the mosaic of binary star evolution have recently been filled by the discoveries of helium-core white dwarf progenitors (often called extremely low mass (ELM) white dwarfs) as stripped cores of first-giant branch objects. Two varieties can be distinguished. One class is made up by SB1 binaries, companions being white dwarfs as well. Another class, the so-called EL CVn stars, are composite spectrum binaries, with A-Type companions. Pulsating stars are found among both classes. A riddle is posed by the apparently single objects. There is a one-to-one correspondence of the phenomena found for these new classes of star to those observed for sdB stars. In fact, standard evolutionary scenarios explain the origin of sdB stars as red giants that have been stripped close to the tip of first red giant branch. A subgroup of subluminous B stars can also be identified as stripped helium-cores of red giants. They form an extension of the ELM sequence to higher temperatures. Hence low mass white dwarfs of helium cores and sdB stars in binaries are close relatives in terms of stellar evolution.

THE EXEMPLAR T8 SUBDWARF COMPANION OF WOLF 1130

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mace, Gregory N.; McLean, Ian S.; Logsdon, Sarah E.

We have discovered a wide separation (188.''5) T8 subdwarf companion to the sdM1.5+WD binary Wolf 1130. Companionship of WISE J200520.38+542433.9 is verified through common proper motion over a ∼3 yr baseline. Wolf 1130 is located 15.83 ± 0.96 pc from the Sun, placing the brown dwarf at a projected separation of ∼3000 AU. Near-infrared colors and medium resolution (R ≈ 2000-4000) spectroscopy establish the uniqueness of this system as a high-gravity, low-metallicity benchmark. Although there are a number of low-metallicity T dwarfs in the literature, WISE J200520.38+542433.9 has the most extreme inferred metallicity to date with [Fe/H] = –0.64 ±more » 0.17 based on Wolf 1130. Model comparisons to this exemplar late-type subdwarf support it having an old age, a low metallicity, and a small radius. However, the spectroscopic peculiarities of WISE J200520.38+542433.9 underscore the importance of developing the low-metallicity parameter space of the most current atmospheric models.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Szabo, Gy. M.; Szabo, R.; Benko, J. M.

KOI-13.01, a planet-sized companion in an optical double star, was announced as one of the 1235 Kepler planet candidates in 2011 February. The transit curves show significant distortion that was stable over the {approx}130 days time span of the data. Here we investigate the phenomenon via detailed analyses of the two components of the double star and a re-reduction of the Kepler data with pixel-level photometry. Our results indicate that KOI-13 is a common proper motion binary, with two rapidly rotating components (vsin i {approx} 65-70 km s{sup -1}). We identify the host star of KOI-13.01 and conclude that themore » transit curve asymmetry is consistent with a companion orbiting a rapidly rotating, possibly elongated star on an oblique orbit. The radius of the transiter is 2.2 R{sub J} , implying an irradiated late-type dwarf, probably a hot brown dwarf rather than a planet. KOI-13 is the first example for detecting orbital obliquity for a substellar companion without measuring the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect with spectroscopy.« less

Brown dwarfs as close companions to white dwarfs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stringfellow, Guy S.; Bodenheimer, Peter; Black, David C.

1990-01-01

The influence of the radiation flux emitted by a white dwarf primary on the evolution of a closely orbiting brown dwarf (BD) companion is investigated. Full stellar evolutionary calculations are presented for both isolated and thermal bath cases, including effects of large variations in the atmospheric grain opacities. High grain opacities significantly increase the radii of the BDs, but the thermal bath does not. The major influence of the thermal bath is to increase substantially the surface temperature and luminosity of the BD at a given age. These results are compared with the observational properties of the possible BD companion of the white dwarf G29-38. Inclusion of both physical effects, high grain opacities and thermal bath, increases the mass range (0.034-0.063 solar masses) of viable models significantly, yet the final determination of whether the object is indeed a BD requires improvements in the observations of the system's properties.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Cataclysmic Binaries, LMXBs, and related objects (Ritter+, 2003)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ritter, H.; Kolb, U.

2003-08-01

Cataclysmic Binaries are semi-detached binaries consisting of a white dwarf or a white dwarf precursor primary and a low-mass secondary which is filling its critical Roche lobe. The secondary is not necessarily unevolved, it may even be a highly evolved star as for example in the case of the AM CVn-type stars. Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries are semi-detached binaries consisting of either a neutron star or a black hole primary, and a low-mass secondary which is filling its critical Roche lobe. Related Objects are detached binaries consisting of either a white dwarf or a white dwarf precursor primary and of a low-mass secondary. The secondary may also be a highly evolved star. The catalogue lists coordinates, apparent magnitudes, orbital parameters, stellar parameters of the components and other characteristic properties of 501 cataclysmic binaries, 74 low-mass X-ray binaries and 114 related objects with known or suspected orbital periods together with a comprehensive selection of the relevant recent literature. In addition the catalogue contains a list of references to published finding charts for 651 of the 689 objects. A cross-reference list of alias object designations concludes the catalogue. Literature published before 30 June 2003 has, as far as possible, been taken into account. This catalogue supersedes the 5th edition (catalogue ) and the updated lists by Ritter and Kolb (1995; catalogue ) (1998; catalogue ). (10 data files).

EXPLORING THE ROLE OF SUB-MICRON-SIZED DUST GRAINS IN THE ATMOSPHERES OF RED L0–L6 DWARFS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hiranaka, Kay; Cruz, Kelle L.; Baldassare, Vivienne F.

We examine the hypothesis that the red near-infrared colors of some L dwarfs could be explained by a “dust haze” of small particles in their upper atmospheres. This dust haze would exist in conjunction with the clouds found in dwarfs with more typical colors. We developed a model that uses Mie theory and the Hansen particle size distributions to reproduce the extinction due to the proposed dust haze. We apply our method to 23 young L dwarfs and 23 red field L dwarfs. We constrain the properties of the dust haze including particle size distribution and column density using Markovmore » Chain Monte Carlo methods. We find that sub-micron-range silicate grains reproduce the observed reddening. Current brown dwarf atmosphere models include large-grain (1–100 μ m) dust clouds but not sub-micron dust grains. Our results provide a strong proof of concept and motivate a combination of large and small dust grains in brown dwarf atmosphere models.« less

A young contracting white dwarf in the peculiar binary HD 49798/RX J0648.0-4418?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popov, S. B.; Mereghetti, S.; Blinnikov, S. I.; Kuranov, A. G.; Yungelson, L. R.

2018-02-01

HD 49798/RX J0648.0-4418 is a peculiar X-ray binary with a hot subdwarf (sdO) mass donor. The nature of the accreting compact object is not known, but its spin period P = 13.2 s and \\dot{P} =-2.15 × 10^{-15} s s-1 proves that it can be only either a white dwarf or a neutron star. The spin-up has been very stable for more than 20 yr. We demonstrate that the continuous stable spin-up of the compact companion of HD 49798 can be best explained by contraction of a young white dwarf with an age ˜2 Myr. This allows us to interpret all the basic parameters of the system in the framework of an accreting white dwarf. We present examples of binary evolution, which result in such systems. If correct, this is the first direct evidence for a white dwarf contraction in early evolutionary stages.

RE 1016-053 - A pre-cataclysmic binary, and the first extreme ultraviolet and X-ray detections of a DAO white dwarf

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tweedy, R. W.; Holberg, J. B.; Barstow, M. A.; Bergeron, P.; Grauer, A. D.; Liebert, James; Fleming, T. A.

1993-01-01

Photometric observations and analysis of the optical, UV, EUV, and X-ray spectra are presented for the EUV/X-ray source RE 1016-53. Multiwavelength observations of RE 1016-53 point out that it is a precataclysmic binary. Optical spectra exhibit the steep blue continuum and Balmer absorption typical of a hot white dwarf, but there are bright, narrow emission lines of H I, He I, and Ca II superimposed on this. The white dwarf component, with T (eff) = 55,800 +/- 1000 K and log g = 7.81 +/- 0.007, dominates the spectrum from the optical to the EUV/X-ray. An He II 4686 A absorption line suggests that the white dwarf is a hydrogen-helium (DAO) hybrid star. Four of the five precataclysmic binaries with white dwarfs with T(eff) greater than 40,000 K appear to be DAOs. A mass of 0.57 +/- 0.003 solar mass has been derived.

Dwarf carbon stars are likely metal-poor binaries and unlikely hosts to carbon planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitehouse, Lewis J.; Farihi, J.; Green, P. J.; Wilson, T. G.; Subasavage, J. P.

2018-06-01

Dwarf carbon stars make up the largest fraction of carbon stars in the Galaxy with ≈1200 candidates known to date primarily from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. They either possess primordial carbon-enhancements, or are polluted by mass transfer from an evolved companion such that C/O is enhanced beyond unity. To directly test the binary hypothesis, a radial velocity monitoring survey has been carried out on 28 dwarf carbon stars, resulting in the detection of variations in 21 targets. Using Monte Carlo simulations,this detection fraction is found to be consistent with a 100% binary population and orbital periods on the order of hundreds of days. This result supports the post-mass transfer nature of dwarf carbon stars, and implies they are not likely hosts to carbon planets.

K-H2 line shapes for the spectra of cool brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allard, N. F.; Spiegelman, F.; Kielkopf, J. F.

2016-05-01

Observations of cooler and cooler brown dwarfs show that the contribution from broadening at many bars pressure is becoming important. The opacity in the red optical to near-IR region under these conditions is dominated by the extremely pressure-broadened wings of the alkali resonance lines, in particular, the K I resonance doublet at 0.77 μm. Collisions with H2 are preponderant in brown dwarf atmospheres at an effective temperature of about 1000 K; the H2 perturber densities reach several 1019 even in Jupiter-mass planets and exceed 1020 for super-Jupiters and older Y dwarfs. As a consequence, it appears that when the far wing absorption due to alkali atoms in a dense H2 atmosphere is significant, accurate pressure broadened profiles that are valid at high densities of H2 should be incorporated into spectral models. The opacity tables are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/589/A21

A wide deep infrared look at the Pleiades with UKIDSS: new constraints on the substellar binary fraction and the low-mass initial mass function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lodieu, N.; Dobbie, P. D.; Deacon, N. R.; Hodgkin, S. T.; Hambly, N. C.; Jameson, R. F.

2007-09-01

We present the results of a deep wide-field near-infrared survey of 12 deg2 of the Pleiades conducted as part of the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Galactic Cluster Survey (GCS). We have extracted over 340 high-probability proper motion (PM) members down to 0.03 Msolar using a combination of UKIDSS photometry and PM measurements obtained by cross-correlating the GCS with data from the Two Micron All Sky Survey, the Isaac Newton Telescope and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Additionally, we have unearthed 73 new candidate brown dwarf (BD) members on the basis of five-band UKIDSS photometry alone. We have identified 23 substellar multiple system candidates out of 63 candidate BDs from the (Y - K, Y) and (J - K, J) colour-magnitude diagrams, yielding a binary frequency of 28-44 per cent in the 0.075-0.030 Msolar mass range. Our estimate is three times larger than the binary fractions reported from high-resolution imaging surveys of field ultracool dwarfs and Pleiades BDs. However, it is marginally consistent with our earlier `peculiar' photometric binary fraction of 50 +/- 10 per cent presented by Pinfield et al., in good agreement with the 32-45 per cent binary fraction derived from the recent Monte Carlo simulations of Maxted & Jeffries and compatible with the 26 +/- 10 per cent frequency recently estimated by Basri & Reiners. A tentative estimate of the mass ratios from photometry alone seems to support the hypothesis that binary BDs tend to reside in near equal-mass ratio systems. In addition, the recovery of four Pleiades members targeted by high-resolution imaging surveys for multiplicity studies suggests that half of the binary candidates may have separations below the resolution limit of the Hubble Space Telescope or current adaptive optics facilities at the distance of the Pleiades (a ~7 au). Finally, we have derived luminosity and mass functions from the sample of photometric candidates with membership probabilities. The mass function is well modelled by a lognormal peaking at 0.24Msolar and is in agreement with previous studies in the Pleiades. Based on observations made with the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope, operated by the Joint Astronomy Centre on behalf of the UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council. E-mail: nlodieu@iac.es

The Y-type Brown Dwarfs: Estimates of Mass and Age from New Astrometry, Homogenized Photometry, and Near-infrared Spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leggett, S. K.; Tremblin, P.; Esplin, T. L.

The survey of the mid-infrared sky by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer ( WISE ) led to the discovery of extremely cold, low-mass brown dwarfs, classified as Y dwarfs, which extend the T class to lower temperatures. Twenty-four Y dwarfs are known at the time of writing. Here we present improved parallaxes for four of these, determined using Spitzer images. We give new photometry for four late-type T and three Y dwarfs and new spectra of three Y dwarfs, obtained at Gemini Observatory. We also present previously unpublished photometry taken from HST , ESO, Spitzer , and WISE archives ofmore » 11 late-type T and 9 Y dwarfs. The near-infrared data are put onto the same photometric system, forming a homogeneous data set for the coolest brown dwarfs. We compare recent models to our photometric and spectroscopic data set. We confirm that nonequilibrium atmospheric chemistry is important for these objects. Nonequilibrium cloud-free models reproduce well the near-infrared spectra and mid-infrared photometry for the warmer Y dwarfs with 425 ≤ T {sub eff} (K) ≤ 450. A small amount of cloud cover may improve the model fits in the near-infrared for the Y dwarfs with 325 ≤ T {sub eff} (K) ≤ 375. Neither cloudy nor cloud-free models reproduce the near-infrared photometry for the T {sub eff} = 250 K Y dwarf W0855. We use the mid-infrared region, where most of the flux originates, to constrain our models of W0855. We find that W0855 likely has a mass of 1.5–8 Jupiter masses and an age of 0.3–6 Gyr. The Y dwarfs with measured parallaxes are within 20 pc of the Sun and have tangential velocities typical of the thin disk. The metallicities and ages we derive for the sample are generally solar-like. We estimate that the known Y dwarfs are 3 to 20 Jupiter-mass objects with ages of 0.6–8.5 Gyr.« less

Prof. Hayashi's work on the pre-main sequence evolution and brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakano, Takenori

2012-09-01

Prof. Hayashi's work on the evolution of stars in the pre-main sequence stage is reviewed. The historical background and the process of finding the Hayashi phase are mentioned. The work on the evolution of low-mass stars is also reviewed including the determination of the bottom of the main sequence and evolution of brown dwarfs, and comparison is made with the other works in the same period.

Prospecting in Ultracool Dwarfs: Measuring the Metallicities of Mid- and Late-M Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mann, Andrew W.; Deacon, Niall R.; Gaidos, Eric; Ansdell, Megan; Brewer, John M.; Liu, Michael C.; Magnier, Eugene A.; Aller, Kimberly M.

2014-06-01

Metallicity is a fundamental parameter that contributes to the physical characteristics of a star. The low temperatures and complex molecules present in M dwarf atmospheres make it difficult to measure their metallicities using techniques that have been commonly used for Sun-like stars. Although there has been significant progress in developing empirical methods to measure M dwarf metallicities over the last few years, these techniques have been developed primarily for early- to mid-M dwarfs. We present a method to measure the metallicity of mid- to late-M dwarfs from moderate resolution (R ~ 2000) K-band (sime 2.2 μm) spectra. We calibrate our formula using 44 wide binaries containing an F, G, K, or early-M primary of known metallicity and a mid- to late-M dwarf companion. We show that similar features and techniques used for early-M dwarfs are still effective for late-M dwarfs. Our revised calibration is accurate to ~0.07 dex for M4.5-M9.5 dwarfs with -0.58 < [Fe/H] < +0.56 and shows no systematic trends with spectral type, metallicity, or the method used to determine the primary star metallicity. We show that our method gives consistent metallicities for the components of M+M wide binaries. We verify that our new formula works for unresolved binaries by combining spectra of single stars. Lastly, we show that our calibration gives consistent metallicities with the Mann et al. study for overlapping (M4-M5) stars, establishing that the two calibrations can be used in combination to determine metallicities across the entire M dwarf sequence.

Backyard Worlds: Finding Nearby Brown Dwarfs Through Citizen Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuchner, Marc

Recent discoveries of cool brown dwarfs in the solar neighborhood and microlensing surveys both point to an undiscovered population of brown dwarfs and rogue planets in the solar neighborhood. We propose to develop and sustain a novel website that enables a unique and powerful citizen-science based search for these and other high-proper-motion objects at 3.5 and 4.6 microns. Through this search, we have an opportunity to discover new ultracool Y dwarfs, crucial links between star formation and planet formation, and also the Sun's nearest neighbors-potentially a system closer than Proxima Centauri. NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission (WISE) is nominally sensitive enough to detect a 250 K brown dwarf to > 6 pc and even a Jupiter analog to > 0.6 pc. However, high proper motion objects like these can easily be confused with variable stars, electronic noise, latent images, optical ghosts, cosmic ray hits, and so on in the WISE archive. Computer-based searches for high-proper motion objects falter in dense star fields, necessitating visual inspection all candidates. Our citizen science project, called "Backyard Worlds: Planet 9", remedies this problem by engaging volunteers to visually inspect WISE and NEOWISE images. Roughly 104,000 participants have already begun using a preliminary version of the site to examine time-resolved co-adds of unWISE-processed images, four epochs spanning 2010 to 2014. They have already performed more than 3.6 million classifications of these images since the site's launch on February 15, 2017. Besides seeking new brown dwarfs and nearby stars, this site is also the most sensitive all-sky WISE-based search for a planet orbiting the Sun beyond Pluto (sometimes called Planet Nine). Preliminary analysis data from the site has resulted in the discovery of 13 brown dwarf candidates including 6 T dwarfs. We obtained a spectrum of one of these candidates and published it in Astrophysical Journal Letters, with four citizen scientists as co-authors. Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 was launched with seed funding from a NASA Science Innovation Fund grant, but is no longer funded. This proposed ADAP project will allow us to finish building the website, communicate with our large user community to improve their skills and foster participation, harvest, analyze, and publish the classification data output by the site, research the objects we discover, and as <25% of the effort, seed a follow-up program to gather more data about the objects we discover. We will include citizen scientists as co-authors on all publications that result from this work, as appropriate, and aim to complete the project in time for JWST follow-up of the best discoveries.

THE POST-MERGER MAGNETIZED EVOLUTION OF WHITE DWARF BINARIES: THE DOUBLE-DEGENERATE CHANNEL OF SUB-CHANDRASEKHAR TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE AND THE FORMATION OF MAGNETIZED WHITE DWARFS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ji Suoqing; Fisher, Robert T.; Garcia-Berro, Enrique

2013-08-20

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) play a crucial role as standardizable cosmological candles, though the nature of their progenitors is a subject of active investigation. Recent observational and theoretical work has pointed to merging white dwarf binaries, referred to as the double-degenerate channel, as the possible progenitor systems for some SNe Ia. Additionally, recent theoretical work suggests that mergers which fail to detonate may produce magnetized, rapidly rotating white dwarfs. In this paper, we present the first multidimensional simulations of the post-merger evolution of white dwarf binaries to include the effect of the magnetic field. In these systems, the twomore » white dwarfs complete a final merger on a dynamical timescale, and are tidally disrupted, producing a rapidly rotating white dwarf merger surrounded by a hot corona and a thick, differentially rotating disk. The disk is strongly susceptible to the magnetorotational instability (MRI), and we demonstrate that this leads to the rapid growth of an initially dynamically weak magnetic field in the disk, the spin-down of the white dwarf merger, and to the subsequent central ignition of the white dwarf merger. Additionally, these magnetized models exhibit new features not present in prior hydrodynamic studies of white dwarf mergers, including the development of MRI turbulence in the hot disk, magnetized outflows carrying a significant fraction of the disk mass, and the magnetization of the white dwarf merger to field strengths {approx}2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 8} G. We discuss the impact of our findings on the origins, circumstellar media, and observed properties of SNe Ia and magnetized white dwarfs.« less

The Post-merger Magnetized Evolution of White Dwarf Binaries: The Double-degenerate Channel of Sub-Chandrasekhar Type Ia Supernovae and the Formation of Magnetized White Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Suoqing; Fisher, Robert T.; García-Berro, Enrique; Tzeferacos, Petros; Jordan, George; Lee, Dongwook; Lorén-Aguilar, Pablo; Cremer, Pascal; Behrends, Jan

2013-08-01

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) play a crucial role as standardizable cosmological candles, though the nature of their progenitors is a subject of active investigation. Recent observational and theoretical work has pointed to merging white dwarf binaries, referred to as the double-degenerate channel, as the possible progenitor systems for some SNe Ia. Additionally, recent theoretical work suggests that mergers which fail to detonate may produce magnetized, rapidly rotating white dwarfs. In this paper, we present the first multidimensional simulations of the post-merger evolution of white dwarf binaries to include the effect of the magnetic field. In these systems, the two white dwarfs complete a final merger on a dynamical timescale, and are tidally disrupted, producing a rapidly rotating white dwarf merger surrounded by a hot corona and a thick, differentially rotating disk. The disk is strongly susceptible to the magnetorotational instability (MRI), and we demonstrate that this leads to the rapid growth of an initially dynamically weak magnetic field in the disk, the spin-down of the white dwarf merger, and to the subsequent central ignition of the white dwarf merger. Additionally, these magnetized models exhibit new features not present in prior hydrodynamic studies of white dwarf mergers, including the development of MRI turbulence in the hot disk, magnetized outflows carrying a significant fraction of the disk mass, and the magnetization of the white dwarf merger to field strengths ~2 × 108 G. We discuss the impact of our findings on the origins, circumstellar media, and observed properties of SNe Ia and magnetized white dwarfs.

Spitzer Trigonometric Parallaxes of L, T, and Y Dwarfs: Complementing Gaia's Optically-selected Census of Nearby Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Smart, Richard; Marocco, Federico; Martin, Emily; Faherty, Jacqueline; Tinney, Christopher; Cushing, Michael; Beichman, Charles; Gelino, Christopher; Schneider, Adam; Wright, Edward; Lowrance, Patrick; Ingalls, James

2018-05-01

We now find ourselves at a moment in history where a parallax-selected census of nearby objects from the hottest A stars to the coldest Y dwarfs is almost a reality. With the release of Gaia DR2 in April of this year, we will be able to extract a volume-limited sample of stars out to 20 pc down to a spectral type of L5. Extending the census to colder types is much more difficult but nonetheless possible and essential. Ground-based astrometric monitoring of some of these colder dwarfs can be done with deep infrared detections on moderate to large (4+ meter) telescopes, but given the amount of time needed, only a portion of the colder objects believed to lie within 20 pc has been monitored. Our prior Spitzer observations have already enabled direct distance measures for T6 through Y dwarfs, but many 20-pc objects with spectral types between L5 and T5.5 have still not been astrometrically monitored, leaving a hole in our knowledge of this important all-sky sample. Spitzer Cycle 14 observations of modest time expenditure can rectify this problem by providing parallaxes for the 150+ objects remaining. Analysis of the brown dwarfs targeted by Spitzer is particularly important because it will provide insight into the low-mass cutoff of star formation, the shape of the mass function as inferred from the observed temperature distribution, the binary fraction of near-equal mass doubles, and the prevalence of extremely young (low-gravity) and extremely old (low metallicity) objects within the sample - all of which can be used to test and further refine model predictions of the underlying mass function.

Spectral energy distribution simulations of a possible ring structure around the young, red brown dwarf G 196-3 B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakhozhay, Olga V.; Zapatero Osorio, María Rosa; Béjar, Víctor J. S.; Boehler, Yann

2017-01-01

The origin of the very red optical and infrared colours of intermediate-age (˜10-500 Myr) L-type dwarfs remains unknown. It has been suggested that low-gravity atmospheres containing large amounts of dust may account for the observed reddish nature. We explored an alternative scenario by simulating debris disc around G 196-3 B, which is an L3 young brown dwarf with a mass of ˜15 MJup and an age in the interval 20-300 Myr. The best-fit solution to G 196-3 B's photometric spectral energy distribution from optical wavelengths through 24 μm corresponds to the combination of an unreddened L3 atmosphere (Teff ≈ 1870 K) and a warm (≈1280 K), narrow (≈0.07-0.11 R⊙) debris disc located at very close distances (≈0.12-0.20 R⊙) from the central brown dwarf. This putative, optically thick, dusty belt, whose presence is compatible with the relatively young system age, would have a mass ≥7 × 10-10 M⊕ comprised of submicron/micron characteristic dusty particles with temperatures close to the sublimation threshold of silicates. Considering the derived global properties of the belt and the disc-to-brown dwarf mass ratio, the dusty ring around G 196-3 B may resemble the rings of Neptune and Jupiter, except for its high temperature and thick vertical height (≈6 × 103 km). Our inferred debris disc model is able to reproduce G 196-3 B's spectral energy distribution to a satisfactory level of achievement.

The classical nova hibernation scenario: a definitive confirmation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaensicke, Boris

2017-08-01

The detached white dwarf plus M-dwarf binary LL Eri exhibits truly unique behaviour within this class of compact binaries. As part of a COS snapshot survey, we detected large-amplitude variability in the ultraviolet flux of the white dwarf, confirmed by extensive ground-based blue-band photometry. The three independent frequencies detected in the light curves clearly identify this variability as non-radial pulsations of the white dwarf. However, with a hydrogen atmosphere and Teff=17200K, this white dwarf is nearly 5000K hotter than the canonical instability strip.The COS spectrum, albeit noisy, reveals that the metal lines typically detected in this class of stars, arising from material captured from the M-dwarf wind, are very broad. If interpreted as rotationally broadened, they imply a spin of only a few minutes. Such a short period could be explained by a past phase of intense accretion of mass and angular momentum. It has been postulated for over thirty years that classical nova eruptions on the white dwarf could cause such switching from a semi-detached to a detached binary configuration, during which the system hibernates - yet, to date no hibernating nova has been identified. However, the broad lines could also be due to pulsation-driven surface velocity fields, in which case the nature and past evolution of LL Eri would not be easily linked to any exisiting scenario for compact binary evolution. We propose to obtain a deeper COS observations to unambiguosly determine whether the cause of the observed line broadening is due to rapid rotation, which would unequivocally confirm the hibernation scenario.

An atlas of L-T transition brown dwarfs with VLT/XShooter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marocco, F.; Day-Jones, A. C.; Jones, H. R. A.; Pinfield, D. J.

In this contribution we present the first results from a large observing campaign we are carrying out using VLT/Xshooter to obtain spectra of a large sample (˜250 objects) of L-T transition brown dwarfs. Here we report the results based on the first ˜120 spectra already obtained. The large sample, and the wide spectral coverage (300-2480 nm) given by Xshooter, will allow us to do a new powerful analysis, at an unprecedent level. By fitting the absorption lines of a given element (e.g. Na) at different wavelengths we can test ultracool atmospheric models and draw for the first time a 3D picture of stellar atmospheres at temperatures down to 1000K. Determining the atmospheric parameters (e.g. temperature, surface gravity and metallicity) of a big sample of brown dwarfs, will allow us to understand the role of these parameters on the formation of their spectra. The large number of objects in our sample also will allow us to do a statistical significant test of the birth rate and initial mass function predictions for brown dwarfs. Determining the shape of the initial mass function for very low mass objects is a fundamental task to improve galaxy models, as recent studies tep{2010Natur.468..940V} have shown that low-mass objects dominate in massive elliptical galaxies.

REEXAMINING THE LITHIUM DEPLETION BOUNDARY IN THE PLEIADES AND THE INFERRED AGE OF THE CLUSTER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dahm, S. E.

2015-11-10

Moderate-dispersion (R ∼ 5400), optical spectroscopy of seven brown dwarf candidate members of the Pleiades was obtained using the Echellette Spectrograph and Imager on the Keck II telescope. The proper motion and photometrically selected sample lies on the single-star main sequence of the cluster and effectively brackets the established lithium depletion boundary. The brown dwarf candidates range in spectral type from M6 to M7, implying effective temperatures between ∼2800 and 2650 K. All sources exhibit Hα emission, consistent with enhanced chromospheric activity that is expected for young, very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. Li i λ6708 absorption is confidently detected inmore » the photospheres of two of the seven sources. A revised lithium depletion boundary is established in the near-infrared where the effects of extinction and variability are minimized. This lithium depletion edge occurs near K{sub o} = 14.45 or M{sub K} = 8.78 mag (UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey), assuming the most accurate and precise distance estimate for the cluster of 136.2 pc. From recent theoretical evolutionary models, a revised age of τ = 112 ± 5 Myr is determined for the Pleiades. Accounting for the effects of magnetic activity on the photospheres of these very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, however, would imply an even younger age for the cluster of ∼100 Myr.« less

A Self-consistent Cloud Model for Brown Dwarfs and Young Giant Exoplanets: Comparison with Photometric and Spectroscopic Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charnay, B.; Bézard, B.; Baudino, J.-L.; Bonnefoy, M.; Boccaletti, A.; Galicher, R.

2018-02-01

We developed a simple, physical, and self-consistent cloud model for brown dwarfs and young giant exoplanets. We compared different parametrizations for the cloud particle size, by fixing either particle radii or the mixing efficiency (parameter f sed), or by estimating particle radii from simple microphysics. The cloud scheme with simple microphysics appears to be the best parametrization by successfully reproducing the observed photometry and spectra of brown dwarfs and young giant exoplanets. In particular, it reproduces the L–T transition, due to the condensation of silicate and iron clouds below the visible/near-IR photosphere. It also reproduces the reddening observed for low-gravity objects, due to an increase of cloud optical depth for low gravity. In addition, we found that the cloud greenhouse effect shifts chemical equilibrium, increasing the abundances of species stable at high temperature. This effect should significantly contribute to the strong variation of methane abundance at the L–T transition and to the methane depletion observed on young exoplanets. Finally, we predict the existence of a continuum of brown dwarfs and exoplanets for absolute J magnitude = 15–18 and J-K color = 0–3, due to the evolution of the L–T transition with gravity. This self-consistent model therefore provides a general framework to understand the effects of clouds and appears well-suited for atmospheric retrievals.

The Merger Rate of Binary White Dwarfs in the Galactic Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badenes, Carles; Maoz, Dan

2012-04-01

We use multi-epoch spectroscopy of ~4000 white dwarfs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to constrain the properties of the Galactic population of binary white dwarf systems and calculate their merger rate. With a Monte Carlo code, we model the distribution of ΔRVmax, the maximum radial velocity shift between exposures of the same star, as a function of the binary fraction within 0.05 AU, f bin, and the power-law index in the separation distribution at the end of the common-envelope phase, α. Although there is some degeneracy between f bin and α, the 15 high-ΔRVmax systems that we find constrain the combination of these parameters, which determines a white dwarf merger rate per unit stellar mass of 1.4+3.4 -1.0 × 10-13 yr-1 M -1 ⊙ (1σ limits). This is remarkably similar to the measured rate of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) per unit stellar mass in Milky-Way-like Sbc galaxies. The rate of super-Chandrasekhar mergers is only 1.0+1.6 -0.6 × 10-14 yr-1 M -1 ⊙. We conclude that there are not enough close binary white dwarf systems to reproduce the observed SN Ia rate in the "classic" double degenerate super-Chandrasekhar scenario. On the other hand, if sub-Chandrasekhar mergers can lead to SNe Ia, as has been recently suggested by some studies, they could make a major contribution to the overall SN Ia rate. Although unlikely, we cannot rule out contamination of our sample by M-dwarf binaries or non-Gaussian errors. These issues will be clarified in the near future by completing the follow-up of all 15 high-ΔRVmax systems.

Diagnostics of models and observations in the contexts of exoplanets, brown dwarfs, and very low-mass stars.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopytova, Taisiya

2016-01-01

When studying isolated brown dwarfs and directly imaged exoplanets with insignificant orbital motion,we have to rely on theoretical models to determine basic parameters such as mass, age, effective temperature, and surface gravity.While stellar and atmospheric models are rapidly evolving, we need a powerful tool to test and calibrate them.In my thesis, I focussed on comparing interior and atmospheric models with observational data, in the effort of taking into account various systematic effects that can significantly influence the data analysis.As a first step, about 460 candidate member os the Hyades were screened for companions using diffraction limited imaging observation (both our own data and archival data). As a result I could establish the single star sequence for the Hyades comprising about 250 stars (Kopytova et al. 2015, accepted to A&A). Open clusters contain many coeval objects of the same chemical composition and age, and spanning a range of masses. We compare the obtained sequence with a set of theoretical isochrones identifying systematic offsets and revealing probable issues in the models.However, there are many cases when it is impossible to test models before comparing them with observations.As a second step, we apply atmospheric models for constraining parameters of WISE 0855-07, the coolest known Y dwarf(Kopytova et al. 2014, ApJ 797, 3). We demonstrate the limits of constraining effective temperature and the presence/absence of water clouds.As a third step, we introduce a novel method to take into account the above-mentioned systematics. We construct a "systematics vector" that allows us to reveal problematic wavelength ranges when fitting atmospheric models to observed near-infrared spectraof brown dwarfs and exoplanets (Kopytova et al., in prep.). This approach plays a crucial role when retrieving abundances for these objects, in particularly, a C/O ratio. The latter parameter is an important key to formation scenarios of brown dwarf and exoplanets. We show the way to constrain a C/O ratio while eliminating systematics effects, which significantly improves the reliability of a final result and our conclusions about formation history of certain exoplanets and brown dwarfs.

An L+T Spectral Binary with Possible AB Doradus Kinematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella C.; Gagné, Jonathan; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Burgasser, Adam J.

2018-02-01

We present the identification of WISE J135501.90‑825838.9 as a spectral binary system with a slight possibility of planetary-mass components in the 130–200 Myr AB Doradus moving group. Peculiarities in the near-infrared spectrum of this source suggest it to be a blended-light binary with L6.0 ± 1.0 and T3.0 ± 1.8 or L7.0 ± 0.6 and T7.5 ± 0.4 components. Its proper motion and radial velocity as a combined-light source yield a high membership probability for AB Doradus. While the young L6+T3 case is underluminous in a color–magnitude diagram at the AB Doradus kinematic distance, the young L7+T7.5 case could be viable. Gravity-sensitive indicators are more consistent with a field-age binary. If confirmed as a young object member of AB Doradus, we estimate masses of 11 ± 1 M Jup and 9 ± 1 M Jup with both component masses below the Deuterium-burning mass limit. Otherwise, we find masses of {72}-5+4 and {61}-8+6 for the field L6+T3 case and {70}-4+2 and {42}-6+5 for the field L7+T7.5 case. Our identification of WISE J135501.90‑825838.9 as a candidate young spectral binary introduces a new technique for detecting and characterizing planetary-mass companions to young brown dwarfs.

Atmospheric Properties Of T Dwarfs Inferred From Model Fits At Low Spectral Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giorla Godfrey, Paige A.; Rice, Emily L.; Filippazzo, Joseph C.; Douglas, Stephanie E.

2016-09-01

Brown dwarf spectral types (M, L, T, Y) correlate with spectral morphology, and generally appear to correspond with decreasing mass and effective temperature (Teff). Model fits to observed spectra suggest, however, that spectral subclasses do not share this monotonic temperature correlation, indicating that secondary parameters (gravity, metallicity, dust) significantly influence spectral morphology. We seekto disentangle the fundamental parameters that underlie the spectral type sequence of the coolest fully populated spectral class of brown dwarfs using atmosphere models. We investigate the relationship between spectral type and best fit model parameters for a sample of over 150 T dwarfs with low resolution (R 75-100) near-infrared ( 0.8-2.5 micron) SpeX Prism spectra. We use synthetic spectra from four model grids (Saumon & Marley 2008, Morley+ 2012, Saumon+ 2012, BT Settl 2013) and a Markov-Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) analysis to determine robust best fit parameters and their uncertainties. We compare the consistency of each model grid by performing our analysis on the full spectrum and also on individual wavelength bands (Y,J,H,K). We find more consistent results between the J band and full spectrum fits and that our best fit spectral type-Teff results agree with the polynomial relationships of Stephens+2009 and Filippazzo+ 2015 using bolometric luminosities. Our analysis consists of the most extensive low resolution T dwarf model comparison to date, and lays the foundation for interpretation of cool brown dwarf and exoplanet spectra.

Photometric brown-dwarf classification. I. A method to identify and accurately classify large samples of brown dwarfs without spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skrzypek, N.; Warren, S. J.; Faherty, J. K.; Mortlock, D. J.; Burgasser, A. J.; Hewett, P. C.

2015-02-01

Aims: We present a method, named photo-type, to identify and accurately classify L and T dwarfs onto the standard spectral classification system using photometry alone. This enables the creation of large and deep homogeneous samples of these objects efficiently, without the need for spectroscopy. Methods: We created a catalogue of point sources with photometry in 8 bands, ranging from 0.75 to 4.6 μm, selected from an area of 3344 deg2, by combining SDSS, UKIDSS LAS, and WISE data. Sources with 13.0 0.8, were then classified by comparison against template colours of quasars, stars, and brown dwarfs. The L and T templates, spectral types L0 to T8, were created by identifying previously known sources with spectroscopic classifications, and fitting polynomial relations between colour and spectral type. Results: Of the 192 known L and T dwarfs with reliable photometry in the surveyed area and magnitude range, 189 are recovered by our selection and classification method. We have quantified the accuracy of the classification method both externally, with spectroscopy, and internally, by creating synthetic catalogues and accounting for the uncertainties. We find that, brighter than J = 17.5, photo-type classifications are accurate to one spectral sub-type, and are therefore competitive with spectroscopic classifications. The resultant catalogue of 1157 L and T dwarfs will be presented in a companion paper.

SPLAT: Using Spectral Indices to Identify and Characterize Ultracool Stars, Brown Dwarfs and Exoplanets in Deep Surveys and as Companions to Nearby Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aganze, Christian; Burgasser, Adam J.; Martin, Eduardo; Konopacky, Quinn; Masters, Daniel C.

2016-06-01

The majority of ultracool dwarf stars and brown dwarfs currently known were identified in wide-field red optical and infrared surveys, enabling measures of the local, typically isolated, population in a relatively shallow (<100 pc radius) volume. Constraining the properties of the wider Galactic population (scale height, radial distribution, Population II sources), and close brown dwarf and exoplanet companions to nearby stars, requires specialized instrumentation, such as high-contrast, coronagraphic spectrometers (e.g., Gemini/GPI, VLT/Sphere, Project 1640); and deep spectral surveys (e.g., HST/WFC3 parallel fields, Euclid). We present a set of quantitative methodologies to identify and robustly characterize sources for these specific populations, based on templates and tools developed as part of the SpeX Prism Library Analysis Toolkit. In particular, we define and characterize specifically-tuned sets spectral indices that optimize selection of cool dwarfs and distinguish rare populations (subdwarfs, young planetary-mass objects) based on low-resolution, limited-wavelength-coverage spectral data; and present a template-matching classification method for these instruments. We apply these techniques to HST/WFC3 parallel fields data in the WISPS and HST-3D programs, where our spectral index set allows high completeness and low contamination for searches of late M, L and T dwarfs to distances out to ~3 kpc.The material presented here is based on work supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Grant No. NNX15AI75G.

Discovery of a Brown Dwarf Companion to Gliese 570ABC: A 2MASS T Dwarf Significantly Cooler than Gliese 229B.

PubMed

Burgasser; Kirkpatrick; Cutri; McCallon; Kopan; Gizis; Liebert; Reid; Brown; Monet; Dahn; Beichman; Skrutskie

2000-03-01

We report the discovery of a widely separated (258&farcs;3+/-0&farcs;4) T dwarf companion to the Gl 570ABC system. This new component, Gl 570D, was initially identified from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey. Its near-infrared spectrum shows the 1.6 and 2.2 µm CH4 absorption bands characteristic of T dwarfs, while its common proper motion with the Gl 570ABC system confirms companionship. Gl 570D (MJ=16.47+/-0.07) is nearly a full magnitude dimmer than the only other known T dwarf companion, Gl 229B, and estimates of L=&parl0;2.8+/-0.3&parr0;x10-6 L middle dot in circle and Teff=750+/-50 K make it significantly cooler and less luminous than any other known brown dwarf companion. Using evolutionary models by Burrows et al. and an adopted age of 2-10 Gyr, we derive a mass estimate of 50+/-20 MJup for this object.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Brown dwarf surface gravities with Keck/NIRSPEC (Martin , 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, E. C.; Mace, G. N.; McLean, I. S.; Logsdon, S. E.; Rice, E. L.; Kirkpatrick, J. D.; Burgasser, A. J.; McGovern, M. R.; Prato, L.

2017-10-01

In this paper, we follow up on prior NIR spectroscopy by our group and use a modified Allers & Liu (A13, 2013ApJ...772...79A) method to determine surface gravities for 228 M, L, and T dwarfs. We present medium-resolution (R~20000) J-band spectra of 85 M dwarfs, 92 L dwarfs, and 51 T dwarfs obtained as part of the Keck NIRSPEC Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey (BDSS). Ninety-seven spectra were published previously in McLean+ (2003ApJ...596..561M), Burgasser+ (2003ApJ...592.1186B), McGovern+ (2004ApJ...600.1020M), Rice+ (2010ApJS..186...63R), Kirkpatrick+ (2010, J/ApJS/190/100), Luhman (2012ARA&A..50...65L), Thompson+ (2013PASP..125..809T), Mace+ (2013, J/ApJS/205/6), Mace+ (2013ApJ...777...36M), and Kirkpatrick+ (2014, J/ApJ/783/122), and the remaining 131 are presented here for the first time. Observation information (spanning 1999 Apr to 2015 Mar) for all of the targets in our sample is listed in Table 1. (4 data files).

Constraining Substellar Magnetic Dynamos using Brown Dwarf Radio Aurorae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kao, Melodie Minyu

Brown dwarfs share characteristics with both low-mass stars and gas giant planets, making them useful laboratories for studying physics occurring in objects throughout this low mass and temperature range. Of particular interest in this dissertation is the nature of the engine driving their magnetic fields. Fully convective magnetic dynamos can operate in low mass stars, brown dwarfs, gas giant planets, and even fluid metal cores in small rocky planets. Objects in this wide mass range are capable of hosting strong magnetic fields, which shape much of the evolution of planets and stars: strong fields can protect planetary atmospheres from evaporating, generate optical and infrared emission that masquerade as clouds in the atmospheres of other worlds, and affect planet formation mechanisms. Thus, implications from understanding convective dynamo mechanisms also extend to exoplanet habitability. How the convective dynamos driving these fields operate remains an important open problem. While we have extensive data to inform models of magnetic dynamo mechanisms in higher mass stars like our Sun, the coolest and lowest-mass objects that probe the substellar-planetary boundary do not possess the internal structures necessary to drive solar-type dynamos. A number of models examining fully convective dynamo mechanisms have been proposed but they remain unconstrained by magnetic field measurements in the lowest end of the substellar mass and temperature space. Detections of highly circularly polarized pulsed radio emission provide our only window into magnetic field measurements for objects in the ultracool brown dwarf regime, but these detections are very rare; until this dissertation, only one attempt out of 60 had been successful. The work presented in this dissertation seeks to address this problem and examines radio emission from late L, T, and Y spectral type brown dwarfs spanning 1-6 times the surface temperature of Earth and explores implications for fully convective magnetic dynamo models.

Could Ultracool Dwarfs Have Sun-Like Activity?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-11-01

Solar-like stars exhibit magnetic cycles; our Sun, for instance, displays an 11-year period in its activity, manifesting as cyclic changes in radiation levels, the number of sunspots and flares, and ejection of solar material. Over the span of two activity cycles, the Suns magnetic field flips polarity and then returns to its original state.An artists illustration comparing the Sun to TRAPPIST-1, an ultracool dwarf star known to host several planets. [ESO]But what about the magnetic behavior of objects near the cooler end of the stellar main sequence do they exhibit similar activity cycles?Effects of a Convecting InteriorDwarf stars have made headlines in recent years due to their potential to harbor exoplanets. Because these cooler stars have lower flux levels compared to the Sun, their habitable zones lie much closer to the stars. The magnetic behavior of these stars is therefore important to understand: could ultracool dwarfs exhibit solar-like activity cycles that would affect planets with close orbits?The differences in internal structure between different mass stars. Ultracool dwarfs have fully convective interiors. [www.sun.org]Theres a major difference between ultracool dwarfs (stars of spectral type higher than M7 and brown dwarfs) and Sun-like stars: their internal structures. Sun-like stars have a convective envelope that surrounds a radiative core. The interiors of cool, low-mass objects, on the other hand, are fully convective.Based on theoretical studies of how magnetism is generated in stars, its thought that the fully convective interiors of ultracool dwarfs cant support large-scale magnetic field formation. This should prevent these stars from exhibiting activity cycles like the Sun. But recent radio observations of dwarf stars have led scientist Matthew Route (ITaP Research Computing, Purdue University) to question these models.A Reversing Field?During observations of the brown dwarf star J1047+21 in 20102011, radio flares were detected with emission primarily polarized in a single direction. The dwarfs flares in late 2013, however, all showed polarization in the opposite direction. Could this be an indication that J1047+21 has a stable, global dipolar field that flipped polarity in between the two sets of observations? If so, this could mean that the star has a magnetic cycle similar to the Suns.Artists impression showing the relative sizes and colors of the Sun, a red dwarf (M-dwarf), a hotter brown dwarf (L-dwarf), a cool brown dwarf (T-dwarf) similar to J1047+21, and the planet Jupiter [Credit: NASA/IPAC/R. Hurt (SSC)]Inspired by this possibility, Route conducted an investigation of the long-term magnetic behavior of all known radio-flaring ultracool dwarfs, a list of 14 stars. Using polarized radio emission measurements, he found that many of his targets exhibited similar polarity flips, which he argues is evidence that these dwarfs are undergoing magnetic field reversals on roughly decade-long timescales, analogous to those reversals that occur in the Sun.If this is indeed true, then we need to examine our models of how magnetic fields are generated in stars: the interface between the radiative and convective layers may not be necessary to produce large-scale magnetic fields. Understanding this process is certainly an important step in interpreting the potential habitability of planets around ultracool dwarfs.CitationMatthew Route 2016 ApJL 830 L27. doi:10.3847/2041-8205/830/2/L27

Constraining Dust Hazes at the L/T Transition via Variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radigan, Jacqueline; Apai, Daniel; Yang, Hao; Hiranaka, Kay; Cruz, Kelle; Buenzli, Esther; Marley, Mark

2014-12-01

The T2 dwarf SIMP 1629+03 is a variable L/T transition dwarf, with a normal near-infrared spectrum. However, it is remarkable in that the wavelength dependence of its variability differs markedly from that of other L/T transition brown dwarfs. In particular, the absence of a water absorption feature in its variability spectrum indicates that a patchy, high-altitude haze, rather than a deeper cloud layer is responsible for the observed variations. We propose to obtain Spitzer+HST observations of SIMP1629+02 over two consecutive rotations periods in order to simultaneously map it?s spectral variability across 1-5 um. The wide wavelength coverage will provide a suitable lever-arm for constraining the particle size distribution in the haze. A truly flat spectrum across this wavelength range would indicate large particle sizes in comparison to those inferred for red L-dwarf hazes, and would therefore provide direct evidence of grain growth with decreasing effective temperature and/or a grain-size dependence on surface gravity in brown dwarf atmospheres.

Companions and Environments of Low-Mass Stars: From Star-Forming Regions to the Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward-Duong, Kimberly; Patience, Jenny; De Rosa, Robert J.; Bulger, Joanna; Rajan, Abhijith; Goodwin, Simon; Parker, Richard J.; McCarthy, Donald W.; Kulesa, Craig; van der Plas, Gerrit; Menard, Francois; Pinte, Christophe; Jackson, Alan Patrick; Bryden, Geoffrey; Turner, Neal J.; Harvey, Paul M.; Hales, Antonio

2017-01-01

We present results from two studies probing the multiplicity and environmental properties of low-mass stars: (1) The MinMs (M-dwarfs in Multiples) Survey, a large, volume-limited survey of 245 field M-dwarfs within 15 pc, and (2) the TBOSS (Taurus Boundary of Stellar/Substellar) Survey, an ongoing study of disk properties for the lowest-mass members within the Taurus star-forming region. The MinMs Survey provides new measurements of the companion star fraction, separation distribution, and mass ratio distribution for the nearest K7-M6 dwarfs, utilizing a combination of high-resolution adaptive optics imaging and digitized widefield archival plates to cover an unprecedented separation range of ~1-10,000 AU. Within these data, we also identify companions below the stellar/brown dwarf boundary, enabling characterization of the substellar companion population to low-mass field stars. For the much younger population in Taurus, we present results from ALMA Band 7 continuum observations of low-mass stellar and substellar Class II objects, spanning spectral types from M4-M7.75. The sub-millimeter detections of these disks provide key estimates of the dust mass in small grains, which is then assessed within the context of region age, environment, and viability for planet formation. This young population also includes a number of interesting young binary systems. Covering both young (1-2 Myr) and old (>5 Gyr) populations of low-mass stars, the results from these studies provide benchmark measurements on the population statistics of low-mass field stars, and on the early protoplanetary environments of their younger M-star counterparts.

67 additional L dwarfs discovered by the Two Micron All Sky Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirkpatrick, J.; Reid, I.; Liebert, J.; Gizis, J.; Burgasser, A.; Monet, D.; Dahn, C.; Nelson, B.; Williams, R.

2000-01-01

One of the goals of this new search was to locate more examples of the latest L dwarfs. Of the 67 new discoveries, 17 have types of L6 or later. Analysis of these new discoveries shows that 16 (and possibly four more) of the new L dwarfs are lithium brown dwarfs and that the average line strength for those L dwarfs showing lithium increases until type L6.5 V, then declines for later types.

White Dwarf Critical Tests for Modified Gravity.

PubMed

Jain, Rajeev Kumar; Kouvaris, Chris; Nielsen, Niklas Grønlund

2016-04-15

Scalar-tensor theories of gravity can lead to modifications of the gravitational force inside astrophysical objects. We exhibit that compact stars such as white dwarfs provide a unique setup to test beyond Horndeski theories of G^{3} type. We obtain stringent and independent constraints on the parameter ϒ characterizing the deviations from Newtonian gravity using the mass-radius relation, the Chandrasekhar mass limit, and the maximal rotational frequency of white dwarfs. We find that white dwarfs impose stronger constraints on ϒ than red and brown dwarfs.

The Galactic Distribution of Planets via Spitzer Microlensing Parallax

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gould, Andrew; Yee, Jennifer; Carey, Sean; Shvartzvald, Yossi

2018-05-01

We will measure the Galactic distribution of planets by obtaining 'microlens parallaxes' of about 200 events, including 3 planetary events, from the comparison of microlens lightcurves observed from Spitzer and Earth, which are separated by >1.5 AU in projection. The proposed observations are part of a campaign that we have conducted with Spitzer since 2014. The planets expected to be identified in this campaign when combined with previous work will yield a first statistically significant measurement of the frequency of planets in the Galactic bulge versus the Galactic disk. As we have demonstrated in three previous programs, the difference in these lightcurves yields both the 'microlens parallax' (ratio of the lens-source relative parallax) to the Einstein radius, and the direction of lens-source relative motion. For planetary events, this measurement directly yields the mass and distance of the planet. This proposal is significantly more sensitive to planets than previous work because it takes advantage of the KMTNet observing strategy that covers >85 sq.deg t >0.4/hr cadence, 24/7 from 3 southern observatories and a alert system KMTNet is implementing for 2019. This same observing program also provides a unique probe of dark objects. It will yield an improved measurement of the isolated-brown-dwarf mass function. Thirteen percent of the observations will specifically target binaries, which will probe systems with dark components (brown dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes) that are difficult or impossible to investigate by other methods. The observations and methods from this work are a test bed for WFIRST microlensing.

THE EFFECTS OF CLOSE COMPANIONS (AND ROTATION) ON THE MAGNETIC ACTIVITY OF M DWARFS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morgan, Dylan P.; West, Andrew A.; Dhital, Saurav

2012-10-01

We present a study of close white dwarf and M dwarf (WD+dM) binary systems and examine the effect that a close companion has on the magnetic field generation in M dwarfs. We use a base sample of 1602 white dwarf main-sequence binaries from Rebassa-Mansergas et al. to develop a set of color cuts in GALEX, SDSS, UKIDSS, and 2MASS color space. Then using the SDSS Data Release 8 spectroscopic database, we construct a sample of 1756 WD+dM high-quality pairs from our color cuts and previous catalogs. We separate the individual WD and dM from each spectrum using an iterative techniquemore » that compares the WD and dM components to best-fit templates. Using the absolute height above the Galactic plane as a proxy for age, and the H{alpha} emission line as an indicator for magnetic activity, we investigate the age-activity relation for our sample for spectral types {<=} M7. Our results show that early-type M dwarfs ({<=}M4) in close binary systems are more likely to be active and have longer activity lifetimes compared to their field counterparts. However, at a spectral type of M5 (just past the onset of full convection in M dwarfs), the activity fraction and lifetimes of WD+dM binary systems become more comparable to that of the field M dwarfs. One of the implications of having a close binary companion is presumed to be increased stellar rotation through disk disruption, tidal effects, or angular momentum exchange. Thus, we interpret the similarity in activity behavior between late-type dMs in WD+dM pairs and late-type field dMs to be due to a decrease in sensitivity in close binary companions (or stellar rotation), which has implications for the nature of magnetic activity in fully convective stars. Using the WD components of the pairs, we find WD cooling ages to use as an additional constraint on the age-activity relation for our sample. We find that, on average, active early-type dMs tend to be younger and that active late-type dMs span a much broader age regime making them indistinguishable from the inactive late-type population. We also show that magnetic strength, as measured by H{alpha}, is comparable between paired and field M dwarfs until a spectral type of M6/M7 where M dwarf activity for stars with close companions becomes much stronger. In addition, we present 37 very close candidate pairs with fast-moving orbits that display radial velocity changes over hour timescales.« less

The Effects of Close Companions (and Rotation) on the Magnetic Activity of M Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, Dylan P.; West, Andrew A.; Garcés, Ane; Catalán, Silvia; Dhital, Saurav; Fuchs, Miriam; Silvestri, Nicole M.

2012-10-01

We present a study of close white dwarf and M dwarf (WD+dM) binary systems and examine the effect that a close companion has on the magnetic field generation in M dwarfs. We use a base sample of 1602 white dwarf main-sequence binaries from Rebassa-Mansergas et al. to develop a set of color cuts in GALEX, SDSS, UKIDSS, and 2MASS color space. Then using the SDSS Data Release 8 spectroscopic database, we construct a sample of 1756 WD+dM high-quality pairs from our color cuts and previous catalogs. We separate the individual WD and dM from each spectrum using an iterative technique that compares the WD and dM components to best-fit templates. Using the absolute height above the Galactic plane as a proxy for age, and the Hα emission line as an indicator for magnetic activity, we investigate the age-activity relation for our sample for spectral types <= M7. Our results show that early-type M dwarfs (<=M4) in close binary systems are more likely to be active and have longer activity lifetimes compared to their field counterparts. However, at a spectral type of M5 (just past the onset of full convection in M dwarfs), the activity fraction and lifetimes of WD+dM binary systems become more comparable to that of the field M dwarfs. One of the implications of having a close binary companion is presumed to be increased stellar rotation through disk disruption, tidal effects, or angular momentum exchange. Thus, we interpret the similarity in activity behavior between late-type dMs in WD+dM pairs and late-type field dMs to be due to a decrease in sensitivity in close binary companions (or stellar rotation), which has implications for the nature of magnetic activity in fully convective stars. Using the WD components of the pairs, we find WD cooling ages to use as an additional constraint on the age-activity relation for our sample. We find that, on average, active early-type dMs tend to be younger and that active late-type dMs span a much broader age regime making them indistinguishable from the inactive late-type population. We also show that magnetic strength, as measured by Hα, is comparable between paired and field M dwarfs until a spectral type of M6/M7 where M dwarf activity for stars with close companions becomes much stronger. In addition, we present 37 very close candidate pairs with fast-moving orbits that display radial velocity changes over hour timescales.

The WFCAM Transit Survey: A Search for Rocky Planets Around Cool Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkby, J.; Hodgkin, S.; Pinfield, D.; WTS Consortium

2011-12-01

We report on the WFCAM Transit Survey which is a near-infrared photometric monitoring campaign designed primarily to test the predictions of planet formation theory. We monitor a statisically significant sample of ˜6,000 M-dwarfs (M<0.6M⊙) across 6 sq. deg of the sky, by taking advantage of the highly-efficient queue-scheduled operational mode of the 3.8m United Kingdom Infrared Telescope. Our light curves have RMS < 1% between 13 < J < 16 magnitudes and preliminary simulations indicate the survey is sensitive to at least Jupiter-like transits of M-dwarfs. The survey is approximately 25% complete and within this dataset we find i) no planet-like transit events, despite thorough and extensive follow-up this summer and ii) 32 new M-dwarf eclipsing binaries. We do not speculate on the planet fraction of M-dwarfs at this incomplete stage of our survey, but once we achieve 1,000 epochs of observation on our entire M-dwarf sample, we will have a significant observational constraint to place on occurrence of planets around M-dwarfs. We report masses and radii for three of our newly discovered eclipsing binary, with errors of 3-7%, which all show inflated radii when compared to stellar evolution models (e.g. Baraffe et al. (1998)). Our results support the growing body of observations with inflated M-dwarf radii, which may be caused by increased magnetic activity inhibiting the convection efficiency or increased star spot coverage (e.g. Chabrier et al. (2007); Jackson et al. (2009)). Finally, we present preliminary mass and radius estimates of a fourth new eclipsing binary, which is one of the lowest mass binary systems ever discovered and will provide a calibrating point in the desert of observations between 0.1-0.2M⊙.

The Chromospheric Activity and Ages of M Dwarf Stars in Wide Binary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silvestri, Nicole M.; Hawley, Suzanne L.; Oswalt, Terry D.

2005-05-01

We investigate the relationship between age and chromospheric activity for 139 M dwarf stars in wide binary systems with white dwarf companions. The age of each system is determined from the cooling age of its white dwarf component. The current limit for activity-age relations found for M dwarfs in open clusters is 4 Gyr. Our unique approach to finding ages for M stars allows for the exploration of this relationship at ages older than 4 Gyr. The general trend of stars remaining active for a longer time at a later spectral type is confirmed. However, our larger sample and greater age range reveal additional complexity in assigning age based on activity alone. We find that M dwarfs in wide binaries older than 4 Gyr depart from the loglinear relation for clusters and are found to have activity at magnitudes, colors, and masses that are brighter, bluer, and more massive than predicted by the cluster relation. In addition to our activity-age results, we present the measured radial velocities and complete space motions for 161 white dwarf stars in wide binaries. Based on observations obtained with the Apache Point Observatory 3.5 m telescope, which is owned and operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium; the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 4.0 m telescope, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), which also operates Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson, Arizona; and the SARA Observatory 0.9 m telescope at Kitt Peak, which is owned and operated by the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (http://www.saraobservatory.org).

Cloud Atlas: Discovery of Rotational Spectral Modulations in a Low-mass, L-type Brown Dwarf Companion to a Star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manjavacas, Elena; Apai, Dániel; Zhou, Yifan; Karalidi, Theodora; Lew, Ben W. P.; Schneider, Glenn; Cowan, Nicolas; Metchev, Stan; Miles-Páez, Paulo A.; Burgasser, Adam J.; Radigan, Jacqueline; Bedin, Luigi R.; Lowrance, Patrick J.; Marley, Mark S.

2018-01-01

Observations of rotational modulations of brown dwarfs and giant exoplanets allow the characterization of condensate cloud properties. As of now, rotational spectral modulations have only been seen in three L-type brown dwarfs. We report here the discovery of rotational spectral modulations in LP261-75B, an L6-type intermediate surface gravity companion to an M4.5 star. As a part of the Cloud Atlas Treasury program, we acquired time-resolved Wide Field Camera 3 grism spectroscopy (1.1–1.69 μm) of LP261-75B. We find gray spectral variations with the relative amplitude displaying only a weak wavelength dependence and no evidence for lower-amplitude modulations in the 1.4 μm water band than in the adjacent continuum. The likely rotational modulation period is 4.78 ± 0.95 hr, although the rotational phase is not well sampled. The minimum relative amplitude in the white light curve measured over the whole wavelength range is 2.41% ± 0.14%. We report an unusual light curve, which seems to have three peaks approximately evenly distributed in rotational phase. The spectral modulations suggests that the upper atmosphere cloud properties in LP261-75B are similar to two other mid-L dwarfs of typical infrared colors, but differ from that of the extremely red L-dwarf WISE0047.

The binary Feige 24 - The mass, radius, and gravitational redshift of the DA white dwarf

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vennes, Stephane; Shipman, Harry L.; Thorstensen, John R.; Thejll, Peter

1991-01-01

Observations are reported which refine the binary ephemeris of the Feige 24 system, which contains a peculiar hot DA white dwarf and an M dwarf with an atmosphere illuminated by extreme ultraviolet radiation from the white dwarf. With the new ephemeris and a set of IUE high-dispersion spectra, showing phase-dependent redshifted C IV, N V, and Si IV resonance lines, the orbital velocity, and hence the mass (0.54 + or - 0.20 solar masses), and the gravitational redshift of the white dwarf (14.1 + or - 5.2 km/s) are determined independently. It is shown that the measured Einstein redshift is consistent with an estimated radius for the white dwarf obtained from a model atmosphere solid angle and a parallax measurement. This radius is twice the Hamada-Salpeter radius for the given mass and offers a prospect to investigate the presence of a massive hydrogen envelope in that white dwarf star.

Deficit of Wide Binaries in the η Chamaeleontis Young Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandeker, Alexis; Jayawardhana, Ray; Khavari, Parandis; Haisch, Karl E., Jr.; Mardones, Diego

2006-12-01

We have carried out a sensitive high-resolution imaging survey of stars in the young (6-8 Myr), nearby (97 pc) compact cluster around η Chamaeleontis to search for stellar and substellar companions. Our data were obtained using the NACO adaptive optics system on the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT). Given its youth and proximity, any substellar companions are expected to be luminous, especially in the near-infrared, and thus easier to detect next to their parent stars. Here, we present VLT NACO adaptive optics imaging with companion detection limits for 17 η Cha cluster members, and follow-up VLT ISAAC near-infrared spectroscopy for companion candidates. The widest binary detected is ~0.2", corresponding to the projected separation 20 AU, despite our survey being sensitive down to substellar companions outside 0.3", and planetary-mass objects outside 0.5". This implies that the stellar companion probability outside 0.3" and the brown dwarf companion probability outside 0.5" are less than 0.16 with 95% confidence. We compare the wide binary frequency of η Cha to that of the similarly aged TW Hydrae association and estimate the statistical likelihood that the wide binary probability is equal in both groups to be less than 2×10-4. Even though the η Cha cluster is relatively dense, stellar encounters in its present configuration cannot account for the relative deficit of wide binaries. We thus conclude that the difference in wide binary probability in these two groups provides strong evidence for multiplicity properties being dependent on environment. In two appendices we derive the projected separation probability distribution for binaries, used to constrain physical separations from observed projected separations, and summarize statistical tools useful for multiplicity studies.

Mass transfer in white dwarf-neutron star binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bobrick, Alexey; Davies, Melvyn B.; Church, Ross P.

2017-05-01

We perform hydrodynamic simulations of mass transfer in binaries that contain a white dwarf and a neutron star (WD-NS binaries), and measure the specific angular momentum of material lost from the binary in disc winds. By incorporating our results within a long-term evolution model, we measure the long-term stability of mass transfer in these binaries. We find that only binaries containing helium white dwarfs (WDs) with masses less than a critical mass of MWD, crit = 0.2 M⊙ undergo stable mass transfer and evolve into ultracompact X-ray binaries. Systems with higher mass WDs experience unstable mass transfer, which leads to tidal disruption of the WD. Our low critical mass compared to the standard jet-only model of mass-loss arises from the efficient removal of angular momentum in the mechanical disc winds, which develop at highly super-Eddington mass-transfer rates. We find that the eccentricities expected for WD-NS binaries when they come into contact do not affect the loss of angular momentum, and can only affect the long-term evolution if they change on shorter time-scales than the mass-transfer rate. Our results are broadly consistent with the observed numbers of both ultracompact X-ray binaries and radio pulsars with WD companions. The observed calcium-rich gap transients are consistent with the merger rate of unstable systems with higher mass WDs.

Faintest Methane Brown Dwarf Discovered with the NTT and VLT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1999-08-01

A team of European astronomers [1] has found a cold and extremely faint object in interstellar space, high above the galactic plane. It is a Methane Brown Dwarf of which only a few are known. This is by far the most distant one identified to date. Brown Dwarfs are star-like objects which are heavier than planets but not massive enough to trigger the nuclear burning of hydrogen and other elements which powers normal stars. They are, nevertheless, heated during their formation by gravitational contraction but then continuously cool as this energy is radiated away. The so-called Methane Brown Dwarfs are the coolest members of the class detected so far, with temperatures around 700 °C, i.e. around 1000 degrees cooler than the coldest stars. The new object, provisionally known as NTTDF J1205-0744 , was found during a deep survey of a small sky region in the constellation Virgo (The Virgin), just south of the celestial equator. The chances of identifying a rare object like this in such a restricted area are very small and the astronomers readily admit that they must have been very lucky. This is the story of an (unexpected) astronomical discovery that may prove to be very important for galactic studies. It also demonstrates the power of modern observational techniques. The NTT Deep Field A long series of exposures of a small sky field in Virgo were made in 1997 and 1998 with the ESO 3.58-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) at La Silla. They were carried out with the aim of measuring and demonstrating the limiting performance of two astronomical instruments at this telescope, the SUperb-Seeing Imager (SUSI) in the visible part of the spectrum (0.35 - 1.00 µm), and the multi-mode Son of ISAAC (SOFI) in the near-infrared region (1.0 - 2.5 µm). The observed sky area measures only 2.3 x 2.3 arcmin 2 and is referred to as the NTT Deep Field. It has been studied in great detail, in particular to identify very distant galaxies for spectroscopic follow-up observations with the FORS1 and ISAAC instruments at the VLT 8.2-m ANTU telescope during the first period of VLT observations. Such distant objects are quite red (due to their high redshift) and are best detected by a combination of visible and infrared exposures. Discovery of an extremely infrared object ESO PR Photo 35a/99 ESO PR Photo 35a/99 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 251 pix - 72k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 502 pix - 224k] [High-Res - JPEG: 3000 x 1881 pix - 1.7M] Caption to ESO PR Photo 35a/99 : Part of the NTT Deep Field , with the new Methane Brown Dwarf NTTDF J1205-0744 at the centre. The field measures 1.3 x 1.3 arcmin 2. The object is well visible in the SOFI infrared exposure (left) in the J-band at wavelength 1.25 µm, but not in the SUSI one at a shorter wavelength (right) in the i-band at 0.8 µm. North is up and East is left. The astronomers noted a star-like object of extreme colour in this field. While it was well visible and similarly bright in both SOFI infrared images (J = 20.2 and K = 20.3), it could not be seen at all on the SUSI images in the visible spectral region, even at the longest wavelength (i-band) observed with that instrument (i-J > 6 mag), cf. PR Photo 35a/99 . No "normal" object is known to have such extreme colours. The new object now received the designation NTTDF J1205-0744 , indicating that it was discovered in the NTT Deep Field at the given position on the sky. It seemed that there were only two possibilities. Either it was an extremely distant quasar (redshift about 8) at the edge of the observable universe, or it must be a very cold object in the Milky Way Galaxy. Whatever its nature, this was obviously a most interesting object. Spectroscopic observations of NTTDF J1205-0744 ESO PR Photo 35b/99 ESO PR Photo 35b/99 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 337 pix - 56k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 674 pix - 124k] Caption to ESO PR Photo 35b/99 : The infrared spectrum of NTTDF J1205-0744 , as obtained with SOFI at the NTT and ISAAC at VLT ANTU, and compared to the spectrum of the much closer and brighter Methane Brown Dwarf Gliese 229B . This issue was resolved by obtaining infrared spectra of NTTDF J1205-0744 . Despite its faintness, initial observations with SOFI at the NTT covering the infrared J and H-bands already revealed some of the molecular absorptions characteristic of methane brown dwarfs. More recently, complementary longer wavelength observations with ISAAC at the first VLT 8.2-m Unit Telescope (ANTU) at Paranal have now confirmed the nature of this object. The combined SOFI/ISAAC infrared spectrum shown in PR Photo 35b/99 is clearly extremely similar to that of Gliese 229B , the first Methane Brown Dwarf discovered a few years ago and which is a member of a binary system at a distance of about 19 light-years. The features in the spectra result from strong absorption by methane (CH 4 ) and water (H 2 O). There is thus no doubt that NTTDF J1205-0744 is of the same type (stellar class T). Unlike Gliese 229B , however, it does not appear to be a member of a binary system. It is also 5-6 magnitudes (i.e., a factor of about 250) fainter than this and a few similar objects discovered recently in large-area sky surveys, implying that it is considerably more distant. Properties of NTTDF J1205-0744 NTTDF J1205-0744 is located at a distance of about 300 light-years (90 pc) and some 240 light-years (75 pc) above the plane of our Milky Way galaxy. Its mass is probably about 20-50 times that of Jupiter, or less than 2% of that of the Sun. Its temperature is around 700 °C (1000 K), suggesting an age of 500 to 1,000 million years. Lacking a stable source of energy at its centre, it is becoming continuously fainter and cooler and will continue to do so for tens of thousands of millions of years. NTTDF J1205-0744 is a very faint and small object indeed, on the still not well understood border zone between stars and planets [2]. How many Brown Dwarfs? How many T-class objects are there in the Milky Way? What is the space density of these extreme objects? Since only a few have been identified so far, any statistics must be quite uncertain. Until now, the best estimates have been of the order of 1 per 3,500 cubic light-years (0.01/pc 3 ). A surprising aspect of this discovery is that NTTDF J1205-0744 was found within a sky area of only 2.3 x 2.3 arcmin 2 , specially selected to be as "empty" as possible in order to facilitate studies of distant galaxies. Based on the above density estimate, the chance of finding such an object should only have been about 1%. Based on model predictions, the chance would have been even smaller than this. Searches like the one described here, based on the combination of optical and infrared data, therefore appear particularly effective at detecting such objects. It is now of high interest to test if this first discovery was just extremely lucky, or if the space density of these extreme objects is in fact much higher than expected. More information A research article about these new results ( Discovery of a faint Field Methane Brown Dwarf from ES0 NTT and VLT observations), will appear in the European journal Astronomy & Astrophysics . Note [1] The team consists of Jean Gabriel Cuby, Alan Moorwood, Sandro D'Odorico, Chris Lidman, Fernando Comeron, Jason Spyromilio (ESO) and Paolo Saracco (Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Merate, Milan, Italy). [2] A more nearby, hotter brown dwarf, KELU-1 , was found at La Silla in 1997 at a distance of 33 light-years, cf. ESO Press Release 07/97. How to obtain ESO Press Information ESO Press Information is made available on the World-Wide Web (URL: http://www.eso.org../ ). ESO Press Photos may be reproduced, if credit is given to the European Southern Observatory.

Low-mass Stellar and Substellar Companions to sdB Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geier, S.; Classen, L.; Brünner, P.; Nagel, K.; Schaffenroth, V.; Heuser, C.; Heber, U.; Drechsel, H.; Edelmann, H.; Koen, C.; O'Toole, S. J.; Morales-Rueda, L.

2012-03-01

It has been suggested that besides stellar companions, substellar objects in close orbits may be able to trigger mass loss in a common envelope phase and form hot subdwarfs. In an ongoing project we search for close substellar companions combining time resolved high resolution spectroscopy with photometry. We determine the fraction of as yet undetected radial velocity variable systems from a sample of 27 apparently single sdB stars to be ˜eq16%. We discovered low-mass stellar companions to the He-sdB CPD-20circ 1123 and the pulsator KPD 0629-0016. The brown dwarf reported to orbit the eclipsing binary SDSS J0820+0008 could be confirmed by an analysis of high resolution spectra taken with UVES. Reflection effects have been detected in the light curves of the known sdB binaries CPD -64circ 481 and BPS CS 22169-0001. The inclinations of these systems must be much higher than expected and the most likely companion masses are in the substellar regime. Finally, we determined the orbit of the sdB binary PHL 457, which has a very small radial velocity amplitude and may host the lowest mass substellar companion known. The implications of these new results for the open question of sdB formation are discussed.

DA white dwarfs in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 and a search for infrared excess emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girven, J.; Gänsicke, B. T.; Steeghs, D.; Koester, D.

2011-10-01

We present a method which uses colour-colour cuts on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) photometry to select white dwarfs with hydrogen-rich (DA) atmospheres without the recourse to spectroscopy. This method results in a sample of DA white dwarfs that is 95 per cent complete at an efficiency of returning a true DA white dwarf of 62 per cent. The approach was applied to SDSS Data Release 7 for objects with and without SDSS spectroscopy. This led to 4636 spectroscopicially confirmed DA white dwarfs with g≤ 19; a ˜70 per cent increase compared to Eisenstein et al.'s 2006 sample. Including the photometric-only objects, we estimate a factor of 3 increase in DA white dwarfs. We find that the SDSS spectroscopic follow-up is 44 per cent complete for DA white dwarfs with Teff≳ 8000 K. We further cross-correlated the SDSS sample with Data Release 8 of the UKIRT (United Kingdom Infrared Telescope) Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey. The spectral energy distributions (SED) of both subsets, with and without SDSS spectroscopy, were fitted with white dwarf models to determine the fraction of DA white dwarfs with low-mass stellar companions or dusty debris discs via the detection of excess near-infrared emission. From the spectroscopic sample we find that 2.0 per cent of white dwarfs have an excess consistent with a brown dwarf type companion, with a firm lower limit of 0.8 per cent. From the white dwarfs with photometry only, we find that 1.8 per cent are candidates for having brown dwarf companions. Similarly, both samples show that ˜1 per cent of white dwarfs are candidates for having a dusty debris disc.

A SUBSTELLAR COMPANION TO THE WHITE DWARF-RED DWARF ECLIPSING BINARY NN Ser

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qian, S.-B.; Dai, Z.-B.; Liao, W.-P.

2009-11-20

NN Ser is a short-period (P = 3.12 hr) close binary containing a very hot white dwarf primary with a mass of 0.535 M{sub sun} and a fully convective secondary with a mass of 0.111 M{sub sun}. The changes in the orbital period of the eclipsing binary were analyzed based on our five newly determined eclipse times together with those compiled from the literature. A small-amplitude (0fd00031) cyclic period variation with a period of 7.56 years was discovered to be superimposed on a possible long-term decrease. The periodic change was plausibly explained as the light-travel time effect via the presencemore » of a tertiary companion. The mass of the tertiary companion is determined to be M{sub 3}sin i' = 0.0107(+-0.0017) M{sub sun} when a total mass of 0.646 M{sub sun} for NN Ser is adopted. For orbital inclinations i' >= 49.{sup 0}56, the mass of the tertiary component was calculated to be M {sub 3} <= 0.014 M{sub sun}; thus it would be an extrasolar planet. The third body is orbiting the white dwarf-red dwarf eclipsing binary at a distance shorter than 3.29 AU. Since the observed decrease rate of the orbital period is about two orders larger than that caused by gravitational radiation, it can be plausibly interpreted by magnetic braking of the fully convective component, which is driving this binary to evolve into a normal cataclysmic variable.« less

The LEECH Exoplanet Imaging Survey: Characterization of the Coldest Directly Imaged Exoplanet, GJ 504 b, and Evidence for Superstellar Metallicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skemer, Andrew J.; Morley, Caroline V.; Zimmerman, Neil T.; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Leisenring, Jarron; Buenzli, Esther; Bonnefoy, Mickael; Bailey, Vanessa; Hinz, Philip; Defrére, Denis; Esposito, Simone; Apai, Dániel; Biller, Beth; Brandner, Wolfgang; Close, Laird; Crepp, Justin R.; De Rosa, Robert J.; Desidera, Silvano; Eisner, Josh; Fortney, Jonathan; Freedman, Richard; Henning, Thomas; Hofmann, Karl-Heinz; Kopytova, Taisiya; Lupu, Roxana; Maire, Anne-Lise; Males, Jared R.; Marley, Mark; Morzinski, Katie; Oza, Apurva; Patience, Jenny; Rajan, Abhijith; Rieke, George; Schertl, Dieter; Schlieder, Joshua; Stone, Jordan; Su, Kate; Vaz, Amali; Visscher, Channon; Ward-Duong, Kimberly; Weigelt, Gerd; Woodward, Charles E.

2016-02-01

As gas giant planets and brown dwarfs radiate away the residual heat from their formation, they cool through a spectral type transition from L to T, which encompasses the dissipation of cloud opacity and the appearance of strong methane absorption. While there are hundreds of known T-type brown dwarfs, the first generation of directly imaged exoplanets were all L type. Recently, Kuzuhara et al. announced the discovery of GJ 504 b, the first T dwarf exoplanet. GJ 504 b provides a unique opportunity to study the atmosphere of a new type of exoplanet with a ˜500 K temperature that bridges the gap between the first directly imaged planets (˜1000 K) and our own solar system's Jupiter (˜130 K). We observed GJ 504 b in three narrow L-band filters (3.71, 3.88, and 4.00 μm), spanning the red end of the broad methane fundamental absorption feature (3.3 μm) as part of the LBTI Exozodi Exoplanet Common Hunt (LEECH) exoplanet imaging survey. By comparing our new photometry and literature photometry with a grid of custom model atmospheres, we were able to fit GJ 504 b's unusual spectral energy distribution for the first time. We find that GJ 504 b is well fit by models with the following parameters: Teff = 544 ± 10 K, g < 600 m s-2, [M/H] = 0.60 ± 0.12, cloud opacity parameter of fsed = 2-5, R = 0.96 ± 0.07 RJup, and log(L) = -6.13 ± 0.03 L⊙, implying a hot start mass of 3-30 Mjup for a conservative age range of 0.1-6.5 Gyr. Of particular interest, our model fits suggest that GJ 504 b has a superstellar metallicity. Since planet formation can create objects with nonstellar metallicities, while binary star formation cannot, this result suggests that GJ 504 b formed like a planet, not like a binary companion. The LBT is an international collaboration among institutions in the United States, Italy, and Germany. LBT Corporation partners are the University of Arizona on behalf of the Arizona university system; Istituto Nazionale di Astrophisica, Italy; LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft, Germany, representing the Max-Planck Society, the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam, and Heidelberg University; The Ohio State University, and the Research Corporation, on behalf of the University of Notre Dame, University of Minnesota, and University of Virginia.

AN M DWARF COMPANION TO AN F-TYPE STAR IN A YOUNG MAIN-SEQUENCE BINARY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eigmüller, Ph.; Csizmadia, Sz.; Erikson, A.

2016-03-15

Only a few well characterized very low-mass M dwarfs are known today. Our understanding of M dwarfs is vital as these are the most common stars in our solar neighborhood. We aim to characterize the properties of a rare F+dM stellar system for a better understanding of the low-mass end of the Hertzsprung–Russel diagram. We used photometric light curves and radial velocity follow-up measurements to study the binary. Spectroscopic analysis was used in combination with isochrone fitting to characterize the primary star. The primary star is an early F-type main-sequence star with a mass of (1.493 ± 0.073) M{sub ⊙}more » and a radius of (1.474 ± 0.040) R{sub ⊙}. The companion is an M dwarf with a mass of (0.188 ± 0.014) M{sub ⊙} and a radius of (0.234 ± 0.009) R{sub ⊙}. The orbital period is (1.35121 ± 0.00001) days. The secondary star is among the lowest-mass M dwarfs known to date. The binary has not reached a 1:1 spin–orbit synchronization. This indicates a young main-sequence binary with an age below ∼250 Myr. The mass–radius relation of both components are in agreement with this finding.« less

Discovery of a Visual T-dwarf Triple System and Binarity at the L/T Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radigan, Jacqueline; Jayawardhana, Ray; Lafrenière, David; Dupuy, Trent J.; Liu, Michael C.; Scholz, Alexander

2013-11-01

We present new high contrast imaging of eight L/T transition brown dwarfs (BDs) using the NIRC2 camera on the Keck II telescope. One of our targets, the T3.5 dwarf 2MASS J08381155+1511155, was resolved into a hierarchal triple with projected separations of 2.5 ± 0.5 AU and 27 ± 5 AU for the BC and A(BC) components, respectively. Resolved OSIRIS spectroscopy of the A(BC) components confirms that all system members are T dwarfs. The system therefore constitutes the first triple T-dwarf system ever reported. Using resolved photometry to model the integrated-light spectrum, we infer spectral types of T3 ± 1, T3 ± 1, and T4.5 ± 1 for the A, B, and C components, respectively. The uniformly brighter primary has a bluer J - Ks color than the next faintest component, which may reflect a sensitive dependence of the L/T transition temperature on gravity, or alternatively divergent cloud properties among components. Relying on empirical trends and evolutionary models we infer a total system mass of 0.034-0.104 M ⊙ for the BC components at ages of 0.3-3 Gyr, which would imply a period of 12-21 yr assuming the system semimajor axis to be similar to its projection. We also infer differences in effective temperatures and surface gravities between components of no more than ~150 K and ~0.1 dex. Given the similar physical properties of the components, the 2M0838+15 system provides a controlled sample for constraining the relative roles of effective temperature, surface gravity, and dust clouds in the poorly understood L/T transition regime. For an age of 3 Gyr we estimate a binding energy of ~20 × 1041 erg for the wide A(BC) pair, which falls above the empirical minimum found for typical BD binaries, and suggests that the system may have been able to survive a dynamical ejection during formation. Combining our imaging survey results with previous work we find an observed binary fraction of 4/18 or 22_{-8}^{+10}% for unresolved spectral types of L9-T4 at separations >~ 0.''1. This translates into a volume-corrected frequency of 13^{+7}_{-6}%, which is similar to values of ~9%-12% reported outside the transition. Our reported L/T transition binary fraction is roughly twice as large as the binary fraction of an equivalent L9-T4 sample selected from primary rather than unresolved spectral types (6^{+6}_{-4}%); however, this increase is not yet statistically significant and a larger sample is required to settle the issue. The data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Brown Adipose Tissue Function Is Enhanced in Long-Lived, Male Ames Dwarf Mice

PubMed Central

McFadden, Samuel; Fang, Yimin; Huber, Joshua A.; Zhang, Chi; Sun, Liou Y.; Bartke, Andrzej

2016-01-01

Ames dwarf mice (Prop1df/df) are long-lived due to a loss of function mutation, resulting in deficiency of GH, TSH, and prolactin. Along with a marked extension of longevity, Ames dwarf mice have improved energy metabolism as measured by an increase in their oxygen consumption and heat production, as well as a decrease in their respiratory quotient. Along with alterations in energy metabolism, Ames dwarf mice have a lower core body temperature. Moreover, Ames dwarf mice have functionally altered epididymal white adipose tissue (WAT) that improves, rather than impairs, their insulin sensitivity due to a shift from pro- to anti-inflammatory cytokine secretion. Given the unique phenotype of Ames dwarf epididymal WAT, their improved energy metabolism, and lower core body temperature, we hypothesized that Ames dwarf brown adipose tissue (BAT) may function differently from that of their normal littermates. Here we use histology and RT-PCR to demonstrate that Ames dwarf mice have enhanced BAT function. We also use interscapular BAT removal to demonstrate that BAT is necessary for Ames dwarf energy metabolism and thermogenesis, whereas it is less important for their normal littermates. Furthermore, we show that Ames dwarf mice are able to compensate for loss of interscapular BAT by using their WAT depots as an energy source. These findings demonstrate enhanced BAT function in animals with GH and thyroid hormone deficiencies, chronic reduction of body temperature, and remarkably extended longevity. PMID:27740871

Forming isolated brown dwarfs by turbulent fragmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lomax, O.; Whitworth, A. P.; Hubber, D. A.

2016-05-01

We use Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics to explore the circumstances under which an isolated very low mass pre-stellar core can be formed by colliding turbulent flows and collapse to form a brown dwarf. Our simulations suggest that the flows need not be very fast, but do need to be very strongly convergent, I.e. the gas must flow in at comparable speeds from all sides, which seems rather unlikely. We therefore revisit the object Oph-B11, which André et al. have identified as a pre-stellar core with mass between ˜0.020 M⊙ and ˜0.030 M⊙. We re-analyse the observations using a Markov-chain Monte Carlo method that allows us (I) to include the uncertainties on the distance, temperature and dust mass opacity, and (II) to consider different Bayesian prior distributions of the mass. We estimate that the posterior probability that Oph-B11 has a mass below the hydrogen-burning limit at ˜0.075 M⊙, is between 0.66 and 0.86 . We conclude that, if Oph-B11 is destined to collapse, it probably will form a brown dwarf. However, the flows required to trigger this appear to be so contrived that it is difficult to envisage this being the only way, or even a major way, of forming isolated brown dwarfs. Moreover, Oph-B11 could easily be a transient, bouncing, prolate core, seen end-on; there could, indeed should, be many such objects masquerading as very low mass pre-stellar cores.

Discovery of the Y1 Dwarf WISE J064723.23-623235.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Cushing, Michael C.; Gelino, Christopher R.; Beichman, Charles A.; Tinney, C. G.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Schneider, Adam; Mace, Gregory N.

2013-10-01

We present the discovery of a very cold, very low mass, nearby brown dwarf using data from the NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The object, WISE J064723.23-623235.5, has a very red WISE color of W1-W2 > 3.77 mag and a very red Spitzer Space Telescope color of ch1-ch2 = 2.82 ± 0.09 mag. In J MKO -ch2 color (7.58 ± 0.27 mag) it is one of the two or three reddest brown dwarfs known. Our grism spectrum from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) confirms it to be the seventeenth Y dwarf discovered, and its spectral type of Y1 ± 0.5 makes it one of the four latest-type Y dwarfs classified. Astrometric imaging from Spitzer and HST, combined with data from WISE, provides a preliminary parallax of π = 115 ± 12 mas (d = 8.7 ± 0.9 pc) and proper motion of μ = 387 ± 25 mas yr-1 based on 2.5 yr of monitoring. The spectrum implies a blue J-H color, for which model atmosphere calculations suggest a relatively low surface gravity. The best fit to these models indicates an effective temperature of 350-400 K and a mass of ~5-30 M Jup. Kinematic analysis hints that this object may belong to the Columba moving group, which would support an age of ~30 Myr and thus an even lower mass of <2 M Jup, but verification would require a radial velocity measurement not currently possible for a J = 22.7 mag brown dwarf.

Models of very-low-mass stars, brown dwarfs and exoplanets.

PubMed

Allard, F; Homeier, D; Freytag, B

2012-06-13

Within the next few years, GAIA and several instruments aiming to image extrasolar planets will be ready. In parallel, low-mass planets are being sought around red dwarfs, which offer more favourable conditions, for both radial velocity detection and transit studies, than solar-type stars. In this paper, the authors of a model atmosphere code that has allowed the detection of water vapour in the atmosphere of hot Jupiters review recent advances in modelling the stellar to substellar transition. The revised solar oxygen abundances and cloud model allow the photometric and spectroscopic properties of this transition to be reproduced for the first time. Also presented are highlight results of a model atmosphere grid for stars, brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets.

Discovery of the Closest Hot Subdwarf Binary with White Dwarf Companion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geier, S.; Marsh, T. R.; Dunlap, B. H.; Barlow, B. N.; Schaffenroth, V.; Ziegerer, E.; Heber, U.; Kupfer, T.; Maxted, P. F. L.; Miszalski, B.; Shporer, A.; Telting, J. H.; Ostensen, R. H.; O'Toole, S. J.; Gänsicke, B. T.; Napiwotzki, R.

2013-01-01

We report the discovery of an extremely close, eclipsing binary system. A white dwarf is orbited by a core He-burning compact hot subdwarf star with a period as short as ≃ 0.04987 d making this system the most compact hot subdwarf binary discovered so far. The subdwarf will start to transfer helium-rich material on short timescales of less than 50 Myr. The ignition of He-burning at the surface may trigger carbon-burning in the core although the WD is less massive than the Chandrasekhar limit (> 0.74 M⊙) making this binary a possible progenitor candidate for a supernova type Ia event.

Discovery of a Detached, Eclipsing 40 Minute Period Double White Dwarf Binary and a Friend: Implications for He+CO White Dwarf Mergers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, Warren R.; Kilic, Mukremin; Kosakowski, Alekzander

We report the discovery of two detached double white dwarf (WD) binaries, SDSS J082239.546+304857.19 and SDSS J104336.275+055149.90, with orbital periods of 40 and 46 minutes, respectively. The 40 minute system is eclipsing; it is composed of a 0.30 M {sub ⊙} and a 0.52 M {sub ⊙} WD. The 46 minute system is a likely LISA verification binary. The short 20 ± 2 Myr and ∼34 Myr gravitational-wave merger times of the two binaries imply that many more such systems have formed and merged over the age of the Milky Way. We update the estimated Milky Way He+CO WD binarymore » merger rate and affirm our previously published result: He+CO WD binaries merge at a rate at least 40 times greater than the formation rate of stable mass-transfer AM CVn binaries, and so the majority must have unstable mass-transfer. The implication is that spin–orbit coupling in He+CO WD mergers is weak, or perhaps nova-like outbursts drive He+CO WDs into merger, as proposed by Shen.« less

The white dwarf binary pathways survey - II. Radial velocities of 1453 FGK stars with white dwarf companions from LAMOST DR 4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rebassa-Mansergas, A.; Ren, J. J.; Irawati, P.; García-Berro, E.; Parsons, S. G.; Schreiber, M. R.; Gänsicke, B. T.; Rodríguez-Gil, P.; Liu, X.; Manser, C.; Nevado, S. P.; Jiménez-Ibarra, F.; Costero, R.; Echevarría, J.; Michel, R.; Zorotovic, M.; Hollands, M.; Han, Z.; Luo, A.; Villaver, E.; Kong, X.

2017-12-01

We present the second paper of a series of publications aiming at obtaining a better understanding regarding the nature of type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) progenitors by studying a large sample of detached F, G and K main-sequence stars in close orbits with white dwarf companions (i.e. WD+FGK binaries). We employ the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) data release 4 spectroscopic data base together with Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) ultraviolet fluxes to identify 1549 WD+FGK binary candidates (1057 of which are new), thus doubling the number of known sources. We measure the radial velocities of 1453 of these binaries from the available LAMOST spectra and/or from spectra obtained by us at a wide variety of different telescopes around the globe. The analysis of the radial velocity data allows us to identify 24 systems displaying more than 3σ radial velocity variation that we classify as close binaries. We also discuss the fraction of close binaries among WD+FGK systems, which we find to be ∼10 per cent, and demonstrate that high-resolution spectroscopy is required to efficiently identify double-degenerate SN Ia progenitor candidates.

Can comet clouds around neutron stars explain gamma-ray bursts?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tremaine, S.; Zytkow, A. N.

1986-01-01

The proposal of Harwit and Salpeter (1973) that gamma-ray bursts are due to impacts of comets onto neutron stars is examined further. It is assumed that most stars are formed with comet clouds similar to the Oort comet cloud which surrounds the sun, and it is suggested that there are at least four mechanisms by wich neutron stars may be formed while retaining their comet clouds: a spherically symmetric supernova explosion in an isolated star, accretion-induced collapse of a white dwarf in a cataclysmic variable with a very low mass secondary, accretion-induced collapse of a white dwarf in a wide binary with a low-mass giant companion, and coalescence of a close binary composed of two white dwarfs. Estimates are given of the cometary impact rates for such systems. It is suggested that if the wide binary scenario is correct, optical bursts may arise from the impact of comets onto the white dwarf remnant of the giant companion.

Surface Inhomogeneities of the White Dwarf in the Binary EUVE J2013+400

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vennes, Stephane

We propose to study the white dwarf in the binary EUVE J2013+400. The object is paired with a dMe star and new extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations will offer critical insights into the properties of the white dwarf. The binary behaves, in every other aspects, like its siblings EUVE J0720-317 and EUVE J1016-053 and new EUV observations will help establish their class properties; in particular, EUV photometric variations in 0720-317 and 1016-053 over a period of 11 hours and 57 minutes, respectively, are indicative of surface abundance inhomogeneities coupled with the white dwarfs rotation period. These variations and their large photospheric helium abundance are best explained by a diffusion-accretion model in which time-variable accretion and possible coupling to magnetic poles contribute to abundance variations across the surface and possibly as a function of depth. EUV spectroscopy will also enable a study of the helium abundance as a function of depth and a detailed comparison with theoretical diffusion profile.

Detection of a white dwarf companion to the Hyades stars HD 27483

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boehm-Vitense, Erika

1993-01-01

We observed with IUE a white dwarf (WD) companion to the Hyades F6 V binary stars HD 27483. This system is known to be a close binary of two nearly equal stars with an orbital period of 3.05 days. Our IUE observations revealed the presence of a third star, a white dwarf with an effective temperature of 23,000 +/- 1000 K and a mass of approximately 0.6 solar mass. Its presence in the Hyades cluster with a known age permits me to derive the mass of its progenitor, which must have been about 2.3 solar masses. The presence of the white dwarf in a binary system opens the possibility that some of the envelope material, which was expelled by the WD progenitor, may have been collected by the F6 stars. We may thus be able to study abundance anomalies of the WD progenitor with known mass on the surface of the F6 companions.

A spectroscopic binary in the Hercules dwarf spheroidal galaxy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koch, Andreas; Hansen, Terese; Feltzing, Sofia

2014-01-01

We present the radial velocity curve of a single-lined spectroscopic binary in the faint Hercules dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy, based on 34 individual spectra covering more than 2 yr of observations. This is the first time that orbital elements could be derived for a binary in a dSph. The system consists of a metal-poor red giant and a low-mass companion, possibly a white dwarf, with a 135 day period in a moderately eccentric (e = 0.18) orbit. Its period and eccentricity are fully consistent with metal-poor binaries in the Galactic halo, while the projected semimajor axis is small, at a{submore » p} sin i = 38 R {sub ☉}. In fact, a very close orbit could inhibit the production of heavier elements through s-process nucleosynthesis, leading to the very low abundances of neutron-capture elements that are found in this star. We discuss the further implications for the chemical enrichment history of the Hercules dSph, but find no compelling binary scenario that could reasonably explain the full, peculiar abundance pattern of the Hercules dSph galaxy.« less

Extreme close approaches in hierarchical triple systems with comparable masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haim, Niv; Katz, Boaz

2018-06-01

We study close approaches in hierarchical triple systems with comparable masses using full N-body simulations, motivated by a recent model for type Ia supernovae involving direct collisions of white dwarfs (WDs). For stable hierarchical systems where the inner binary components have equal masses, we show that the ability of the inner binary to achieve very close approaches, where the separation between the components of the inner binary reaches values which are orders of magnitude smaller than the semi-major axis, can be analytically predicted from initial conditions. The rate of close approaches is found to be roughly linear with the mass of the tertiary. The rate increases in systems with unequal inner binaries by a marginal factor of ≲ 2 for mass ratios 0.5 ≤ m1/m2 ≤ 1 relevant for the inner white-dwarf binaries. For an average tertiary mass of ˜0.3M⊙ which is representative of typical M-dwarfs, the chance for clean collisions is ˜1% setting challenging constraints on the collisional model for type Ia's.

IUE spectra of the eclipsing binary NN Serpentis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, Janet H.; Marsh, Thomas R.

1991-01-01

Low-resolution SWP and LWP IUE spectra are used to fit the temperature and angular radius of the white dwarf in the detached eclipsing binary NN Ser. It is found that the redenning to the system has E(B-V) of 0.05 +/-0.05, the white dwarf temperature is 60,000 +/-10,000 K, and the age of the white dwarf is less than 10 exp 7. The shape of eclipse and the K-magnitude of the secondary star are used to constrain the inclination of the binary and the masses and radii of the two stars. The size of the secondary star relative to its Roche lobe and the age of the white dwarf indicate that mass transfer has not yet occurred and that the system is a precataclysmic variable rather than a cataclysmic variable which has entered the period gap. Fitting the observed magnitude of the sinusoidal modulation with a reprocessing model shows that only when i is approximately equal to 90 deg is the required temperature of the secondary star consistent with these results. For this solution the white dwarf temperature is also consistent with those obtained from the IUE spectra.

Discovery of Strong EUV-induced Balmer Emission in the New WD+dM Binary EUVE J2013+40.0 (RE 2013+400)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorstensen, J. R.; Vennes, S.

1993-12-01

The binary system EUVE J2013+40.0 (= RE 2013+400) was discovered in the EUV-selected sample of white dwarfs identified in the course of the ROSAT Wide Field Camera (WFC) all-sky survey (Pounds et al. 1993, MNRAS, 260, 77). The intense extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission from the hot white dwarf (DAO type) was also detected in the course of the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) all-sky survey (Bowyer et al. 1993, ApJ, submitted), and the subsequent optical identification campaign suggested the association of EUVE J2013+40.0 with the Feige 24 class of binary systems (see Vennes & Thorstensen, these proceedings). Such systems consist of a hot H-rich white dwarf (DA/DAO) and a red dwarf companion (dM) and are characterized by strong, narrow, variable Balmer emission. We obtained spectroscopy with 4 Angstroms resolution at the Michigan-Dartmouth-MIT Hiltner 2.4 m, covering the Hα and Hβ range. The Hα emission line velocity and equivalent widths varied with a period of 0.708 +/- 0.003 d; the velocity semiamplitude is 89 +/- 3 km s(-1) . The emission equivalent width reaches maximum strength 0.251 +/- 0.007 cycle after maximum emission-line velocity, that is, when the emission source reaches superior conjunction. This is just as expected if the emission arises from reprocessing of the EUV radiation incident upon the face of the dM star facing the white dwarf, as proposed for Feige 24 by Thorstensen et al. (1978, ApJ, 223, 260). EUVE J2013+40.0 is one of a handful of WD+dM binary systems in which the illumination effect is observed with unambiguous clarity. By comparing Feige 24 and EUVE J2013+40.0, and modelling the white dwarf EUV emission and red dwarf Balmer emission, we constrain the orbital inclinations. Additional spectroscopy of EUVE J2013+40.0 is being scheduled to determine the component masses. These are important input data for the study of the close binary systems which arise from common envelope evolution. This work is supported by a forthcoming NASA Guest Observer grant.

The Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 Citizen Science Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Kuchner, Marc; Schneider, Adam; Meisner, Aaron; Gagné, Jonathan; Filippazzo, Joeseph; Trouille, Laura; Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 Collaboration; Jacqueline Faherty

2018-01-01

In February of 2017 our team launched a new citizen science project entitled Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 to scan the cosmos for fast moving stars, brown dwarfs, and even planets. This Zooniverse website, BackyardWorlds.org, invites anyone with a computer or smartphone to flip through WISE images taken over a several year baseline and mark any point source that appears to move. This “blinking technique” is the same that Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto with over 80 years ago. In the first few days of our program we recruited over 30,000 volunteers. After 3/4 of a year with the program we have completed 30% of the sky and our participants have identified several hundred candidate movers. These include (1) over 20 candidate Y-type brown dwarfs, (2) a handful of new co-moving systems containing a previously unidentified low mass object and a known nearby star, (3) over 100 previously missed M dwarfs, (4) and more than 200 candidate L and T brown dwarfs, many of which occupy outlier positions on reduced proper motion diagrams. Our first publication credited four citizen scientists as co-authors. The Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project is both scientifically fruitful and empowering for any mind across the globe that has ever wanted to participate in a discovery-driven astronomy research project.

The First Simultaneous Microlensing Observations by Two Space Telescopes: Spitzer and Swift Reveal a Brown Dwarf in Event OGLE-2015-BLG-1319

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shvartzvald, Y.; Li, Z.; Udalski, A.; Gould, A.; Sumi, T.; Street, R. A.; Calchi Novati, S.; Hundertmark, M.; Bozza, V.; Beichman, C.;

An Extremely Red and Two Other Nearby L Dwarf Candidates Previously Overlooked in 2MASS, WISE, and Other Surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholz, Ralf-Dieter; Bell, Cameron P. M.

2018-02-01

We present three new nearby L dwarf candidates, found in a continued combined color/proper motion search using WISE, 2MASS, and other survey data, where we included extended WISE sources and looked closer to the Galactic plane region. Their spectral types and distances were estimated from photometric comparisons to well-known L dwarfs with trigonometric parallaxes. The first object, 2MASS J07555430-3259589, is an extremely red L7.5p dwarf candidate at a photometric distance of about 16 pc. Its position, proper motion and distance are consistent with membership in the Carina-Near young moving group. The second one, 2MASS J07414279-0506464, is resolved in Gaia DR1 as a close binary (separation 0.3 arcsec), and we classify it as a equal-mass binary candidate consisting of two L5 dwarfs at 19 pc. Our nearest new neighbor, 2MASS J19251275+0700362, is an L7 dwarf candidate at 10 pc.

Surface Gravities for 228 M, L, and T Dwarfs in the NIRSPEC Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martin, Emily C.; Mace, Gregory N.; McLean, Ian S.

2017-03-20

We combine 131 new medium-resolution ( R ∼ 2000) J -band spectra of M, L, and T dwarfs from the Keck NIRSPEC Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey (BDSS) with 97 previously published BDSS spectra to study surface-gravity-sensitive indices for 228 low-mass stars and brown dwarfs spanning spectral types M5–T9. Specifically, we use an established set of spectral indices to determine surface gravity classifications for all of the M6–L7 objects in our sample by measuring the equivalent widths (EW) of the K i lines at 1.1692, 1.1778, and 1.2529 μ m, and the 1.2 μ m FeH{sub J} absorption index. Our resultsmore » are consistent with previous surface gravity measurements, showing a distinct double peak—at ∼L5 and T5—in K i EW as a function of spectral type. We analyze the K i EWs of 73 objects of known ages and find a linear trend between log(Age) and EW. From this relationship, we assign age ranges to the very low gravity, intermediate gravity, and field gravity designations for spectral types M6–L0. Interestingly, the ages probed by these designations remain broad, change with spectral type, and depend on the gravity-sensitive index used. Gravity designations are useful indicators of the possibility of youth, but current data sets cannot be used to provide a precise age estimate.« less

Chandra Captures Flare From Brown Dwarf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2000-07-01

The first flare ever seen from a brown dwarf, or failed star, was detected by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The bright X-ray flare has implications for understanding the explosive activity and origin of magnetic fields of extremely low mass stars. Chandra detected no X-rays at all from LP 944-20 for the first nine hours of a twelve hour observation, then the source flared dramatically before it faded away over the next two hours. "We were shocked," said Dr. Robert Rutledge of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, the lead author on the discovery paper to appear in the July 20 issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters. "We didn't expect to see flaring from such a lightweight object. This is really the 'mouse that roared.'" Chandra LP 944-20 X-ray Image Press Image and Caption The energy emitted in the brown dwarf flare was comparable to a small solar flare, and was a billion times greater than observed X-ray flares from Jupiter. The flaring energy is believed to come from a twisted magnetic field. "This is the strongest evidence yet that brown dwarfs and possibly young giant planets have magnetic fields, and that a large amount of energy can be released in a flare," said Dr. Eduardo Martin, also of Caltech and a member of the team. Professor Gibor Basri of the University of California, Berkeley, the principal investigator for this observation, speculated that the flare "could have its origin in the turbulent magnetized hot material beneath the surface of the brown dwarf. A sub-surface flare could heat the atmosphere, allowing currents to flow and give rise to the X-ray flare -- like a stroke of lightning." LP 944-20 is about 500 million years old and has a mass that is about 60 times that of Jupiter, or 6 percent that of the Sun. Its diameter is about one-tenth that of the Sun and it has a rotation period of less than five hours. Located in the constellation Fornax in the southern skies, LP 944-20 is one of the best studied brown dwarfs because it is only 16 light years from Earth. The absence of X-rays from LP 944-20 during the non-flaring period is in itself a significant result. It sets the lowest limit on steady X-ray power produced by a brown dwarf, and shows that the million degree Celsius upper atmospheres, or coronas, cease to exist as the surface temperature of a brown dwarf cools below about 2500 degrees Celsius. "This is an important confirmation of the trend that hot gas in the atmospheres of lower mass stars is produced only in flares," said Professor Lars Bildsten of the University of California, Santa Barbara, also a member of the team. Brown dwarfs have too little mass to sustain significant nuclear reactions in their cores. Their primary source of energy is the release of gravitational energy as they slowly contract. They are very dim ­ less than a tenth of a percent as luminous as the Sun -- and of great interest to astronomers because they are poorly understood and probably a very common class of objects that are intermediate between normal stars and giant planets. The 12-hour observation of LP 944-20 was made on December 15, 1999, using the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS). The ACIS instrument was built for NASA by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, and Pennsylvania State University, University Park. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the Chandra program. TRW, Inc., Redondo Beach, Calif., is the prime contractor for the spacecraft. The Smithsonian's Chandra X-ray Center controls science and flight operations from Cambridge, Mass. Images associated with this release are available on the World Wide Web at: http://chandra.harvard.edu AND http://chandra.nasa.gov High resolution digital versions of the X-ray image (JPG, 300 dpi TIFF) are available at the Internet sites listed above.

Component masses of young, wide, non-magnetic white dwarf binaries in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baxter, R. B.; Dobbie, P. D.; Parker, Q. A.; Casewell, S. L.; Lodieu, N.; Burleigh, M. R.; Lawrie, K. A.; Külebi, B.; Koester, D.; Holland, B. R.

2014-06-01

We present a spectroscopic component analysis of 18 candidate young, wide, non-magnetic, double-degenerate binaries identified from a search of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (DR7). All but two pairings are likely to be physical systems. We show SDSS J084952.47+471247.7 + SDSS J084952.87+471249.4 to be a wide DA + DB binary, only the second identified to date. Combining our measurements for the components of 16 new binaries with results for three similar, previously known systems within the DR7, we have constructed a mass distribution for the largest sample to date (38) of white dwarfs in young, wide, non-magnetic, double-degenerate pairings. This is broadly similar in form to that of the isolated field population with a substantial peak around M ˜ 0.6 M⊙. We identify an excess of ultramassive white dwarfs and attribute this to the primordial separation distribution of their progenitor systems peaking at relatively larger values and the greater expansion of their binary orbits during the final stages of stellar evolution. We exploit this mass distribution to probe the origins of unusual types of degenerates, confirming a mild preference for the progenitor systems of high-field-magnetic white dwarfs, at least within these binaries, to be associated with early-type stars. Additionally, we consider the 19 systems in the context of the stellar initial mass-final mass relation. None appear to be strongly discordant with current understanding of this relationship.

KIC 7177553: A QUADRUPLE SYSTEM OF TWO CLOSE BINARIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lehmann, H.; Borkovits, T.; Rappaport, S. A.

2016-03-01

KIC 7177553 was observed by the Kepler satellite to be an eclipsing eccentric binary star system with an 18-day orbital period. Recently, an eclipse timing study of the Kepler binaries has revealed eclipse timing variations (ETVs) in this object with an amplitude of ∼100 s and an outer period of 529 days. The implied mass of the third body is that of a super-Jupiter, but below the mass of a brown dwarf. We therefore embarked on a radial velocity (RV) study of this binary to determine its system configuration and to check the hypothesis that it hosts a giant planet. Frommore » the RV measurements, it became immediately obvious that the same Kepler target contains another eccentric binary, this one with a 16.5-day orbital period. Direct imaging using adaptive optics reveals that the two binaries are separated by 0.″4 (∼167 AU) and have nearly the same magnitude (to within 2%). The close angular proximity of the two binaries and very similar γ velocities strongly suggest that KIC 7177553 is one of the rare SB4 systems consisting of two eccentric binaries where at least one system is eclipsing. Both systems consist of slowly rotating, nonevolved, solar-like stars of comparable masses. From the orbital separation and the small difference in γ velocity, we infer that the period of the outer orbit most likely lies in the range of 1000–3000 yr. New images taken over the next few years, as well as the high-precision astrometry of the Gaia satellite mission, will allow us to set much narrower constraints on the system geometry. Finally, we note that the observed ETVs in the Kepler data cannot be produced by the second binary. Further spectroscopic observations on a longer timescale will be required to prove the existence of the massive planet.« less

Testing Common Envelopes on Double White Dwarf Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nandez, Jose L. A.; Ivanova, Natalia; Lombardi, James C., Jr.

2015-06-01

The formation of a double white dwarf binary likely involves a common envelope (CE) event between a red giant and a white dwarf (WD) during the most recent episode of Roche lobe overflow mass transfer. We study the role of recombination energy with hydrodynamic simulations of such stellar interactions. We find that the recombination energy helps to expel the common envelope entirely, while if recombination energy is not taken into account, a significant fraction of the common envelope remains bound. We apply our numerical methods to constrain the progenitor system for WD 1101+364 - a double WD binary that has well-measured mass ratio of q=0.87±0.03 and an orbital period of 0.145 days. Our best-fit progenitor for the pre-common envelope donor is a 1.5 ⊙ red giant.

V and K-band Mass-Luminosity Relations for M Dwarf Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benedict, George Frederick; Henry, Todd J.; McArthur, Barbara E.; Franz, Otto; Wasserman, Larry H.; Dieterich, Sergio

2015-08-01

Applying Hubble Space Telescope Fine Guidance Sensor astrometric techniques developed to establish relative orbits for binary stars (Franz et al. 1998, AJ, 116, 1432), determine masses of binary components (Benedict et al. 2001, AJ, 121, 1607), and measure companion masses of exoplanet host stars (McArthur et al. 2010, ApJ, 715, 1203), we derive masses with an average 2% error for 28 components of 14 M dwarf binary star systems. With these and other published masses we update the lower Main Sequence V-band Mass-Luminosity Relation first shown in Henry et al. 1999, ApJ, 512, 864. We demonstrate that a Mass-Luminosity Relation in the K-band has far less scatter. These relations can be used to estimate the masses of the ubiquitous red dwarfs (75% of all stars) to an accuracy of better than 5%.

Studies of the Coldest Brown Dwarfs With The James Webb Space Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roellig, Thomas L.; Greene, Thomas P.; Beichman, Charles; Meyer, Michael; Rieke, Marcia

2016-07-01

The coolest T and Y-class Brown Dwarf objects are very faint and are therefore very poorly understood, since they are barely detectable with the current astronomical instrumentation. The upcoming James Webb Space Telescope now in development for a launch in the Fall of 2018 will have vastly increased sensitivity in the near and mid-infrared compared to any current facilities and will not be affected by telluric absorption over its entire wavelength range of operations. As a result it will be an ideal tool to obtain information about the composition and temperature-pressure structure in these objects' atmospheres. This presentation outlines the JWST guaranteed time observing plans for these studies. These plans comprise both spectro-photometric and spectroscopic observations of a selection of late T and Y-dwarf targets.

The Low Mass IMF in Young Open Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Douglas M.

1995-01-01

We present the results of the investigation of the Initial Mass Function at the end of the Main Sequence in young open clusters. We find that over a large range in age and environment the IMFs are similar to each other, and to recent determinations of the field star IMF. We have obtained V, I, and K band photometry of fields in the three relatively unembedded open clusters. The photometry reaches down to various masses in each cluster: 0.08{cal M}_⊙ for Praesepe, 0.04{cal M}odot for the Pleiades, and 0.15{cal M}_⊙ for NGC 7160. We compare the methods for estimating the masses of young, embedded stars developed by Comeron et al. (1993 - CRBR) and by Strom, Kepner, & Strom (1995) and show them to be in good agreement. Spectra in the 2 mu m region of six low mass objects from CRBR are also in agreement with the mass estimates using these methods. The spectrum of a brown dwarf candidate is used to place an upper limit on its mass of 60% of the minimum required for hydrogen burning. The IMFs from these four clusters plus NGC 2024 are shown to be in agreement with each other. The composite MF can be fitted with a power law between 0.04 and 0.5 {cal M}_⊙ with a slope of -0.75 +/- 0.3. There is no evidence for a cutoff at the bottom of the main sequence (0.08{cal M}odot); brown dwarfs appear to be abundant in open clusters. However, the slope of the MF is well above the value of _sp {~}<-2 required for very low mass stars and brown dwarfs to contribute a significant portion of the mass of open clusters. The composite cluster MF also is in agreement with recent determinations of the field star IMF for stellar masses. The field star data do not extend into the brown dwarf range; however, if we extrapolate in accordance with the cluster MF, we conclude that brown dwarfs probably do not contribute significantly to the dark matter.

Multi-band Emission Light Curves of Jupiter: Insights on Brown Dwarfs and Directly Imaged Exoplanets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xi; Ge, Huazhi; Orton, Glenn S.; Fletcher, Leigh N.; Sinclair, James; Fernandes, Joshua; Momary, Thomas W.; Kasaba, Yasumasa; Sato, Takao M.; Fujiyoshi, Takuya

2016-10-01

Many brown dwarfs exhibit significant infrared flux variability (e.g., Artigau et al. 2009, ApJ, 701, 1534; Radigan et al. 2012, ApJ, 750, 105), ranging from several to twenty percent of the brightness. Current hypotheses include temperature variations, cloud holes and patchiness, and cloud height and thickness variations (e.g., Apai et al. 2013, ApJ, 768, 121; Robinson and Marley 2014, ApJ, 785, 158; Zhang and Showman 2014, ApJ, 788, L6). Some brown dwarfs show phase shifts in the light curves among different wavelengths (e.g., Buenzli et al. 2012, ApJ, 760, L31; Yang et al. 2016, arXiv:1605.02708), indicating vertical variations of the cloud distribution. The current observational technique can barely detect the brightness changes on the surfaces of nearby brown dwarfs (Crossfield et al. 2014, Nature, 505, 654) let alone resolve detailed weather patterns that cause the flux variability. The infrared emission maps of Jupiter might shed light on this problem. Using COMICS at Subaru Telescope, VISIR at Very Large Telescope (VLT) and NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), we obtained infrared images of Jupiter over several nights at multiple wavelengths that are sensitive to several pressure levels from the stratosphere to the deep troposphere below the ammonia clouds. The rotational maps and emission light curves are constructed. The individual pixel brightness varies up to a hundred percent level and the variation of the full-disk brightness is around several percent. Both the shape and amplitude of the light curves are significantly distinct at different wavelengths. Variation of light curves at different epochs and phase shift among different wavelengths are observed. We will present principle component analysis to identify dominant emission features such as stable vortices, cloud holes and eddies in the belts and zones and strong emissions in the aurora region. A radiative transfer model is used to simulate those features to get a more quantitative understanding. This work provides rich insights on the relationship between observed light curves and weather on brown dwarfs and perhaps on directly imaged exoplanets in the future.

A New Stellar Outburst Associated with the Magnetic Activities of the K-type Dwarf in a White Dwarf Binary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qian, S.-B.; Han, Z.-T.; Zhang, B.

1SWASP J162117.36+441254.2 was originally classified as an EW-type binary with a period of 0.20785 days. However, it was detected to have undergone a stellar outburst on 2016 June 3. Although the system was later classified as a cataclysmic variable (CV) and the event was attributed as a dwarf nova outburst, the physical reason is still unknown. This binary has been monitored photometrically since 2016 April 19, and many light curves were obtained before, during, and after the outburst. Those light and color curves observed before the outburst indicate that the system is a special CV. The white dwarf is notmore » accreting material from the secondary and there are no accretion disks surrounding the white dwarf. By comparing the light curves obtained from 2016 April 19 to those from September 14, it was found that magnetic activity of the secondary is associated with the outburst. We show strong evidence that the L {sub 1} region on the secondary was heavily spotted before and after the outburst and thus quench the mass transfer, while the outburst is produced by a sudden mass accretion of the white dwarf. These results suggest that J162117 is a good astrophysical laboratory to study stellar magnetic activity and its influences on CV mass transfer and mass accretion.« less

A New Stellar Outburst Associated with the Magnetic Activities of the K-type Dwarf in a White Dwarf Binary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, S.-B.; Han, Z.-T.; Zhang, B.; Zejda, M.; Michel, R.; Zhu, L.-Y.; Zhao, E.-G.; Liao, W.-P.; Tian, X.-M.; Wang, Z.-H.

2017-10-01

1SWASP J162117.36+441254.2 was originally classified as an EW-type binary with a period of 0.20785 days. However, it was detected to have undergone a stellar outburst on 2016 June 3. Although the system was later classified as a cataclysmic variable (CV) and the event was attributed as a dwarf nova outburst, the physical reason is still unknown. This binary has been monitored photometrically since 2016 April 19, and many light curves were obtained before, during, and after the outburst. Those light and color curves observed before the outburst indicate that the system is a special CV. The white dwarf is not accreting material from the secondary and there are no accretion disks surrounding the white dwarf. By comparing the light curves obtained from 2016 April 19 to those from September 14, it was found that magnetic activity of the secondary is associated with the outburst. We show strong evidence that the L 1 region on the secondary was heavily spotted before and after the outburst and thus quench the mass transfer, while the outburst is produced by a sudden mass accretion of the white dwarf. These results suggest that J162117 is a good astrophysical laboratory to study stellar magnetic activity and its influences on CV mass transfer and mass accretion.

Multi-wavelength Observations of Accreting Compact Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez Santisteban, Juan Venancio

2016-11-01

The study of compact binaries invokes core astrophysical concepts ranging from stellar and sub-stellar atmospheres and interiors, stellar and binary evolution to physics of accretion. All of these systems are hosts to a compact object a white dwarf, neutron star or black hole ???? which produces a wide variety of exotic and energetic phenomena across the full electromagnetic spectrum. In this thesis, I will make use of multi-wavelength observations ranging from far-ultraviolet to nearinfrared in order to investigate two main topics: a) the late evolution of cataclysmic variables, and b) the accreting state of transitional millisecond pulsars. Firstly, I analyse the Very Large Telescope X-Shooter time-resolved spectroscopy of the short orbital period cataclysmic variable, SDSS J1433+1011, in Chapter 2. The wide wavelength coverage allowed me to perform a detailed characterisation of the system, as well as a direct mass measurement of the brown dwarf companion. I show that the donor in SDSS J1433+1011 successfully transitioned from the stellar to sub-stellar regime, as predicted by evolutionary models. Further light-curve modelling allowed me to show that a low albedo as well as a low heat circulation efficiency is present in the atmosphere of the sub-stellar donor. In Chapter 3, I analyse data from large synoptic surveys, such as SDSS and PTF, to search for the predicted population of dead cataclysmic variables. Following the non-detection of dead CVs, I was able to estimate the space density (?0 < 2?10????5 pc????3) of this hidden population via a Monte Carlo simulation of the Galactic CV population. In Chapter 4, I present Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038, during its latest accretion state. In combination with optical and near-infrared data, I show that a standard accretion disc does not reach the magnetosphere of the neutron star. Instead, the overall spectrum is consistent with a truncated disc at ? 2:3 ? 109 cm away from the compact object. Furthermore, the ultraviolet data shares remarkable similarities with the only accreting white dwarf in a propeller regime, AE Aqr. Finally, I summarise my results in Chapter 5 and provide future lines of research in accreting compact binaries based on this work.

Cloud Atlas: Rotational Modulations in the L/T Transition Brown Dwarf Companion HN Peg B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yifan; Apai, Dániel; Metchev, Stanimir; Lew, Ben W. P.; Schneider, Glenn; Marley, Mark S.; Karalidi, Theodora; Manjavacas, Elena; Bedin, Luigi R.; Cowan, Nicolas B.; Miles-Páez, Paulo A.; Lowrance, Patrick J.; Radigan, Jacqueline; Burgasser, Adam J.

2018-03-01

Time-resolved observations of brown dwarfs’ rotational modulations provide powerful insights into the properties of condensate clouds in ultra-cool atmospheres. Multi-wavelength light curves reveal cloud vertical structures, condensate particle sizes, and cloud morphology, which directly constrain condensate cloud and atmospheric circulation models. We report results from Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 near-infrared G141 taken in six consecutive orbits observations of HN Peg B, an L/T transition brown dwarf companion to a G0V type star. The best-fit sine wave to the 1.1–1.7 μm broadband light curve has an amplitude of 1.206% ± 0.025% and period of 15.4 ± 0.5 hr. The modulation amplitude has no detectable wavelength dependence except in the 1.4 μm water absorption band, indicating that the characteristic condensate particle sizes are large (>1 μm). We detect significantly (4.4σ) lower modulation amplitude in the 1.4 μm water absorption band and find that HN Peg B’s spectral modulation resembles those of early T type brown dwarfs. We also describe a new empirical interpolation method to remove spectral contamination from the bright host star. This method may be applied in other high-contrast time-resolved observations with WFC3.

A Survey for Planetary-mass Brown Dwarfs in the Chamaeleon I Star-forming Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esplin, T. L.; Luhman, K. L.; Faherty, J. K.; Mamajek, E. E.; Bochanski, J. J.

2017-08-01

We have performed a search for planetary-mass brown dwarfs in the Chamaeleon I star-forming region using proper motions and photometry measured from optical and infrared images from the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, and ground-based facilities. Through near-IR spectroscopy at Gemini Observatory, we have confirmed six of the candidates as new late-type members of Chamaeleon I (≥M8). One of these objects, Cha J11110675-7636030, has the faintest extinction-corrected M K among known members, which corresponds to a mass of 3-6 {M}{Jup} according to evolutionary models. That object and two other new members have redder mid-IR colors than young photospheres at ≤M9.5, which may indicate the presence of disks. However, since those objects may be later than M9.5 and the mid-IR colors of young photospheres are ill-defined at those types, we cannot determine conclusively whether color excesses from disks are present. If Cha J11110675-7636030 does have a disk, it would be a contender for the least-massive known brown dwarf with a disk. Since the new brown dwarfs that we have found extend below our completeness limit of 6-10 M {}{Jup}, deeper observations are needed to measure the minimum mass of the initial mass function in Chamaeleon I. Based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, Gemini Observatory, the ESO Telescopes at Paranal Observatory, Magellan Observatory, the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, and the ESA Gaia mission.

ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION OF BROWN DWARFS: JETS, VORTICES, AND TIME VARIABILITY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Xi; Showman, Adam P., E-mail: xiz@lpl.arizona.edu

2014-06-10

A variety of observational evidence demonstrates that brown dwarfs exhibit active atmospheric circulations. In this study we use a shallow-water model to investigate the global atmospheric dynamics in the stratified layer overlying the convective zone on these rapidly rotating objects. We show that the existence and properties of the atmospheric circulation crucially depend on key parameters including the energy injection rate and radiative timescale. Under conditions of strong internal heat flux and weak radiative dissipation, a banded flow pattern comprised of east-west jet streams spontaneously emerges from the interaction of atmospheric turbulence with the planetary rotation. In contrast, when themore » internal heat flux is weak and/or radiative dissipation is strong, turbulence injected into the atmosphere damps before it can self-organize into jets, leading to a flow dominated by transient eddies and isotropic turbulence instead. The simulation results are not very sensitive to the form of the forcing. Based on the location of the transition between jet-dominated and eddy-dominated regimes, we suggest that many brown dwarfs may exhibit atmospheric circulations dominated by eddies and turbulence (rather than jets) due to the strong radiative damping on these worlds, but a jet structure is also possible under some realistic conditions. Our simulated light curves capture important features from observed infrared light curves of brown dwarfs, including amplitude variations of a few percent and shapes that fluctuate between single-peak and multi-peak structures. More broadly, our work shows that the shallow-water system provides a useful tool to illuminate fundamental aspects of the dynamics on these worlds.« less

Spectral comparison of directly imaged, young substellar companions using integral field spectroscopy - construction of an empiric log g sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, T.; Neuhaüser, R.; Seifahrt, A.

2010-10-01

About 15 substellar companions with large separations (>∼50 AU) to their young primary stars and brown dwarfs are confirmed by both common proper motion and late-M / early-L type spectra. The origin and early evolution of these objects is still under debate. While often these substellar companions are regarded as brown dwarfs, they could possibly also be massive planets, the mass estimates are very uncertain so far. They are companions to primary stars or brown dwarfs in young associations and star forming regions like the TW Hya association, Upper Scorpius, Taurus, Beta Pic moving group, TucHor association, Lupus, Ophiuchus, and Chamaeleon, hence their ages and distances are well known, in contrast to free-floating brown dwarfs. An empirical classification is not possible, because a spectral sequence that is taking the lower gravity into account, is not existing. This problem leads to an apparent mismatch between spectra of old field type objects and young low-mass companions at the same effective temperature, hampering a determination of temperature and surface gravity independent from models. Now that about 15 such substellar candidates are found in associations of different ages, 1 - 35 Myrs, it is possible to study their spectra in comparison to each other using the advantage of light concentration by an adaptive optics system with their primary as guide star. Therefore we have begun the construction of an empirical log g sequence from beginning to observe all these substellar companions homogeneously using the AO-assisted integral field spectrograph SINFONI at VLT (ESO).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tovmassian, G.; González–Buitrago, D.; Zharikov, S.

We studied two objects identified as cataclysmic variables (CVs) with periods exceeding the natural boundary for Roche-lobe-filling zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) secondary stars. We present observational results for V1082 Sgr with a 20.82 hr orbital period, an object that shows a low luminosity state when its flux is totally dominated by a chromospherically active K star with no signs of ongoing accretion. Frequent accretion shutoffs, together with characteristics of emission lines in a high state, indicate that this binary system is probably detached, and the accretion of matter on the magnetic white dwarf takes place through stellar wind from themore » active donor star via coupled magnetic fields. Its observational characteristics are surprisingly similar to V479 And, a 14.5 hr binary system. They both have early K-type stars as donor stars. We argue that, similar to the shorter-period prepolars containing M dwarfs, these are detached binaries with strong magnetic components. Their magnetic fields are coupled, allowing enhanced stellar wind from the K star to be captured and channeled through the bottleneck connecting the two stars onto the white dwarf’s magnetic pole, mimicking a magnetic CV. Hence, they become interactive binaries before they reach contact. This will help to explain an unexpected lack of systems possessing white dwarfs with strong magnetic fields among detached white+red dwarf systems.« less

Innocent Bystanders and Smoking Guns: Dwarf Carbon Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, Paul J.

2014-01-01

As far as we know, most carbon throughout the Universe is created and dispersed by AGB stars. So it was at first surprising to find that the carbon stars most prevalent in the Galaxy are in fact dwarfs. We suspect that dC stars are most likely innocent bystanders in post-mass transfer binaries, and may be predominantly metal-poor. Among 1200 C stars found in the SDSS (Green 2013), we confirm 724 dCs, of which a dozen are DA/dC stars in composite spectrum binaries, quadrupling the total sample of these "smoking guns" for AGB binary mass transfer. The dCs likely span absolute magnitudes M_i from about 6.5 to 10.5. G-type dC stars with weak CN and relatively blue colors are probably the most massive dCs still cool enough to show C_2 bands. Eleven very red C stars with strong red CN bands appear to be N-type AGB stars at large Galactocentric distances, one likely a new discovery in the dIrr galaxy Le A. Two such stars within 30arcmin of each other may trace a previously unidentified dwarf galaxy or tidal stream at ~40 kpc. We describe follow-up projects to study the spatial, kinematic, and binary properties of these C-enriched dwarfs.

The WIRED Survey. 2; Infrared Excesses in the SDSS DR7 White Dwarf Catalog

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Debes, John H.; Hoard, D. W.; Wachter, Stefanie; Leisawitz, David T.; Cohen, Martin

2011-01-01

With the launch of the Wide-field Infrar.ed Survey Explorer (WISE), a new era of detecting planetary debris and brown dwarfs (BDs) around white dwarfs (WDs) has begun with the WISE InfraRed Excesses around Degenerates (WIRED) Survey. The WIRED Survey is sensitive to substellar objects and dusty debris around WDs out to distances exceeding 100 pc, well beyond the completeness level of local WDs. In this paper, we present a cross-correlation of the preliminary Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7 (DR7) WD catalog between the WISE, Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS), and SDSS DR7 photometric catalogs. From -18,000 input targets, there are WISE detections comprising 344 "naked" WDs (detection of the WD photosphere only), 1020 candidate WD+M dwarf binaries, 42 candidate WD+BD systems, 52 candidate WD+dust disk systems, and 69 targets with indeterminate infrared excess. We classified all of the detected targets through spectral energy distribution model fitting of the merged optical, near-IR, and WISE photometry. Some of these detections could be the result of contaminating sources within the large (approx. 6") WISE point-spread function; we make a preliminary estimate for the rates of contamination for our WD+BD and WD+disk candidates and provide notes for each target of interest. Each candidate presented here should be confirmed with higher angular resolution infrared imaging or infrared spectroscopy. We also present an overview of the observational characteristics of the detected WDs in the WISE photometric bands, including the relative frequencies of candidate WD+M, WD+BD, and WD+disk systems.

Discovery of a Detached, Eclipsing 40 Minute Period Double White Dwarf Binary and a Friend: Implications for He+CO White Dwarf Mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Warren R.; Kilic, Mukremin; Kosakowski, Alekzander; Gianninas, A.

2017-09-01

We report the discovery of two detached double white dwarf (WD) binaries, SDSS J082239.546+304857.19 and SDSS J104336.275+055149.90, with orbital periods of 40 and 46 minutes, respectively. The 40 minute system is eclipsing; it is composed of a 0.30 M ⊙ and a 0.52 M ⊙ WD. The 46 minute system is a likely LISA verification binary. The short 20 ± 2 Myr and ˜34 Myr gravitational-wave merger times of the two binaries imply that many more such systems have formed and merged over the age of the Milky Way. We update the estimated Milky Way He+CO WD binary merger rate and affirm our previously published result: He+CO WD binaries merge at a rate at least 40 times greater than the formation rate of stable mass-transfer AM CVn binaries, and so the majority must have unstable mass-transfer. The implication is that spin-orbit coupling in He+CO WD mergers is weak, or perhaps nova-like outbursts drive He+CO WDs into merger, as proposed by Shen. Based on observations obtained at the MMT Observatory, a joint facility of the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona, and on observations obtained with the Apache Point Observatory 3.5 m telescope, which is owned and operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium.

Chemically reacting fluid flow in exoplanet and brown dwarf atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordwell, Baylee; Brown, Benjamin P.; Oishi, Jeffrey S.

2016-11-01

In the past few decades, spectral observations of planets and brown dwarfs have demonstrated significant deviations from predictions in certain chemical abundances. Starting with Jupiter, these deviations were successfully explained to be the effect of fast dynamics on comparatively slow chemical reactions. These dynamical effects are treated using mixing length theory in what is known as the "quench" approximation. In these objects, however, both radiative and convective zones are present, and it is not clear that this approximation applies. To resolve this issue, we solve the fully compressible equations of fluid dynamics in a matched polytropic atmosphere using the state-of-the-art pseudospectral simulation framework Dedalus. Through the inclusion of passive tracers, we explore the transport properties of convective and radiative zones, and verify the classical eddy diffusion parameterization. With the addition of active tracers, we examine the interactions between dynamical and chemical processes using abstract chemical reactions. By locating the quench point (the point at which the dynamical and chemical timescales are the same) in different dynamical regimes, we test the quench approximation, and generate prescriptions for the exoplanet and brown dwarf communities.

DISCOVERY OF A LOW-MASS COMPANION AROUND HR 3549

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mawet, D.; David, T.; Bottom, M.

2015-10-01

We report the discovery of a low-mass companion to HR 3549, an A0V star surrounded by a debris disk with a warm excess detected by WISE at 22 μm (10σ significance). We imaged HR 3549 B in the L band with NAOS-CONICA, the adaptive optics infrared camera of the Very Large Telescope, in January 2013 and confirmed its common proper motion in 2015 January. The companion is at a projected separation of ≃80 AU and position angle of ≃157°, so it is orbiting well beyond the warm disk inner edge of r > 10 AU. Our age estimate for thismore » system corresponds to a companion mass in the range 15–80 M{sub J}, spanning the brown dwarf regime, and so HR 3549 B is another recent addition to the growing list of brown dwarf desert objects with extreme mass ratios. The simultaneous presence of a warm disk and a brown dwarf around HR 3549 provides interesting empirical constraints on models of the formation of substellar companions.« less

Angular momentum exchange in white dwarf binaries accreting through direct impact

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sepinsky, J. F.; Kalogera, V., E-mail: jeremy.sepinsky@scranton.edu, E-mail: vicky@northwestern.edu

We examine the exchange of angular momentum between the component spins and the orbit in semi-detached double white dwarf binaries undergoing mass transfer through direct impact of the transfer stream. We approximate the stream as a series of discrete massive particles ejected in the ballistic limit at the inner Lagrangian point of the donor toward the accretor. This work improves upon similar earlier studies in a number of ways. First, we self-consistently calculate the total angular momentum of the orbit at all times. This includes changes in the orbital angular momentum during the ballistic trajectory of the ejected mass, asmore » well as changes during the ejection/accretion due to the radial component of the particle's velocity. Second, we calculate the particle's ballistic trajectory for each system, which allows us to determine the precise position and velocity of the particle upon accretion. We can then include specific information about the radius of the accretor as well as the angle of impact. Finally, we ensure that the total angular momentum is conserved, which requires the donor star spin to vary self-consistently. With these improvements, we calculate the angular momentum change of the orbit and each binary component across the entire parameter space of direct impact double white dwarf binary systems. We find a significant decrease in the amount of angular momentum removed from the orbit during mass transfer, as well as cases where this process increases the angular momentum of the orbit at the expense of the spin angular momentum of the donor. We conclude that, unlike earlier claims in the literature, mass transfer through direct impact need not destabilize the binary and that the quantity and sign of the orbital angular momentum transfer depends on the binary properties, particularly the masses of the double white dwarf binary component stars. This stabilization may significantly impact the population synthesis calculations of the expected numbers of events/systems for which double white dwarfs may be a progenitor, e.g., Type Ia supernovae, Type.Ia supernovae, and AM CVn.« less

Stellar structure model in hydrostatic equilibrium in the context of f({\\mathscr{R}})-gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

André, Raíla; Kremer, Gilberto M.

2017-12-01

In this work we present a stellar structure model from the f({\\mathscr{R}})-gravity point of view capable of describing some classes of stars (white dwarfs, brown dwarfs, neutron stars, red giants and the Sun). This model is based on f({\\mathscr{R}})-gravity field equations for f({\\mathscr{R}})={\\mathscr{R}}+{f}2{{\\mathscr{R}}}2, hydrostatic equilibrium equation and a polytropic equation of state. We compare the results obtained with those found by Newtonian theory. It has been observed that in these systems, where high curvature regimes emerge, stellar structure equations undergo modifications. Despite the simplicity of this model, the results are satisfactory. The estimated values of pressure, density and temperature of the stars are within those determined by observations. This f({\\mathscr{R}})-gravity model has proved to be necessary to describe stars with strong fields such as white dwarfs, neutron stars and brown dwarfs, while stars with weaker fields, such as red giants and the Sun, are best described by Newtonian theory.

A strange dwarf scenario for the formation of the peculiar double white dwarf binary SDSS J125733.63+542850.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Long; Chen, Wen-Cong; Li, Xiang-Dong

2018-05-01

The Hubble Space Telescope observation of the double white dwarf (WD) binary SDSS J125733.63+542850.5 reveals that the massive WD has a surface gravity log g1 ˜ 8.7 (which implies a mass of M1 ˜ 1.06 M⊙) and an effective temperature T1 ˜ 13 000 K, while the effective temperature of the low-mass WD (M2 < 0.24 M⊙) is T2 ˜ 6400K. Therefore, the massive and the low-mass WDs have a cooling age τ1 ˜ 1 Gyr and τ2 ≥ 5 Gyr, respectively. This is in contradiction with traditional binary evolution theory. In this paper, we propose a strange dwarf (SD) scenario to explain the formation of this double WD binary. We assume that the massive WD is a SD originating from a phase transition (PT) in a ˜1.1 M⊙ WD, which has experienced accretion and spin-down processes. Its high effective temperature could arise from the heating process during the PT. Our simulations suggest that the progenitor of SDSS J125733.63+542850.5 can be a binary system consisting of a 0.65 M⊙ WD and a 1.5 M⊙ main-sequence star in a 1.492 d orbit. Especially, the secondary star (i.e. the progenitor of the low-mass WD) is likely to have an ultra-low metallicity of Z = 0.0001.

White Dwarfs in Wide Binaries and the Age of the Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, John Allyn

A comprehensive study of common proper binary systems suspected of containing white dwarf stars is being conducted by Oswalt and collaborators (Oswalt et al. 1988). These systems usually contain a white dwarf and a main sequence star. In the present study, we use the white dwarf luminosity function to determine the age of the local Galactic disk as well as the local space density of white dwarfs. We obtained BVRI photometry of approximately 475 systems (of 512) which were found to contain about 325 white dwarfs. Of these white dwarfs, 152 met the selection criteria for our study and were used in the final analysis. Using this largest sample of cool white dwarfs in binary systems observed to date, we have determined an age for the Galactic disk of 9.7-0.8+0.9 Gyr which yields a lower limit age for the Universe of about 11.7 Gyr. Recent globular cluster studies agree to within ±1σ for the Galaxy age derived from our Disk age. The latest cosmologically derived age for the Universe, modified for the recently released Hipparcos data, is now in accordance with our age estimates for the Universe, for H o (69 km s-1 Mpc-1) and an inflationary cosmology. Further, our age is in accord with the ages derived for the Galaxy from nucleocomsochronology and meteoritic sample analyses. As a part of this work, we have determined the white dwarf space density to be 4.5 ± 1.0 10-3 pc-3, in accord with the results previously reported by Liebert, Dahn & Monet (1987). This space density corresponds to a white dwarf birthrate of 4.65 × 10-13 yr-1 pc-3. This research also details a unique approach to calculating and correcting for the incompleteness of a proper motion and magnitude selected stellar sample.

The Binary Dwarf Carbon Star SDSS J125017.90+252427.6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margon, Bruce; Kupfer, Thomas; Burdge, Kevin; Prince, Thomas A.; Kulkarni, Shrinivas R.; Shupe, David L.

2018-03-01

Although dwarf carbon (dC) stars are universally thought to be binaries in order to explain the presence of C 2 in their spectra while still near main-sequence luminosity, direct observational evidence for their binarity is remarkably scarce. Here, we report the detection of a 2.92 day periodicity in both the photometry and radial velocity of SDSS J125017.90+252427.6, an r = 16.4 dC star. This is the first photometric binary dC, and only the second dC spectroscopic binary. The relative phase of the photometric period to the spectroscopic observations suggests that the photometric variations are a reflection effect due to heating from an unseen companion. The observed radial velocity amplitude of the dC component (K = 98.8 ± 10.7 km s‑1) is consistent with a white dwarf companion, presumably the evolved star that earlier donated the carbon to the dC, although substantial orbital evolution must have occurred. Large synoptic photometric surveys such as the Palomar Transient Factory, which was used for this work, may prove useful for identifying binaries among the shorter-period dC stars.

The Impact of Clouds and Hazes in Substellar Atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morley, Caroline; Fortney, Jonathan J.; Marley, Mark S.

2016-01-01

The formation of clouds significantly alters the spectra of cool substellar atmospheres from terrestrial planets to brown dwarfs. In cool planets like Earth and Jupiter, volatile species like water and ammonia condense to form ice clouds. In hot planets and brown dwarfs, iron and silicates instead condense, forming dusty clouds. Irradiated methane-rich planets may have substantial hydrocarbon hazes. During my thesis, I have studied the impact of clouds and hazes in a variety of substellar objects. First, I present results for cool brown dwarfs including clouds previously neglected in model atmospheres. Model spectra that include sulfide and salt clouds can match the spectra of T dwarf atmospheres; water ice clouds will alter the spectra of the newest and coldest brown dwarfs, the Y dwarfs. These sulfide/salt and ice clouds potentially drive spectroscopic variability in these cool objects, and this variability should be distinguishable from variability caused by hot spots.Next, I present results for small, cool exoplanets between the size of Earth and Neptune, so-called super Earths. They likely have sulfide and salt clouds and also have photochemical hazes caused by stellar irradiation. Vast resources have been dedicated to characterizing the handful of super Earths accessible to current telescopes, yet of the planets smaller than Neptune studied to date, all have radii in the near-infrared consistent with being constant in wavelength, likely showing that these small planets are consistently enshrouded in thick hazes and clouds. Very thick, lofted clouds of salts or sulfides in high metallicity (1000× solar) atmospheres create featureless transmission spectra in the near-infrared. Photochemical hazes with a range of particle sizes also create featureless transmission spectra at lower metallicities. I show that despite these challenges, there are promising avenues for understanding this class of small planets: by observing the thermal emission and reflectivity of small planets, we can break the degeneracies and better constrain the atmospheric compositions. These observations may provide rich diagnostics of molecules and clouds in small planets, in contrast to the limited success to date.

Stellar Activity at the End of the Main Sequence: GHRS Observations of the M8 Ve Star VB 10

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Linsky, Jeffrey L.; Wood, Brian E.; Brown, Alexander; Giampapa, Mark S.; Ambruster, Carol

1995-01-01

We present Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph observations of the M8 Ve star VB 10 (equal to G1 752B), located very near the end of the stellar main sequence, and its dM3.5 binary companion G1 752A. These coeval stars provide a test bed for studying whether the outer atmospheres of stars respond to changes in internal structure as stars become fully convective near mass 0.3 solar mass (about spectral type M5), where the nature of the stellar magnetic dynamo presumably changes, and near the transition from red to brown dwarfs near mass 0.08 solar mass (about spectral type M9), when hydrogen burning ceases at the end of the main sequence. We obtain upper limits for the quiescent emission of VB 10 but observe a transition region spectrum during a large flare, which indicates that some type of magnetic dynamo must be present. Two indirect lines of evidence-scaling from the observed X-ray emission and scaling from a time-resolved flare on AD Leo suggest that the fraction of the stellar bolometric luminosity that heats the transition region of VB 10 outside of obvious flares is comparable to, or larger than, that for G1 752A. This suggests an increase in the magnetic heating rates, as measured by L(sub line)/L(sub bol) ratios, across the radiative/convective core boundary and as stars approach the red/brown dwarf boundary. These results provide new constraints for dynamo models and models of coronal and transition-region heating in late-type stars.

Observationally Testing the Triple Origin of Blue Straggler Stars with Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Jacob P.; Gosnell, Natalie M.; Sokal, Kimberly R.; Mace, Gregory N.

2018-01-01

Presented are results to constrain blue straggler star (BSS) formation mechanisms in open cluster NGC 188 using data from the Immersion Grating INfrared Spectrometer (IGRINS) while at the Discovery Channel Telescope. The majority (at least 16 of 21) of NGC 188s BSSs are binaries, and, to date, seven white dwarf (WD) companions have been detected. This leaves at least nine undetected companion stars. Observations show a sharp peak of the BSSs companion mass distribution at 0.5 solar masses, highly suggestive of a WD or M-type main sequence (MS) star. Under our tested formation mechanism, the progenitors of BSSs are arranged in primordial hierarchical triple star systems that dynamically evolve through the Kozai-cycle tidal friction (KCTF) process into a binary composed of a BSS and, statistically, an M dwarf companion. We test for the presence of an M dwarf by cross-correlating a near-IR spectrum with both a BSS template and an M dwarf template. We present, for the first time, a preliminary detection of a 3800K, 0.5 solar mass M dwarf companion in each of the long period (log[P(d)]=3), single-lined binaries WOCS 451 and WOCS 5671 in NGC 188. To assess the possibility of a false M dwarf detection, we carry out Monte Carlo simulations cross-correlating an M dwarf template with a BSS-only spectrum with a signal-to-noise ratio matching our observations. Theoretical detection limits for various BSS-M dwarf pairs are reported. In the case of a non-detection, such as in WOCS 4970, we are able to place an upper limit on the mass, and thus temperature, of the companion star. Current and future research goals aim for further insight into the BSS formation mechanism frequencies of NGC 188.

Magnetically gated accretion in an accreting ‘non-magnetic’ white dwarf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scaringi, S.; Maccarone, T. J.; D’Angelo, C.; Knigge, C.; Groot, P. J.

2017-12-01

White dwarfs are often found in binary systems with orbital periods ranging from tens of minutes to hours in which they can accrete gas from their companion stars. In about 15 per cent of these binaries, the magnetic field of the white dwarf is strong enough (at 106 gauss or more) to channel the accreted matter along field lines onto the magnetic poles. The remaining systems are referred to as ‘non-magnetic’, because until now there has been no evidence that they have a magnetic field that is strong enough to affect the accretion dynamics. Here we report an analysis of archival optical observations of the ‘non-magnetic’ accreting white dwarf in the binary system MV Lyrae, whose light curve displays quasi-periodic bursts of about 30 minutes duration roughly every 2 hours. The timescale and amplitude of these bursts indicate the presence of an unstable, magnetically regulated accretion mode, which in turn implies the existence of magnetically gated accretion, in which disk material builds up around the magnetospheric boundary (at the co-rotation radius) and then accretes onto the white dwarf, producing bursts powered by the release of gravitational potential energy. We infer a surface magnetic field strength for the white dwarf in MV Lyrae of between 2 × 104 gauss and 1 × 105 gauss, too low to be detectable by other current methods. Our discovery provides a new way of studying the strength and evolution of magnetic fields in accreting white dwarfs and extends the connections between accretion onto white dwarfs, young stellar objects and neutron stars, for which similar magnetically gated accretion cycles have been identified.

Magnetically gated accretion in an accreting 'non-magnetic' white dwarf.

PubMed

Scaringi, S; Maccarone, T J; D'Angelo, C; Knigge, C; Groot, P J

2017-12-13

White dwarfs are often found in binary systems with orbital periods ranging from tens of minutes to hours in which they can accrete gas from their companion stars. In about 15 per cent of these binaries, the magnetic field of the white dwarf is strong enough (at 10 6 gauss or more) to channel the accreted matter along field lines onto the magnetic poles. The remaining systems are referred to as 'non-magnetic', because until now there has been no evidence that they have a magnetic field that is strong enough to affect the accretion dynamics. Here we report an analysis of archival optical observations of the 'non-magnetic' accreting white dwarf in the binary system MV Lyrae, whose light curve displays quasi-periodic bursts of about 30 minutes duration roughly every 2 hours. The timescale and amplitude of these bursts indicate the presence of an unstable, magnetically regulated accretion mode, which in turn implies the existence of magnetically gated accretion, in which disk material builds up around the magnetospheric boundary (at the co-rotation radius) and then accretes onto the white dwarf, producing bursts powered by the release of gravitational potential energy. We infer a surface magnetic field strength for the white dwarf in MV Lyrae of between 2 × 10 4 gauss and 1 × 10 5 gauss, too low to be detectable by other current methods. Our discovery provides a new way of studying the strength and evolution of magnetic fields in accreting white dwarfs and extends the connections between accretion onto white dwarfs, young stellar objects and neutron stars, for which similar magnetically gated accretion cycles have been identified.

Methane, carbon monoxide, and ammonia in brown dwarfs and self-luminous giant planets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zahnle, Kevin J.; Marley, Mark S., E-mail: Kevin.J.Zahnle@NASA.gov, E-mail: Mark.S.Marley@NASA.gov

2014-12-10

We address disequilibrium abundances of some simple molecules in the atmospheres of solar composition brown dwarfs and self-luminous extrasolar giant planets using a kinetics-based one-dimensional atmospheric chemistry model. Our approach is to use the full kinetics model to survey the parameter space with effective temperatures between 500 K and 1100 K. In all of these worlds, equilibrium chemistry favors CH{sub 4} over CO in the parts of the atmosphere that can be seen from Earth, but in most disequilibrium favors CO. The small surface gravity of a planet strongly discriminates against CH{sub 4} when compared to an otherwise comparable brownmore » dwarf. If vertical mixing is like Jupiter's, the transition from methane to CO occurs at 500 K in a planet. Sluggish vertical mixing can raise this to 600 K, but clouds or more vigorous vertical mixing could lower this to 400 K. The comparable thresholds in brown dwarfs are 1100 ± 100 K. Ammonia is also sensitive to gravity, but, unlike CH{sub 4}/CO, the NH{sub 3}/N{sub 2} ratio is insensitive to mixing, which makes NH{sub 3} a potential proxy for gravity. HCN may become interesting in high-gravity brown dwarfs with very strong vertical mixing. Detailed analysis of the CO-CH{sub 4} reaction network reveals that the bottleneck to CO hydrogenation goes through methanol, in partial agreement with previous work. Simple, easy to use quenching relations are derived by fitting to the complete chemistry of the full ensemble of models. These relations are valid for determining CO, CH{sub 4}, NH{sub 3}, HCN, and CO{sub 2} abundances in the range of self-luminous worlds we have studied, but may not apply if atmospheres are strongly heated at high altitudes by processes not considered here (e.g., wave breaking).« less

Modular Spectral Inference Framework Applied to Young Stars and Brown Dwarfs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gully-Santiago, Michael A.; Marley, Mark S.

2017-01-01

In practice, synthetic spectral models are imperfect, causing inaccurate estimates of stellar parameters. Using forward modeling and statistical inference, we derive accurate stellar parameters for a given observed spectrum by emulating a grid of precomputed spectra to track uncertainties. Spectral inference as applied to brown dwarfs re: Synthetic spectral models (Marley et al 1996 and 2014) via the newest grid spans a massive multi-dimensional grid applied to IGRINS spectra, improving atmospheric models for JWST. When applied to young stars(10Myr) with large starpots, they can be measured spectroscopically, especially in the near-IR with IGRINS.

Precipitating Condensation Clouds in Substellar Atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ackerman, Andrew S.; Marley, Mark S.; Gore, Warren J. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

We present a method to calculate vertical profiles of particle size distributions in condensation clouds of giant planets and brown dwarfs. The method assumes a balance between turbulent diffusion and precipitation in horizontally uniform cloud decks. Calculations for the Jovian ammonia cloud are compared with previous methods. An adjustable parameter describing the efficiency of precipitation allows the new model to span the range of predictions from previous models. Calculations for the Jovian ammonia cloud are found to be consistent with observational constraints. Example calculations are provided for water, silicate, and iron clouds on brown dwarfs and on a cool extrasolar giant planet.

Update on ONC's Substellar IMF: A Second Peak in the Brown Dwarf Regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drass, Holger; Bayo, A.; Chini, R.; Haas, M.

2017-06-01

The Orion Nebular Cluster (ONC) has become the prototype cluster for studying the Initial Mass Function (IMF). In a deep JHK survey of the ONC with HAWK-I we detected a large population of 900 Brown Dwarfs and Planetary Mass Object candidates presenting a pronounced second peak in the substellar IMF. One of the most obvious issues of this result is the verification of cluster membership. The analysis so far was mainly based on statistical consideration. In this presentation I will show the results from using different high-resolution extinction map to determine the ONC membership.

Stellar cannibalism in fits and starts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsh, Thomas

2017-12-01

Dense stellar remnants called white dwarfs are often found in binary star systems. Satellite observations suggest a previously unknown way in which a white dwarf can draw material from its companion star.

Four faint T dwarfs from the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Southern Stripe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Kuenley; Liu, Michael C.; Jiang, Linhua; Allers, Katelyn N.; Stark, Daniel P.; Bunker, Andrew; Fan, Xiaohui; Glazebrook, Karl; Dupuy, Trent J.

2008-03-01

We present the optical and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy of four faint T dwarfs newly discovered from the UKIDSS first data release. The sample, drawn from an imaged area of ~136 deg2 to a depth of Y = 19.9 (5σ, Vega), is located in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Southern Equatorial Stripe, a region of significant future deep imaging potential. We detail the selection and followup of these objects, three of which are spectroscopically confirmed brown dwarfs ranging from type T2.5 to T7.5, and one is photometrically identified as early T. Their magnitudes range from Y = 19.01 to 19.88 with derived distances from 34 to 98 pc, making these among the coldest and faintest brown dwarfs known. The T7.5 dwarf appears to be single based on 0.05-arcsec images from Keck laser guide star adaptive optics. The sample brings the total number of T dwarfs found or confirmed by UKIDSS data in this region to nine, and we discuss the projected numbers of dwarfs in the future survey data. We estimate that ~240 early and late T dwarfs are discoverable in the UKIDSS Large Area Survey (LAS) data, falling significantly short of published model projections and suggesting that initial mass functions and/or birth rates may be at the low end of possible models. Thus, deeper optical data have good potential to exploit the UKIDSS survey depth more fully, but may still find the potential Y dwarf sample to be extremely rare.

Infrared Detection of Very Low Mass Stars.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Probst, Ronald George

We present in this thesis a review of very-low -mass ((TURN)0.1 M(,0)) star research, and results of two observational programs directed at the photometric detection of low mass binary companions in the infrared. Present theoretical desiderata are model atmospheres for very cool dwarf stars and determination of the minimum protostellar mass with all relevant physics included. Luminosities for these stars are well determined, but the effective temperature scale is uncertain and abundance analyses are lacking. Masses are known for very few, and with large relative errors. The luminosity function for M(,v) > 13 is very uncertain. Astrometric methods provide at present the only means of detecting very low mass objects in significant numbers. Completion of the near-star parallax catalogue and measurement of additional low-mass binaries are important observational programs. The potential of photometric selection of red dwarf binaries is explored in Chapter II. Separation of binaries from single stars by color anomalies alone is found impractical. Detection by overluminosity in the HR diagram is hampered by the intrinsic spread of the field star population. However, we find that application of both kinematic and photometric criteria allows binaries to be detected with only moderate contamination by single stars; we discuss several binary suspects selected in this way. Our approach uses an infrared bandpass to provide temperature resolution in the color baseline, and we present JHK photometry for 60 stars, including recent parallax stars with M(,v)>14. We examine the status of the least luminous stars; there is no conclusive evidence that they are not hydrogen-burning objects. Chapter III presents a survey of (TURN)100 white dwarfs at 2 (mu) for infrared excess indicative of low -luminosity cool companions. White dwarf-red dwarf composites are detectable by infared color anomalies down to M(,v)(TURN)21 for the red dwarf component, and our survey is complete to absolute magnitudes on this level. Candidates for astrometric mass determination are suggested. Several stars are found to be composites containing an accretion disk or a hot subdwarf + dK secondary. We find very few new low-luminosity companions to normal white dwarfs. This does not appear to be a selection effect, nor is there reason to believe that all parent systems have been altered or destroyed in the mass loss phase. Our strongly negative result constrains the luminosity function for red dwarf companions to decline steeply past M(,v) (DBLTURN) 13. This may reflect a general decline in the initial mass function for star formation, or a failure of systems with large mass ratios to form or remain bound in the parent star-forming regions.

Physical Studies of Brown Dwarfs and Extrasolar Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noll, Keith

2004-01-01

The main purpose of this grant proposal was to fund the ongoing work on brown dwarfs by Denise Stephens during her tenure at STScI as a postdoctoral researcher. We have completed approximately half of the three-year grant period. Dr. Stephens has now assumed to role of senior research associate at Johns Hopkins University and in this position is eligible to be PI of grants. Because the bulk of the work and funds under this grant have been and will continue to be for the purposes of supporting Dr. Stephens, we are transferring control of the grant to her at JHU. This closeout is a formality to allow that transfer. The largest project was the completion of a major work on the infrared photometry of L and T dwarfs. The paper was published in January 2004.

New binaries among UV-selected, hot subdwarf stars and population properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawka, A.; Vennes, S.; O'Toole, S.; Németh, P.; Burton, D.; Kotze, E.; Buckley, D. A. H.

2015-07-01

We have measured the orbital parameters of seven close binaries, including six new objects, in a radial velocity survey of 38 objects comprising a hot subdwarf star with orbital periods ranging from ˜0.17 to 3 d. One new system, GALEX J2205-3141, shows reflection on an M dwarf companion. Three other objects show significant short-period variations, but their orbital parameters could not be constrained. Two systems comprising a hot subdwarf paired with a bright main-sequence/giant companion display short-period photometric variations possibly due to irradiation or stellar activity and are also short-period candidates. All except two candidates were drawn from a selection of subluminous stars in the Galaxy Evolution Explorer ultraviolet sky survey. Our new identifications also include a low-mass subdwarf B star and likely progenitor of a low-mass white dwarf (GALEX J0805-1058) paired with an unseen, possibly substellar, companion. The mass functions of the newly identified binaries imply minimum secondary masses ranging from 0.03 to 0.39 M⊙. Photometric time series suggest that, apart from GALEX J0805-1058 and J2205-3141, the companions are most likely white dwarfs. We update the binary population statistics: close to 40 per cent of hot subdwarfs have a companion. Also, we found that the secondary mass distribution shows a low-mass peak attributed to late-type dwarfs, and a higher mass peak and tail distribution attributed to white dwarfs and a few spectroscopic composites. Also, we found that the population kinematics imply an old age and include a few likely halo population members.

Dynamic mass exchange in doubly degenerate binaries. I - 0.9 and 1.2 solar mass stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benz, W.; Cameron, A. G. W.; Press, W. H.; Bowers, R. L.

1990-01-01

The dynamic mass exchange process in doubly degenerate binaries was investigated using a three-dimensional numerical simulation of the evolution of a doubly degenerate binary system in which the primary is a 1.2-solar-mass white dwarf and the Roche lobe filling secondary is a 0.9-solar-mass dwarf. The results show that, in a little more than two orbital periods, the secondary is completely destroyed and transformed into a thick disk orbiting about the primary. Since only a very small fraction of the mass (0.0063 solar mass) escapes the system, the evolution of the binary results in the formation of a massive object. This object is composed of three parts, the initial white dwarf primary, a very hot pressure-supported spherical envelope, and a rotationally supported outer disk. The evolution of the system can be understood in terms of a simple analytical model where it is shown that the angular momentum carried by the mass during the transfer and stored in the disk determines the evolution of the system.

A Search for Binary Systems among the Nearest L Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reid, I. Neill; Lewitus, E.; Allen, P. R.; Cruz, Kelle L.; Burgasser, Adam J.

2006-08-01

We have used the Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer NIC1 camera on the Hubble Space Telescope to obtain high angular resolution images of 52 ultracool dwarfs in the immediate solar neighborhood. Nine systems are resolved as binary, with component separations from 1.5 to 15 AU. Based on current theoretical models and empirical bolometric corrections, all systems have components with similar luminosities and, consequently, high mass ratios, q>0.8. Limiting analysis to L dwarfs within 20 pc, the observed binary fraction is 12%+7-3. Applying Bayesian analysis to our data set, we derive a mass-ratio distribution that peaks strongly at unity. Modeling the semimajor axis distribution as a logarithmic Gaussian, the best fit is centered at loga0=0.8 AU (~6.3 AU), with a (logarithmic) width of +/-0.3. The current data are consistent with an overall binary frequency of ~24%. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

VARIABLE AND POLARIZED RADIO EMISSION FROM THE T6 BROWN DWARF WISEP J112254.73+255021.5

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, P. K. G.; Berger, E.; Gizis, J. E., E-mail: pwilliams@cfa.harvard.edu

2017-01-10

Route and Wolszczan recently detected five radio bursts from the T6 dwarf WISEP J112254.73+255021.5 and used the timing of these events to propose that this object rotates with an ultra-short period of ∼17.3 minutes. We conducted follow-up observations with the Very Large Array and Gemini-North but found no evidence for this periodicity. We do, however, observe variable, highly circularly polarized radio emission. Assuming that the radio emission of this T dwarf is periodically variable on ∼hour timescales, like other radio-active ultracool dwarfs, we infer a likely period of 116 minutes. However, our observation lasted only 162 minutes and so more data are needed to test thismore » hypothesis. The handedness of the circular polarization switches twice and there is no evidence for any unpolarized emission component, the first time such a phenomenology has been observed in radio studies of very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. We suggest that the object’s magnetic dipole axis may be highly misaligned relative to its rotation axis.« less

Testing the white dwarf mass-radius relationship with eclipsing binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, S. G.; Gänsicke, B. T.; Marsh, T. R.; Ashley, R. P.; Bours, M. C. P.; Breedt, E.; Burleigh, M. R.; Copperwheat, C. M.; Dhillon, V. S.; Green, M.; Hardy, L. K.; Hermes, J. J.; Irawati, P.; Kerry, P.; Littlefair, S. P.; McAllister, M. J.; Rattanasoon, S.; Rebassa-Mansergas, A.; Sahman, D. I.; Schreiber, M. R.

2017-10-01

We present high-precision, model-independent, mass and radius measurements for 16 white dwarfs in detached eclipsing binaries and combine these with previously published data to test the theoretical white dwarf mass-radius relationship. We reach a mean precision of 2.4 per cent in mass and 2.7 per cent in radius, with our best measurements reaching a precision of 0.3 per cent in mass and 0.5 per cent in radius. We find excellent agreement between the measured and predicted radii across a wide range of masses and temperatures. We also find the radii of all white dwarfs with masses less than 0.48 M⊙ to be fully consistent with helium core models, but they are on average 9 per cent larger than those of carbon-oxygen core models. In contrast, white dwarfs with masses larger than 0.52 M⊙ all have radii consistent with carbon-oxygen core models. Moreover, we find that all but one of the white dwarfs in our sample have radii consistent with possessing thick surface hydrogen envelopes (10-5 ≥ MH/MWD ≥ 10-4), implying that the surface hydrogen layers of these white dwarfs are not obviously affected by common envelope evolution.

Spectral and Timing Investigations of Dwarf Novae Selected in Hard X-Rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thorstensen, John; Remillard, Ronald A.

2000-01-01

There are 9 dwarf novae (DN) among the 43 cataclysmic variables (accreting white dwarfs in close binary systems) that were detected during the HEAO-1 all-sky X-ray survey (1977-1979). On the other hand, there are roughly one hundred dwarf novae that are closer and/or optically brighter and yet they were not detected as hard X-ray sources. Two of the HEAO-1 DN show evidence for X-ray pulsations that imply strong magnetic fields on the white dwarf surface, and magnetic CVs are known to be strong X-ray sources. However, substantial flux in hard X-rays may be caused by non-magnetic effects, such as an optically thin boundary layer near a massive white dwarf. We proposed RXTE observations to measure plasma temperatures and to search for X-ray pulsations. The observations would distinguish whether these DN belong to one of (rare) magnetic subclasses. For those that do not show pulsations, the observations support efforts to define empirical relations between X-ray temperature, the accretion rate, and the mass of the white dwarf. The latter is determined via optical studies of the dynamics of the binary constituents.

Post Common Envelope Binaries as probes of M dwarf stellar wind and habitable zone radiation environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, David

2017-08-01

M dwarf stars are promising targets in the search for extrasolar habitable planets, as their small size and close-in habitable zones make the detection of Earth-analog planets easier than at Solar-type stars. However, the effects of the high stellar activity of M dwarf hosts has uncertain effects on such planets, and may render them uninhabitable. Studying stellar activity at M dwarfs is hindered by a lack of measurements of high-energy radiation, flare activity and, in particular, stellar wind rates. We propose to rectify this by observing a sample of Post Common Envelope Binaries (PCEBs) with HST and XMM-Newton. PCEBs consist of an M dwarf with a white dwarf companion, which experiences the same stellar wind and radiation environment as a close-in planet. The stellar wind of the M dwarf accretes onto the otherwise pure hydrogen atmosphere white dwarf, producing metal lines detectable with ultraviolet spectroscopy. The metal lines can be used to measure accretion rates onto the white dwarf, from with we can accurately infer the stellar wind mass loss rate of the M dwarf, along with abundances of key elements. Simultaneous observations with XMM-Newton will probe X-ray flare occurrence rate and strength, in addition to coronal temperatures. Performing these measurements over twelve PCEBs will provide a sample of M dwarf stellar wind strengths, flare occurrence and X-ray/UV activity that will finally shed light on the true habitability of planets around small stars.

Compact Objects In Binary Systems: Formation and Evolution of X-ray Binaries and Tides in Double White Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valsecchi, Francesca

Binary star systems hosting black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs are unique laboratories for investigating both extreme physical conditions, and stellar and binary evolution. Black holes and neutron stars are observed in X-ray binaries, where mass accretion from a stellar companion renders them X-ray bright. Although instruments like Chandra have revolutionized the field of X-ray binaries, our theoretical understanding of their origin and formation lags behind. Progress can be made by unravelling the evolutionary history of observed systems. As part of my thesis work, I have developed an analysis method that uses detailed stellar models and all the observational constraints of a system to reconstruct its evolutionary path. This analysis models the orbital evolution from compact-object formation to the present time, the binary orbital dynamics due to explosive mass loss and a possible kick at core collapse, and the evolution from the progenitor's Zero Age Main Sequence to compact-object formation. This method led to a theoretical model for M33 X-7, one of the most massive X-ray binaries known and originally marked as an evolutionary challenge. Compact objects are also expected gravitational wave (GW) sources. In particular, double white dwarfs are both guaranteed GW sources and observed electromagnetically. Although known systems show evidence of tidal deformation and a successful GW astronomy requires realistic models of the sources, detached double white dwarfs are generally approximated to point masses. For the first time, I used realistic models to study tidally-driven periastron precession in eccentric binaries. I demonstrated that its imprint on the GW signal yields constrains on the components' masses and that the source would be misclassified if tides are neglected. Beyond this adiabatic precession, tidal dissipation creates a sink of orbital angular momentum. Its efficiency is strongest when tides are dynamic and excite the components' free oscillation modes. Accounting for this effect will determine whether our interpretation of current and future observations will constrain the sources' true physical properties. To investigate dynamic tides I have developed CAFein, a novel code that calculates forced non-adiabatic stellar oscillations using a highly stable and efficient numerical method.

High resolution Florida IR silicon immersion grating spectrometer and an M dwarf planet survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Jian; Powell, Scott; Zhao, Bo; Wang, Ji; Fletcher, Adam; Schofield, Sidney; Liu, Jian; Muterspaugh, Matthew; Blake, Cullen; Barnes, Rory

2012-09-01

We report the system design and predicted performance of the Florida IR Silicon immersion grating spectromeTer (FIRST). This new generation cryogenic IR spectrograph offers broad-band high resolution IR spectroscopy with R=72,000 at 1.4-1.8 μm and R=60,000 at 0.8-1.35 μm in a single exposure with a 2kx2k H2RG IR array. It is enabled by a compact design using an extremely high dispersion silicon immersion grating (SIG) and an R4 echelle with a 50 mm diameter pupil in combination with an Image Slicer. This instrument is operated in vacuum with temperature precisely controlled to reach long term stability for high precision radial velocity (RV) measurements of nearby stars, especially M dwarfs and young stars. The primary technical goal is to reach better than 4 m/s long term RV precision with J<9 M dwarfs within 30 min exposures. This instrument is scheduled to be commissioned at the Tennessee State University (TSU) 2-m Automatic Spectroscopic Telescope (AST) at Fairborn Observatory in spring 2013. FIRST can also be used for observing transiting planets, young stellar objects (YSOs), magnetic fields, binaries, brown dwarfs (BDs), ISM and stars. We plan to launch the FIRST NIR M dwarf planet survey in 2014 after FIRST is commissioned at the AST. This NIR M dwarf survey is the first large-scale NIR high precision Doppler survey dedicated to detecting and characterizing planets around 215 nearby M dwarfs with J< 10. Our primary science goal is to look for habitable Super-Earths around the late M dwarfs and also to identify transiting systems for follow-up observations with JWST to measure the planetary atmospheric compositions and study their habitability. Our secondary science goal is to detect and characterize a large number of planets around M dwarfs to understand the statistics of planet populations around these low mass stars and constrain planet formation and evolution models. Our survey baseline is expected to detect ~30 exoplanets, including 10 Super Earths, within 100 day periods. About half of the Super-Earths are in their habitable zones and one of them may be a transiting planet. The AST, with its robotic control and ease of switching between instruments (in seconds), enables great flexibility and efficiency, and enables an optimal strategy, in terms of schedule and cadence, for this NIR M dwarf planet survey.

A Search for Pulsation in Young Brown Dwarfs and Very Low Mass Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cody, Ann Marie

2012-05-01

In 2005, Palla and Baraffe proposed that brown dwarfs and very low mass stars (<0.1 solar masses) may be unstable to radial oscillations during the pre-main-sequence deuterium burning phase. With associated oscillation periods of 1--4 hours, this potentially new class of pulsation offers unprecedented opportunities to probe the interiors and evolution of low-mass objects in the 1--15 million year age range. Furthermore, several previous reports of short-period variability have suggested that deuterium-burning pulsation is in fact at work in young clusters. For my dissertation, I developed a photometric monitoring campaign to search for low-amplitude periodic variability in young brown dwarfs and very low mass stars using meter-class telescopes from both the ground and space. The resulting high-precision, high-cadence time-series photometry targeted four young clusters and achieved sensitivity to periodic oscillations with photometric amplitudes down to several millimagnitudes. This unprecedented variability census probed timescales ranging from minutes to weeks in a sample of 200 young, low-mass cluster members of IC 348, Sigma Orionis, Chamaeleon I, and Upper Scorpius. While I find a dearth of photometric periods under 10 hours, the campaign's high time resolution and precision have enabled detailed study of diverse light curve behavior in the clusters: rotational spot modulation, accretion signatures, and occultations by surrounding disk material. Analysis of the data has led to the establishment of a lower limit for the timescale of periodic photometric variability in young low-mass and substellar objects, an extension of the rotation period distribution to the brown dwarf regime, as well as insights into the connection between variability and circumstellar disks in the Sigma Orionis and Chamaeleon I clusters.

GPI Spectroscopy of the Mass, Age, and Metallicity Benchmark Brown Dwarf HD 4747 B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crepp, Justin R.; Principe, David A.; Wolff, Schuyler; Giorla Godfrey, Paige A.; Rice, Emily L.; Cieza, Lucas; Pueyo, Laurent; Bechter, Eric B.; Gonzales, Erica J.

2018-02-01

The physical properties of brown dwarf companions found to orbit nearby, solar-type stars can be benchmarked against independent measures of their mass, age, chemical composition, and other parameters, offering insights into the evolution of substellar objects. The TRENDS high-contrast imaging survey has recently discovered a (mass/age/metallicity) benchmark brown dwarf orbiting the nearby (d = 18.69 ± 0.19 pc), G8V/K0V star HD 4747. We have acquired follow-up spectroscopic measurements of HD 4747 B using the Gemini Planet Imager to study its spectral type, effective temperature, surface gravity, and cloud properties. Observations obtained in the H-band and K 1-band recover the companion and reveal that it is near the L/T transition (T1 ± 2). Fitting atmospheric models to the companion spectrum, we find strong evidence for the presence of clouds. However, spectral models cannot satisfactorily fit the complete data set: while the shape of the spectrum can be well-matched in individual filters, a joint fit across the full passband results in discrepancies that are a consequence of the inherent color of the brown dwarf. We also find a 2σ tension in the companion mass, age, and surface gravity when comparing to evolutionary models. These results highlight the importance of using benchmark objects to study “secondary effects” such as metallicity, non-equilibrium chemistry, cloud parameters, electron conduction, non-adiabatic cooling, and other subtleties affecting emergent spectra. As a new L/T transition benchmark, HD 4747 B warrants further investigation into the modeling of cloud physics using higher resolution spectroscopy across a broader range of wavelengths, polarimetric observations, and continued Doppler radial velocity and astrometric monitoring.

The Viewing Geometry of Brown Dwarfs Influences Their Observed Colors and Variability Amplitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vos, Johanna M.; Allers, Katelyn N.; Biller, Beth A.

2017-06-01

In this paper we study the full sample of known Spitzer [3.6 μm] and J-band variable brown dwarfs. We calculate the rotational velocities, v\\sin I, of 16 variable brown dwarfs using archival Keck NIRSPEC data and compute the inclination angles of 19 variable brown dwarfs. The results obtained show that all objects in the sample with mid-IR variability detections are inclined at an angle > 20^\\circ , while all objects in the sample displaying J-band variability have an inclination angle > 35^\\circ . J-band variability appears to be more affected by inclination than Spitzer [3.6 μm] variability, and is strongly attenuated at lower inclinations. Since J-band observations probe deeper into the atmosphere than mid-IR observations, this effect may be due to the increased atmospheric path length of J-band flux at lower inclinations. We find a statistically significant correlation between the color anomaly and inclination of our sample, where field objects viewed equator-on appear redder than objects viewed at lower inclinations. Considering the full sample of known variable L, T, and Y spectral type objects in the literature, we find that the variability properties of the two bands display notably different trends that are due to both intrinsic differences between bands and the sensitivity of ground-based versus space-based searches. However, in both bands we find that variability amplitude may reach a maximum at ˜7-9 hr periods. Finally, we find a strong correlation between color anomaly and variability amplitude for both the J-band and mid-IR variability detections, where redder objects display higher variability amplitudes.

2MASS J0516288+260738: Discovery of the first eclipsing late K + Brown dwarf binary system?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuh, S. L.; Handler, G.; Drechsel, H.; Hauschildt, P.; Dreizler, S.; Medupe, R.; Karl, C.; Napiwotzki, R.; Kim, S.-L.; Park, B.-G.; Wood, M. A.; Paparó, M.; Szeidl, B.; Virághalmy, G.; Zsuffa, D.; Hashimoto, O.; Kinugasa, K.; Taguchi, H.; Kambe, E.; Leibowitz, E.; Ibbetson, P.; Lipkin, Y.; Nagel, T.; Göhler, E.; Pretorius, M. L.

2003-11-01

We report the discovery of a new eclipsing system less than one arcminute south of the pulsating DB white dwarf KUV 05134+2605. The object could be identified with the point source 2MASS J0516288+260738 published by the Two Micron All Sky Survey. We present and discuss the first light curves as well as some additional colour and spectral information. The eclipse period of the system is 1.29 d, and, assuming this to be identical to the orbital period, the best light curve solution yields a mass ratio of m2/m1=0.11, a radius ratio of r2/r1~ 1 and an inclination of 74o. The spectral anaylsis results in a Teff=4200 K for the primary. On this basis, we suggest that the new system probably consists of a late K + Brown dwarf (which would imply a system considerably younger than ~0.01 Gyr to have r2/r1~ 1), and outline possible future observations. This paper uses observations made at the Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory of Korea Astronomy Observatory, at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), at the 0.9 m telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory recommissioned by the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA), at Gunma Astronomical Observatory established by Gunma prefecture, Japan, at the Florence and George Wise Observatory, operated by the Tel-Aviv University, Israel and at Piszkésteto, the mountain station of Konkoly Observatory of the Hungarian Academy of Science, Hungary. This publication makes use of data products from the Two Micron All Sky Survey, a joint project of the University of Massachusetts and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center / California Institute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation. The Digitized Sky Survey was produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute under US Government grant NAG W-2166. The images of these surveys are based on photographic data obtained using the Oschin Schmidt Telescope on Palomar Mountain and the UK Schmidt Telescope. The plates were processed into the present compressed digital form with the permission of these institutions.

Long-orbital-period Prepolars Containing Early K-type Donor Stars. Bottleneck Accretion Mechanism in Action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tovmassian, G.; González–Buitrago, D.; Zharikov, S.; Reichart, D. E.; Haislip, J. B.; Ivarsen, K. M.; LaCluyze, A. P.; Moore, J. P.; Miroshnichenko, A. S.

2016-03-01

We studied two objects identified as cataclysmic variables (CVs) with periods exceeding the natural boundary for Roche-lobe-filling zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) secondary stars. We present observational results for V1082 Sgr with a 20.82 hr orbital period, an object that shows a low luminosity state when its flux is totally dominated by a chromospherically active K star with no signs of ongoing accretion. Frequent accretion shutoffs, together with characteristics of emission lines in a high state, indicate that this binary system is probably detached, and the accretion of matter on the magnetic white dwarf takes place through stellar wind from the active donor star via coupled magnetic fields. Its observational characteristics are surprisingly similar to V479 And, a 14.5 hr binary system. They both have early K-type stars as donor stars. We argue that, similar to the shorter-period prepolars containing M dwarfs, these are detached binaries with strong magnetic components. Their magnetic fields are coupled, allowing enhanced stellar wind from the K star to be captured and channeled through the bottleneck connecting the two stars onto the white dwarf’s magnetic pole, mimicking a magnetic CV. Hence, they become interactive binaries before they reach contact. This will help to explain an unexpected lack of systems possessing white dwarfs with strong magnetic fields among detached white+red dwarf systems.

THE FIRST SPECTRUM OF THE COLDEST BROWN DWARF

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Skemer, Andrew J.; Morley, Caroline V.; Fortney, Jonathan J.

2016-08-01

The recently discovered brown dwarf WISE 0855 presents the first opportunity to directly study an object outside the solar system that is nearly as cold as our own gas giant planets. However, the traditional methodology for characterizing brown dwarfs—near-infrared spectroscopy—is not currently feasible, as WISE 0855 is too cold and faint. To characterize this frozen extrasolar world we obtained a 4.5–5.2 μ m spectrum, the same bandpass long used to study Jupiter’s deep thermal emission. Our spectrum reveals the presence of atmospheric water vapor and clouds, with an absorption profile that is strikingly similar to Jupiter’s. The spectrum quality ismore » high enough to allow for the investigation of dynamical and chemical processes that have long been studied in Jupiter’s atmosphere, but now on an extrasolar world.« less

The white-dwarf cooling sequence of NGC 6791: a unique tool for stellar evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Berro, E.; Torres, S.; Renedo, I.; Camacho, J.; Althaus, L. G.; Córsico, A. H.; Salaris, M.; Isern, J.

2011-09-01

Context. NGC 6791 is a well-studied, metal-rich open cluster that is so close to us that it can be imaged down to luminosities fainter than that of the termination of its white-dwarf cooling sequence, thus allowing for an in-depth study of its white dwarf population. Aims: White dwarfs carry important information about the history of the cluster. We use observations of the white-dwarf cooling sequence to constrain important properties of the cluster stellar population, such as the existence of a putative population of massive helium-core white dwarfs, and the properties of a large population of unresolved binary white dwarfs. We also investigate the use of white dwarfs to disclose the presence of cluster subpopulations with a different initial chemical composition, and we obtain an upper bound to the fraction of hydrogen-deficient white dwarfs. Methods: We use a Monte Carlo simulator that employs up-to-date evolutionary cooling sequences for white dwarfs with hydrogen-rich and hydrogen-deficient atmospheres, with carbon-oxygen and helium cores. The cooling sequences for carbon-oxygen cores account for the delays introduced by both 22Ne sedimentation in the liquid phase and by carbon-oxygen phase separation upon crystallization. Results: We do not find evidence for a substantial fraction of helium-core white dwarfs, and hence our results support the suggestion that the origin of the bright peak of the white-dwarf luminosity function can only be attributed to a population of unresolved binary white dwarfs. Moreover, our results indicate that if this hypothesis is at the origin of the bright peak, the number distribution of secondary masses of the population of unresolved binaries has to increase with increasing mass ratio between the secondary and primary components of the progenitor system. We also find that the observed cooling sequence appears to be able to constrain the presence of progenitor subpopulations with different chemical compositions and the fraction of hydrogen-deficient white dwarfs. Conclusions: Our simulations place interesting constraints on important characteristics of the stellar populations of NGC 6791. In particular, we find that the fraction of single helium-core white dwarfs must be smaller than 5%, that a subpopulation of stars with zero metallicity must be ≲12%, while if the adopted metallicity of the subpopulation is solar the upper limit is ~8%. Finally, we also find that the fraction of hydrogen-deficient white dwarfs in this particular cluster is surprinsingly small (≲6%).

X-ray sources in dwarf galaxies in the Virgo cluster and the nearby field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papadopoulou, Marina; Phillipps, S.; Young, A. J.

2016-08-01

The extent to which dwarf galaxies represent essentially scaled down versions of giant galaxies is an important question with regards the formation and evolution of the galaxy population as a whole. Here, we address the specific question of whether dwarf galaxies behave like smaller versions of giants in terms of their X-ray properties. We discuss two samples of around 100 objects each, dwarfs in the Virgo cluster and dwarfs in a large Northern hemisphere area. We find nine dwarfs in each sample with Chandra detections. For the Virgo sample, these are in dwarf elliptical (or dwarf lenticular) galaxies and we assume that these are (mostly) low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXB) [some may be nuclear sources]. We find a detection rate entirely consistent with scaling down from massive ellipticals, viz. about one bright (I.e. LX > 1038 erg s-1) LMXB per 5 × 109 M⊙ of stars. For the field sample, we find one (known) Seyfert nucleus, in a galaxy which appears to be the lowest mass dwarf with a confirmed X-ray emitting nucleus. The other detections are in star-forming dwarf irregular or blue compact dwarf galaxies and are presumably high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXB). This time, we find a very similar detection rate to that in large late-type galaxies if we scale down by star formation rate, roughly one HMXB for a rate of 0.3 M⊙ per year. Nevertheless, there does seem to be one clear difference, in that the dwarf late-type galaxies with X-ray sources appear strongly biased to very low metallicity systems.

Spectroscopic, orbital, and physical properties of the binary Feige 24 and detection of transient He II absorption in the system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vennes, Stephane; Thorstensen, John R.

1994-01-01

We have obtained new high-dispersion optical spectroscopy at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) and new International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) spectroscopy of the white dwarf+red dwarf binary system Feige 24. The optical range shows a composite DA+dM spectrum, together with H I Balmer and He I emission. The orbital phase dependence of the emission shows that it results from extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light reprocessing in the red dwarf upper atmosphere. The systems close enough and hot enough to show this reprocessing signature only recently emerged from common-envelope evolution. The ultraviolet spectrum exclusively emanates from the white dwarf and shows numerous heavy element absorption lines. We measured accurate radial velocities of the red dwarf component motion, traced by both optical absorption and emission lines, and new radial velocities of the white dwarf, traced by ultraviolet Fe V lines. Combining these measurements, we refined the orbital parameters presented by Vennes et al. (1991), and we confirmed that the white dwarf gravitational redshift is exceptionally small with 9 +/- 2 km/s. From this we deduced that the interior is either pure helium or carbon with a thick hydrogen layer, and we derived, for the combined interior compositions, a white dwarf mass and radius of M(sub WD) = 0.44-050 solar mass and R(sub WD) = 0.028-0.036 solar radius. We suggest that Feige 24 could be a typical case of close binary evolution leading to the formation of a low-mass helium white dwarf. The mass of the red dwarf and the inclination of the system naturally follow: M(sub dM) = 0.26-0.33 solar mass, i greater than or equal to 75 deg. High-dispersion H-alpha line profiles are asymmetrical, strongly enhanced toward the blue, suggesting a moving atmosphere possibly linked to a mass loss rate of 10(exp -10) solar mass/yr. The IUE spectra taken when the system is near inferior conjunction show strong He II 1640 A absorption. The profile is highly variable in width and intensity. Because it is correlated with the passage of the white dwarf at inferior conjunction, the absorption may occur in some foreground plasma emanated by the red dwarf and accumulating near a Lagrangian point or, alternatively, it may originate in an accretion spot on the white dwarf surface coaligned with the major orbital axis. Either way, the He II detection may imply substantial mass loss from the red dwarf with a corollary reclassification of Feige 24 as a mixed He/H DAO white dwarf resulting from accretion of secondary mass-loss material. Feige 24 is the prototype of a class of young, EUV-emitting, binary systems comprising a late main sequence secondary and a hot H-rich white dwarf; the class is characterized by optical and ultraviolet photospheric He II absorption, circumstellar C IV lambda (1550) absorption, and by the presence of EUV-induced, phase-dependent Balmer fluorescence. These young systems present the best opportunity to constrain theory of common-envelope evolution.

SLoWPoKES-II: 100,000 WIDE BINARIES IDENTIFIED IN SDSS WITHOUT PROPER MOTIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dhital, Saurav; West, Andrew A.; Schluns, Kyle J.

2015-08-15

We present the Sloan Low-mass Wide Pairs of Kinematically Equivalent Stars (SLoWPoKES)-II catalog of low-mass visual binaries identified from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) by matching photometric distances. The candidate pairs are vetted by comparing the stellar information. The candidate pairs are vetted by comparing the stellar density at their respective Galactic positions to Monte Carlo realizations of a simulated Milky Way. In this way, we are able to identify large numbers of bona fide wide binaries without the need for proper motions. Here, 105,537 visual binaries with angular separations of ∼1–20″ were identified, each with a probability ofmore » chance alignment of ≤5%. This is the largest catalog of bona fide wide binaries to date, and it contains a diversity of systems—in mass, mass ratios, binary separations, metallicity, and evolutionary states—that should facilitate follow-up studies to characterize the properties of M dwarfs and white dwarfs. There is a subtle but definitive suggestion of multiple populations in the physical separation distribution, supporting earlier findings. We suggest that wide binaries are composed of multiple populations, most likely representing different formation modes. There are 141 M7 or later wide binary candidates, representing a seven-fold increase over the number currently known. These binaries are too wide to have been formed via the ejection mechanism. Finally, we found that 6% of spectroscopically confirmed M dwarfs are not included in the SDSS STAR catalog; they are misclassified as extended sources due to the presence of a nearby or partially resolved companion. The SLoWPoKES-II catalog is publicly available to the entire community on the World Wide Web via the Filtergraph data visualization portal.« less

A study of circumstellar disk properties in low-mass stars and brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riaz, Basmah

We present Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC and MIPS observations for a sample of eight M dwarfs: six dMe, one dM, and one sdMe star. All of our targets are found to have Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) which are fitted within the error bars by a purely photospheric spectrum out to 24m m . The estimated ages for all are >10 Myr, suggesting that enough disk dissipation has occurred within the inner several AU of the star. Scaling from Houdebine's model of the AU Mic chromosphere, we have computed the free-free infrared excesses for a range of densities. Our Spitzer 24m m data shows that the chromospheres in two of our targets are less dense than in AU Mic by a factor of 10 or more. Our models also indicate that the chromospheric contribution to the observed AU Mic emission at submillimeter wavelengths is only about 2%. We present Spitzer IRAC, MIPS and IRS observations for three sub-stellar members of the TW Hydrae Association (TWA): 2MASSW J1207334-393254 (2M1207), SSSPM J1102-3431 (SSSPM 1102), and 2MASS J1139511-315921 (2M1139). The near- to mid-infrared SEDs indicate the presence of flat optically thick disks around 2M1207 and SSSPM 1102, and a transition disk around 2M1139. 2M1207 shows absorption in the 10 m m silicate feature, with a peak near 11.3 m m due to crystalline forsterite. The absorption can be attributed to a close to edge-on disk. No silicate absorption/emission is observed towards SSSPM 1102. We have performed detailed modeling of these two brown dwarf disks. The best-fits have been obtained using a flat disk of mass 10 -4 [Special characters omitted.] , M of 10 -10 [Special characters omitted.] /yr, and an inclination angle of 75=B0 for 2M1207, whereas a disk mass of 10 -5 [Special characters omitted.] , M of 10 -11 [Special characters omitted.] /yr, and an inclination angle of 63° provides a good fit to SSSPM 1102. Modeling of the 10 m m silicate feature requires the presence of large (>50 m m ) grains in the disk midplane, which indicates substantial grain growth and dust settling in both brown dwarf disks. Our analysis of the stellar and sub-stellar members of the TWA indicates that while only 6 out of 25 stellar members show excess emission at these mid- infrared wavelengths, all of the TWA brown dwarfs that have been observed so far with Spitzer show signs of disks around them, resulting in a disk fraction of at least 60%. A comparison with younger clusters indicates that by the age of the TWA (~10 Myr), the disk fraction for brown dwarfs has not decreased, whereas it drops by a factor of ~2 for the higher mass stars. This suggests longer disk decay time scales for brown dwarfs compared to higher mass stars.

MARVELS Radial Velocity Solutions to Seven Kepler Eclipsing Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heslar, Michael Francis; Thomas, Neil B.; Ge, Jian; Ma, Bo; Herczeg, Alec; Reyes, Alan; SDSS-III MARVELS Team

2016-01-01

Eclipsing binaries serve momentous purposes to improve the basis of understanding aspects of stellar astrophysics, such as the accurate calculation of the physical parameters of stars and the enigmatic mass-radius relationship of M and K dwarfs. We report the investigation results of 7 eclipsing binary candidates, initially identified by the Kepler mission, overlapped with the radial velocity observations from the SDSS-III Multi-Object APO Radial-Velocity Exoplanet Large-Area Survey (MARVELS). The RV extractions and spectroscopic solutions of these eclipsing binaries were generated by the University of Florida's 1D data pipeline with a median RV precision of ~60-100 m/s, which was utilized for the DR12 data release. We performed the cross-reference fitting of the MARVELS RV data and the Kepler photometric fluxes obtained from the Kepler Eclipsing Binary Catalog (V2) and modelled the 7 eclipsing binaries in the BinaryMaker3 and PHOEBE programs. This analysis accurately determined the absolute physical and orbital parameters of each binary. Most of the companion stars were determined to have masses of K and M dwarf stars (0.3-0.8 M⊙), and allowed for an investigation into the mass-radius relationship of M and K dwarfs. Among the cases are KIC 9163796, a 122.2 day period "heartbeat star", a recently-discovered class of eccentric binaries known for tidal distortions and pulsations, with a high eccentricity (e~0.75) and KIC 11244501, a 0.29 day period, contact binary with a double-lined spectrum and mass ratio (q~0.45). We also report on the possible reclassification of 2 Kepler eclipsing binary candidates as background eclipsing binaries based on the analysis of the flux measurements, flux ratios of the spectroscopic and photometric solutions, the differences in the FOVs, the image processing of Kepler, and RV and spectral analysis of MARVELS.

POLARIMETRIC DETECTION OF EXOPLANETS TRANSITING T AND L BROWN DWARFS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sengupta, Sujan, E-mail: sujan@iiap.res.in

While scattering of light by atoms and molecules yields large amounts of polarization at the B-band of both T and L dwarfs, scattering by dust grains in the cloudy atmosphere of L dwarfs gives rise to significant polarization at the far-optical and infrared wavelengths where these objects are much brighter. However, the observable disk-averaged polarization should be zero if the clouds are uniformly distributed and the object is spherically symmetric. Therefore, in order to explain the observed large polarization of several L dwarfs, rotation-induced oblateness or horizontally inhomogeneous cloud distribution in the atmosphere is invoked. On the other hand, whenmore » an extra-solar planet of Earth-size or larger transits the brown dwarf along the line of sight, the asymmetry induced during the transit gives rise to a net non-zero, time-dependent polarization. Employing atmospheric models for a range of effective temperature and surface gravity appropriate for T and L dwarfs, I derive the time-dependent polarization profiles of these objects during the transit phase and estimate the peak amplitude of polarization that occurs during the inner contact points of the transit ingress/egress phase. It is found that peak polarization in the range of 0.2%–1.0% at I and J band may arise of cloudy L dwarfs occulted by Earth-size or larger exoplanets. Such an amount of polarization is higher than what can be produced by rotation-induced oblateness of even rapidly rotating L dwarfs. Hence, I suggest that time-resolved imaging polarization could be a potential technique for detecting transiting exoplanets around L dwarfs.« less

Identifying nearby field T dwarfs in the UKIDSS Galactic Clusters Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lodieu, N.; Burningham, B.; Hambly, N. C.; Pinfield, D. J.

2009-07-01

We present the discovery of two new late-T dwarfs identified in the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Galactic Clusters Survey (GCS) Data Release 2 (DR2). These T dwarfs are nearby old T dwarfs along the line of sight to star-forming regions and open clusters targeted by the UKIDSS GCS. They are found towards the αPer cluster and Orion complex, respectively, from a search in 54deg2 surveyed in five filters. Photometric candidates were picked up in two-colour diagrams, in a very similar manner to candidates extracted from the UKIDSS Large Area Survey (LAS) but taking advantage of the Z filter employed by the GCS. Both candidates exhibit near-infrared J-band spectra with strong methane and water absorption bands characteristic of late-T dwarfs. We derive spectral types of T6.5 +/- 0.5 and T7 +/- 1 and estimate photometric distances less than 50 pc for UGCS J030013.86+490142.5 and UGCS J053022.52-052447.4, respectively. The space density of T dwarfs found in the GCS seems consistent with discoveries in the larger areal coverage of the UKIDSS LAS, indicating one T dwarf in 6-11deg2. The final area surveyed by the GCS, 1000deg2 in five passbands, will allow expansion of the LAS search area by 25 per cent, increase the probability of finding ultracool brown dwarfs, and provide optimal estimates of contamination by old field brown dwarfs in deep surveys to identify such objects in open clusters and star-forming regions. Based on observations made with the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope, operated by the Joint Astronomy Centre on behalf of the U.K. Science Technology and Facility Council. E-mail: nlodieu@iac.es

A Gemini snapshot survey for double degenerates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilic, Mukremin; Brown, Warren R.; Gianninas, A.; Curd, Brandon; Bell, Keaton J.; Allende Prieto, Carlos

2017-11-01

We present the results from a Gemini snapshot radial-velocity survey of 44 low-mass white-dwarf candidates selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopy. To find sub-hour orbital period binary systems, our time-series spectroscopy had cadences of 2-8 min over a period of 20-30 min. Through follow-up observations at Gemini and the MMT, we identify four double-degenerate binary systems with periods ranging from 53 min to 7 h. The shortest period system, SDSS J123549.88+154319.3, was recently identified as a sub-hour period detached binary by Breedt and collaborators. Here, we refine the orbital and physical parameters of this system. High-speed and time-domain survey photometry observations do not reveal eclipses or other photometric effects in any of our targets. We compare the period distribution of these four systems with the orbital period distribution of known double white dwarfs; the median period decreases from 0.64 to 0.24 d for M = 0.3-0.5 M⊙ to M < 0.3 M⊙ white dwarfs. However, we do not find a statistically significant correlation between the orbital period and white-dwarf mass.

Studies of Binary Pulsar Evolution Through Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of White Dwarf Companions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundgren, S. C.; Foster, R. S.; Camilo, F.

1995-12-01

In observations of six binary millisecond pulsars with the Hubble Space Telescope, we have discovered white dwarf companions to PSRs J0034-0534, J1022+1001, and J1713+0747 and improved photometry on PSRs J1640+2224 and J2145-0750. The companion to PSR J2019+2425 was not detected down to m_I=25.4. For the five companions detected, effective temperatures were estimated for the colors measured. Two of the white dwarfs, J0034-0534 and J1713+0747, are among the coolest and oldest known. Using distance estimates to the pulsars, the absolute luminosities were determined. Constrains on the masses and cooling times were obtained from the luminosities and temperatures. The results for each pulsar were related to expectations based on models for white dwarf cooling, Roche lobe overflow in the preceding low-mass X-ray binary phase, and mass accretion rate/neutron star spin period relations. Precision pulsar astrophysics at the Naval Research Laboratory is supported by the Office of Naval Research. SL is supported by a post-doctoral fellowship through the National Research Council. FC acknowledges support from NSF grant AST 91-15103 and a fellowship under the auspices of the European Commission.

Model Atmospheres and Spectra for Extrasolar Giant Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freedman, Richard S.; Beebe, Reta (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

In the past few years much new observational data has become available for brown dwarfs and extra solar planets. Not only are new objects being discovered but the availability of higher resolution spectra is improving. This allows a better comparison between the models and the available data, and places new constraints on the models which now have to be made more physically realistic in order to better interpret the observations. Under this grant, an array of new opacities were calculated and successfully applied to a variety of physical situations that were used as input to model available observations of brown dwarfs and extra solar giant planets.

A search for J-band variability from late-L and T brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, F. J.; Hodgkin, S. T.; Oppenheimer, B. R.; Robertson, J.; Haubois, X.

2008-06-01

We present J-band photometric observations of eight late-L and T type brown dwarfs designed to search for variability. We detect small amplitude periodic variability from three of the objects on time-scales of several hours, probably indicating the rotation period of the objects. The other targets do not show any variability down to the level of 0.5-5 per cent This work is based on observations obtained at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile (ESO Programme 72.C-0006). E-mail: fclarke@astro.ox.ac.uk (FJC); sth@ast.cam.ac.uk (STH); bro@amnh.org (BRO); xavier.haubois@obspm.fr (XH)

A Venus-mass Planet Orbiting a Brown Dwarf: A Missing Link between Planets and Moons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Udalski, A.; Jung, Y. K.; Han, C.; Gould, A.; Kozłowski, S.; Skowron, J.; Poleski, R.; Soszyński, I.; Pietrukowicz, P.; Mróz, P.; Szymański, M. K.; Wyrzykowski, Ł.; Ulaczyk, K.; Pietrzyński, G.; Shvartzvald, Y.; Maoz, D.; Kaspi, S.; Gaudi, B. S.; Hwang, K.-H.; Choi, J.-Y.; Shin, I.-G.; Park, H.; Bozza, V.

2015-10-01

The co-planarity of solar system planets led Kant to suggest that they formed from an accretion disk, and the discovery of hundreds of such disks around young stars as well as hundreds of co-planar planetary systems by the Kepler satellite demonstrate that this formation mechanism is extremely widespread. Many moons in the solar system, such as the Galilean moons of Jupiter, also formed out of the accretion disks that coalesced into the giant planets. Here we report the discovery of an intermediate system, OGLE-2013-BLG-0723LB/Bb, composed of a Venus-mass planet orbiting a brown dwarf, which may be viewed either as a scaled-down version of a planet plus a star or as a scaled-up version of a moon plus a planet orbiting a star. The latter analogy can be further extended since they orbit in the potential of a larger, stellar body. For ice-rock companions formed in the outer parts of accretion disks, like Uranus and Callisto, the scaled masses and separations of the three types of systems are similar, leading us to suggest that the formation processes of companions within accretion disks around stars, brown dwarfs, and planets are similar.

AEOLUS: A MARKOV CHAIN MONTE CARLO CODE FOR MAPPING ULTRACOOL ATMOSPHERES. AN APPLICATION ON JUPITER AND BROWN DWARF HST LIGHT CURVES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karalidi, Theodora; Apai, Dániel; Schneider, Glenn

Deducing the cloud cover and its temporal evolution from the observed planetary spectra and phase curves can give us major insight into the atmospheric dynamics. In this paper, we present Aeolus, a Markov chain Monte Carlo code that maps the structure of brown dwarf and other ultracool atmospheres. We validated Aeolus on a set of unique Jupiter Hubble Space Telescope (HST) light curves. Aeolus accurately retrieves the properties of the major features of the Jovian atmosphere, such as the Great Red Spot and a major 5 μm hot spot. Aeolus is the first mapping code validated on actual observations of amore » giant planet over a full rotational period. For this study, we applied Aeolus to J- and H-band HST light curves of 2MASS J21392676+0220226 and 2MASS J0136565+093347. Aeolus retrieves three spots at the top of the atmosphere (per observational wavelength) of these two brown dwarfs, with a surface coverage of 21% ± 3% and 20.3% ± 1.5%, respectively. The Jupiter HST light curves will be publicly available via ADS/VIZIR.« less

The Snapshot A-Star SurveY (SASSY)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garani, Jasmine; Nielsen, Eric L.; Marchis, Franck; Liu, Michael C.; Macintosh, Bruce; Rajan, Abhijith; De Rosa, Robert J.; Wang, Jason; Esposito, Thomas; Best, William M. J.; Bowler, Brendan P.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Ruffio, Jean-Baptise

2017-01-01

We present the Snapshot A-Star SurveY (SASSY), an adaptive optics survey conducted using NIRC2 on the Keck II telescope to search for young, self-luminious planets and brown dwarfs (M > 5MJup) around high mass stars (M > 1.5 M⊙). We describe a custom data-reduction pipeline developed for the coronagraphic observations of our 200 target stars. Our data analysis method includes basic near infrared data processing (flat-field correction, bad pixel removal, distortion correction) as well as performing PSF subtraction through a Reference Differential Imaging algorithm based on a library of PSFs derived from the observations using the pyKLIP routine. We present early results from the survey including planet and brown dwarf candidates and the status of ongoing follow-up observations. Utilizing the high contrast of Keck NIRC2 coronagraphic observations, SASSY reaches sensitivity to brown dwarfs and planetary mass companions at separations between 0.6'' and 4''. With over 200 stars observed we are tripling the number of high-mass stars imaged at these contrasts and sensitivities compared to previous surveys. This work was supported by the NSF REU program at the SETI Institute and NASA grant NNX14AJ80G.

On Stellar Winds as a Source of Mass: Applying Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton Accretion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Detweiler, L. G.; Yates, K.; Siem, E.

2017-12-01

The interaction between planets orbiting stars and the stellar wind that stars emit is investigated and explored. The main goal of this research is to devise a method of calculating the amount of mass accumulated by an arbitrary planet from the stellar wind of its parent star via accretion processes. To achieve this goal, the Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton (BHL) mass accretion rate equation and model is employed. In order to use the BHL equation, various parameters of the stellar wind is required to be known, including the velocity, density, and speed of sound of the wind. In order to create a method that is applicable to arbitrary planets orbiting arbitrary stars, Eugene Parker's isothermal stellar wind model is used to calculate these stellar wind parameters. In an isothermal wind, the speed of sound is simple to compute, however the velocity and density equations are transcendental and so the solutions must be approximated using a numerical approximation method. By combining Eugene Parker's isothermal stellar wind model with the BHL accretion equation, a method for computing planetary accretion rates inside a star's stellar wind is realized. This method is then applied to a variety of scenarios. First, this method is used to calculate the amount of mass that our solar system's planets will accrete from the solar wind throughout our Sun's lifetime. Then, some theoretical situations are considered. We consider the amount of mass various brown dwarfs would accrete from the solar wind of our Sun throughout its lifetime if they were orbiting the Sun at Jupiter's distance. For very high mass brown dwarfs, a significant amount of mass is accreted. In the case of the brown dwarf 15 Sagittae B, it actually accretes enough mass to surpass the mass limit for hydrogen fusion. Since 15 Sagittae B is orbiting a star that is very similar to our Sun, this encouraged making calculations for 15 Sagittae B orbiting our Sun at its true distance from its star, 15 Sagittae. It was found that at this distance, it does not accrete enough mass to surpass the mass limit for hydrogen fusion. Finally, we apply this method to brown dwarfs orbiting a 15 solar mass star at Jupiter's distance. It is found that a significantly smaller amount of mass is accreted when compared to the same brown dwarfs orbiting our Sun at the same distance.

Correcting Velocity Dispersions of Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies for Binary Orbital Motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minor, Quinn E.; Martinez, Greg; Bullock, James; Kaplinghat, Manoj; Trainor, Ryan

2010-10-01

We show that the measured velocity dispersions of dwarf spheroidal galaxies from about 4 to 10 km s-1 are unlikely to be inflated by more than 30% due to the orbital motion of binary stars and demonstrate that the intrinsic velocity dispersions can be determined to within a few percent accuracy using two-epoch observations with 1-2 yr as the optimal time interval. The crucial observable is the threshold fraction—the fraction of stars that show velocity changes larger than a given threshold between measurements. The threshold fraction is tightly correlated with the dispersion introduced by binaries, independent of the underlying binary fraction and distribution of orbital parameters. We outline a simple procedure to correct the velocity dispersion to within a few percent accuracy by using the threshold fraction and provide fitting functions for this method. We also develop a methodology for constraining properties of binary populations from both single- and two-epoch velocity measurements by including the binary velocity distribution in a Bayesian analysis.

Mid infrared observations of Van Maanen 2: no substellar companion.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farihi, J; Becklin, E; Macintosh, B

2004-11-03

The results of a comprehensive infrared imaging search for the putative 0.06 M{sub {circle_dot}} astrometric companion to the 4.4 pc white dwarf van Mannen 2 are reported. Adaptive optics images acquired at 3.8 {micro}m reveal a diffraction limited core of 0.09 inch and no direct evidence of a secondary. Models predict that at 5 Gyr, a 50 M{sub J} brown dwarf would be only 1 magnitude fainter than van Maanen 2 at this wavelength and the astrometric analysis suggested a separation of 0.2 inch. In the case of a chance alignment along the line of sight, a 0.4 mag excessmore » should be measured. An independent photometric observation at the same wavelength reveals no excess. In addition, there exist published ISO observations of van Maanen 2 at 6.8 {micro}m and 15.0 {micro}m which are consistent with photospheric flux of a 6750 K white dwarf. If recent brown dwarf models are correct, there is no substellar companion with T{sub eff} {approx}> 500 K.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qian, S.-B.; Zhu, L.-Y.; Liao, W.-P.

HS 0705+6700 is a short-period (P = 2.3 hr), close binary containing a hot sdB-type primary and a fully convective secondary. We have monitored this eclipsing binary for more than two years and as a result, 32 times of light minimum were obtained. Based on our new eclipse times together with these compiled from the literature, it is discovered that the observed-calculated curve of HS 0705+6700 shows a cyclic variation with a period of 7.15 years and a semiamplitude of 92.4 s. The periodic change was analyzed for the light-travel time effect that may be due to the presence ofmore » a tertiary companion. The mass of the third body is determined to be M {sub 3}sin i' = 0.0377({+-}0.0043) M {sub sun} when a total mass of 0.617 M {sub sun} for HS 0705+6700 is adopted. For orbital inclinations i' {>=} 32.{sup 0}8, the mass of the tertiary component would be below the stable hydrogen-burning limit of M {sub 3} {approx} 0.072 M {sub sun}, and thus it would be a brown dwarf. The third body is orbiting the sdB-type binary at a distance shorter than 3.6 AU. HS 0705+6700 was formed through the evolution of a common envelope after the primary becomes a red giant. The detection of a substellar companion in HS 0705+6700 system at this distance from the binary could give some constraints on stellar evolution in such systems and the interactions between red giants and their companions.« less

Recombination energy in double white dwarf formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nandez, J. L. A.; Ivanova, N.; Lombardi, J. C.

2015-06-01

In this Letter, we investigate the role of recombination energy during a common envelope event. We confirm that taking this energy into account helps to avoid the formation of the circumbinary envelope commonly found in previous studies. For the first time, we can model a complete common envelope event, with a clean compact double white dwarf binary system formed at the end. The resulting binary orbit is almost perfectly circular. In addition to considering recombination energy, we also show that between 1/4 and 1/2 of the released orbital energy is taken away by the ejected material. We apply this new method to the case of the double white dwarf system WD 1101+364, and we find that the progenitor system at the start of the common envelope event consisted of an ˜1.5 M⊙ red giant star in an ˜30 d orbit with a white dwarf companion.

Microlensing Discovery of an Earth-Mass Planet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-04-01

What do we know about planet formation around stars that are so light that they cant fuse hydrogen in their cores? The new discovery of an Earth-mass planet orbiting what is likely a brown dwarf may help us better understand this process.Planets Around Brown Dwarfs?Comparison of the sizes of the Sun, a low-mass star, a brown dwarf, Jupiter, and Earth. [NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCB]Planets are thought to form from the material inprotoplanetary disks around their stellar hosts. But the lowest-mass end of the stellar spectrum brown dwarfs, substellar objects so light that they straddle the boundary between planet and star will have correspondingly light disks. Do brown dwarfs disks typically have enough mass to form Earth-mass planets?To answer this question, scientists have searched for planets around brown dwarfs with marginal success. Thus far, only four such planets have been found and these systems may not be typical, since they were discovered via direct imaging. To build a more representative sample, wed like to discover exoplanets around brown dwarfs via a method that doesnt rely on imaging the faint light of the system.A diagram of how planets are detected via gravitational microlensing. The detectable planet is in orbit around the foreground lens star. [NASA]Lensed Light as a GiveawayConveniently, such a method exists and its recently been used to make a major discovery! The planet OGLE-2016-BLG-1195Lb was detected as a result of a gravitational microlensing event that was observed both from the ground and from space.The discovery of a planet via microlensing occurs when the light of a distant source star is magnified by a passing foreground star hosting a planet. The light curve of the source shows a distinctive magnification signature as a result of the gravitational lensing from the foreground star, and the gravitational field of the lensing stars planet can add its own detectable blip to the curve.OGLE-2016-BLG-1195LbThe magnification curve of OGLE-2016-BLG-1195. The peak in the curve in (a) shows the main microlensing by the lens star. An additional blip just after the peak, shown in detail in inset (b), shows the additional lensing by the planet. [Shvartzvald et al. 2017]A team of scientists led by Yossi Shvartzvald (NASA Postdoctoral Fellow at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory) have now presented the discovery of planet OGLE-2016-BLG-1195Lb, which was made using both ground-based (the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network) and space-based (Spitzer) observations of a microlensing event. The combination of these observations allowed the team to determine a number of properties of the system.The teams models indicate that the host is a 0.072 solar-mass ( 74 Jupiter-mass) star, which if it has the same metallicity as the Sun likely lies just below the hydrogen-burning mass limit. A 1.3 Earth-mass planet is orbiting it at a projected separation of 1.11 AU. The system lies in the galactic disk, roughly 13,700 light-years away.Looking to the FutureThis discovery confirms that the protoplanetary disks of ultracool dwarfs do, in fact, contain enough mass to form terrestrial planets. In addition, the find represents a remarkable technical achievement. OGLE-2016-BLG-1195Lb is the lowest-mass planet ever detected using gravitational microlensing, which bodeswell for continued and future microlensing campaigns with high cadences and high detection sensitivity. With luck well soon be able to expand our sample of planets discovered around these unusual hosts, allowing us to build statistics and better understand how and where these planets form.CitationY. Shvartzvald et al 2017 ApJL 840 L3. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa6d09

Is This Speck of Light an Exoplanet?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2004-09-01

VLT Images and Spectra of Intriguing Object near Young Brown Dwarf [1] Summary Is this newly discovered feeble point of light the long-sought bona-fide image of an exoplanet? A research paper by an international team of astronomers [2] provides sound arguments in favour, but the definitive answer is now awaiting further observations. On several occasions during the past years, astronomical images revealed faint objects, seen near much brighter stars. Some of these have been thought to be those of orbiting exoplanets, but after further study, none of them could stand up to the real test. Some turned out to be faint stellar companions, others were entirely unrelated background stars. This one may well be different. In April of this year, the team of European and American astronomers detected a faint and very red point of light very near (at 0.8 arcsec angular distance) a brown-dwarf object, designated 2MASSWJ1207334-393254. Also known as "2M1207", this is a "failed star", i.e. a body too small for major nuclear fusion processes to have ignited in its interior and now producing energy by contraction. It is a member of the TW Hydrae stellar association located at a distance of about 230 light-years. The discovery was made with the adaptive-optics supported NACO facility [3] at the 8.2-m VLT Yepun telescope at the ESO Paranal Observatory (Chile). The feeble object is more than 100 times fainter than 2M1207 and its near-infrared spectrum was obtained with great efforts in June 2004 by NACO, at the technical limit of the powerful facility. This spectrum shows the signatures of water molecules and confirms that the object must be comparatively small and light. None of the available observations contradict that it may be an exoplanet in orbit around 2M1207. Taking into account the infrared colours and the spectral data, evolutionary model calculations point to a 5 jupiter-mass planet in orbit around 2M1207. Still, they do not yet allow a clear-cut decision about the real nature of this intriguing object. Thus, the astronomers refer to it as a "Giant Planet Candidate Companion (GPCC)" [4]. Observations will now be made to ascertain whether the motion in the sky of GPCC is compatible with that of a planet orbiting 2M1207. This should become evident within 1-2 years at the most. PR Photo 26a/04: NACO image of the brown dwarf object 2M1207 and GPCC PR Photo 26b/04: Near-infrared spectrum of the brown dwarf object 2M1207 and GPCC PR Photo 26c/04: Comparison between the possible 2M1207 system and the solar system Just a speck of light ESO PR Photo 26a/04 ESO PR Photo 26a/04 The Brown Dwarf Object 2M1207 and GPCC [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 471 pix - 65k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 942 pix - 158k] Caption: ESO PR Photo 26a/04 is a composite image of the brown dwarf object 2M1207 (centre) and the fainter object seen near it, at an angular distance of 778 milliarcsec. Designated "Giant Planet Candidate Companion" by the discoverers, it may represent the first image of an exoplanet. Further observations, in particular of its motion in the sky relative to 2M1207 are needed to ascertain its true nature. The photo is based on three near-infrared exposures (in the H, K and L' wavebands) with the NACO adaptive-optics facility at the 8.2-m VLT Yepun telescope at the ESO Paranal Observatory. Since 1998, a team of European and American astronomers [2] is studying the environment of young, nearby "stellar associations", i.e., large conglomerates of mostly young stars and the dust and gas clouds from which they were recently formed. The stars in these associations are ideal targets for the direct imaging of sub-stellar companions (planets or brown dwarf objects). The leader of the team, ESO astronomer Gael Chauvin notes that "whatever their nature, sub-stellar objects are much hotter and brighter when young - tens of millions of years - and therefore can be more easily detected than older objects of similar mass". The team especially focused on the study of the TW Hydrae Association. It is located in the direction of the constellation Hydra (The Water-Snake) deep down in the southern sky, at a distance of about 230 light-years. For this, they used the NACO facility [3] at the 8.2-m VLT Yepun telescope, one of the four giant telescopes at the ESO Paranal Observatory in northern Chile. The instrument's adaptive optics (AO) overcome the distortion induced by atmospheric turbulence, producing extremely sharp near-infrared images. The infrared wavefront sensor was an essential component of the AO system for the success of these observations. This unique instrument senses the deformation of the near-infrared image, i.e. in a wavelength region where objects like 2M1207 (see below) are much brighter than in the visible range. The TW Hydrae Association contains a star with an orbiting brown dwarf companion, approximately 20 times the mass of Jupiter, and four stars surrounded by dusty proto-planetary disks. Brown dwarf objects are "failed stars", i.e. bodies too small for nuclear processes to have ignited in their interior and now producing energy by contraction. They emit almost no visible light. Like the Sun and the giant planets in the solar system, they are composed mainly of hydrogen gas, perhaps with swirling cloud belts. On a series of exposures made through different optical filters, the astronomers discovered a tiny red speck of light, only 0.8 arcsec from the TW Hydrae Association brown-dwarf object 2MASSWJ1207334-393254, or just "2M1207", cf. PR Photo 26a/04. The feeble image is more than 100 times fainter than that of 2M1207. "If these images had been obtained without adaptive optics, that object would not have been seen," says Gael Chauvin. Christophe Dumas, another member of the team, is enthusiastic: "The thrill of seeing this faint source of light in real-time on the instrument display was unbelievable. Although it is surely much bigger than a terrestrial-size object, it is a strange feeling that it may indeed be the first planetary system beyond our own ever imaged." Exoplanet or Brown Dwarf? ESO PR Photo 26b/04 ESO PR Photo 26b/04 The Brown Dwarf Object 2M1207 and GPCC [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 486 pix - 102k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 912 pix - 234k] Caption: ESO PR Photo 26b/04 shows near-infrared H-band spectra of the brown dwarf object 2M1207 and the fainter "GPCC" object seen near it, obtained with the NACO facility at the 8.2-m VLT Yepun telescope. In the upper part, the spectrum of 2M1207 (fully drawn blue curve) is compared with that of another substellar object (T513; dashed line); in the lower, the (somewhat noisy) spectrum of GPCC (fully drawn red curve) is compared with two substellar objects of different types (2M0301 and SDSS0539). The spectrum of GPCC is clearly very similar to these, confirming the substellar nature of this body. The broad dips at the left and the right are clear signatures of water in the (atmospheres of the) objects. What is the nature of this faint object [4]? Could it be an exoplanet in orbit around that young brown dwarf object at a projected distance of about 8,250 million km (about twice the distance between the Sun and Neptune)? "If the candidate companion of 2M1207 is really a planet, this would be the first time that a gravitationally bound exoplanet has been imaged around a star or a brown dwarf" says Benjamin Zuckerman of UCLA, a member of the team and also of NASA's Astrobiology Institute. Using high-angular-resolution spectroscopy with the NACO facility, the team has confirmed the substellar status of this object - now referred to as the "Giant Planet Candidate Companion (GPCC)" - by identifying broad water-band absorptions in its atmosphere, cf. PR Photo 26b/04. The spectrum of a young and hot planet - as the GPCC may well be - will have strong similarities with an older and more massive object such as a brown dwarf. However, when it cools down after a few tens of millions of years, such an object will show the spectral signatures of a giant gaseous planet like those in our own solar system. Although the spectrum of GPCC is quite "noisy" because of its faintness, the team was able to assign to it a spectral characterization that excludes a possible contamination by extra-galactic objects or late-type cool stars with abnormal infrared excess, located beyond the brown dwarf. After a very careful study of all options, the team found that, although this is statistically very improbable, the possibility that this object could be an older and more massive, foreground or background, cool brown dwarf cannot be completely excluded. The related detailed analysis is available in the resulting research paper that has been accepted for publication in the European journal Astronomy & Astrophysics (see below). Implications The brown dwarf 2M1207 has approximately 25 times the mass of Jupiter and is thus about 42 times lighter than the Sun. As a member of the TW Hydrae Association, it is about eight million years old. Because our solar system is 4,600 million years old, there is no way to directly measure how the Earth and other planets formed during the first tens of millions of years following the formation of the Sun. But, if astronomers can study the vicinity of young stars which are now only tens of millions of years old, then by witnessing a variety of planetary systems that are now forming, they will be able to understand much more accurately our own distant origins. Anne-Marie Lagrange, a member of the team from the Grenoble Observatory (France), looks towards the future: "Our discovery represents a first step towards opening a whole new field in astrophysics: the imaging and spectroscopic study of planetary systems. Such studies will enable astronomers to characterize the physical structure and chemical composition of giant and, eventually, terrestrial-like planets." Follow-up observations ESO PR Photo 26c/04 ESO PR Photo 26c/04 Comparison between the solar and 2M1207 systems [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 190 pix - 38k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 397 pix - 86k] [HiRes - JPEG: 2000 x 948 pix - 326k] Caption: ESO PR Photo 26c/04 shows for illustration a comparison between the solar system and the brown dwarf object 2M1207 system with its possible planet at 55 AU distance. The sizes of the objects are drawn to the same scale, but the distances have been strongly compressed. Taking into account the infrared colours and the spectral data available for GPCC, evolutionary model calculations point to a 5 jupiter-mass planet, about 55 times more distant from 2M1207 than the Earth is from the Sun (55 AU). The surface temperature appears to be about 10 times hotter than Jupiter, about 1000 °C; this is easily explained by the amount of energy that must be liberated during the current rate of contraction of this young object (indeed, the much older giant planet Jupiter is still producing energy in its interior). The astronomers will now continue their research to confirm or deny whether they have in fact discovered an exoplanet. Over the next few years, they expect to establish beyond doubt whether the object is indeed a planet in orbit around the brown dwarf 2M1207 by watching how the two objects move through space and to learn whether or not they move together. They will also measure the brightness of the GPCC at multiple wavelengths and more spectral observations may be attempted. There is no doubt that future programmes to image exoplanets around nearby stars, either from the ground with extremely large telescopes equipped with specially designed adaptive optics, or from space with special planet-finder telescopes, will greatly profit from current technological achievements. More information The results presented in this ESO Press Release are based on a research paper ("A Giant Planet Candidate near a Young Brown Dwarf" by G. Chauvin et al.) that has been accepted for publication and will appear in the leading research journal "Astronomy and Astrophysics" on September 23, 2004 (Vol. 425, Issue 2, page L29). A preprint is available here and also as astro-ph0409323. Notes [1]: This press release is issued simultaneously by ESO and CNRS (in French). [2]: The team consists of Gael Chauvin and Christophe Dumas (ESO-Chile), Anne-Marie Lagrange and Jean-Luc Beuzit (LAOG, Grenoble, France), Benjamin Zuckerman and Inseok Song (UCLA, Los Angeles, USA), David Mouillet (LAOMP, Tarbes, France) and Patrick Lowrance (IPAC, Pasadena, USA). The American members of the team acknowledge funding in part by NASA's Astrobiology Institute. [3]: The NACO facility (from NAOS/Nasmyth Adaptive Optics System and CONICA/Near-Infrared Imager and Spectrograph) at the 8.2-m VLT Yepun telescope on Paranal offers the capability to produce diffraction-limited near-infrared images of astronomical objects. It senses the radiation in this wavelength region with the N90C10 dichroic; 90 percent of the flux is transmitted to the wavefront sensor and 10 percent to the near-infrared camera CONICA. This mode is particularly useful for sharp imaging of red and very-low-mass stellar or substellar objects. The adaptive optics corrector (NAOS) was built, under an ESO contract, by Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA), Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (LAOG) and the LESIA and GEPI laboratories of the Observatoire de Paris in France, in collaboration with ESO. The CONICA camera was built, under an ESO contract, by the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (MPIA) (Heidelberg) and the Max-Planck Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE) (Garching) in Germany, in collaboration with ESO. [4]: What is the difference between a small brown dwarf and an exoplanet ? The border line between the two is still being investigated but it appears that a brown dwarf object is formed in the same way as stars, i.e. by contraction in an interstellar cloud while planets are formed within stable circumstellar disks via collision/accretion of planetesimals or disk instabilities. This implies that brown dwarfs are formed faster (less than 1 million years) than planets (~10 million years). Another way of separating the two kinds of objects is by mass (as this is also done between brown dwarfs and stars): (giant) planets are lighter than about 13 jupiter-masses (the critical mass needed to ignite deuterium fusion), brown dwarfs are heavier. Unfortunately, the first definition cannot be used in practice, e.g., when detecting a faint companion as in the present case, since the observations do not provide information about the way the object was formed. On the contrary, the above mass criterion is useful in the sense that spectroscopy and astrometry of a faint object, together with the appropriate evolutionary models, may reveal the mass and hence the nature of the object.

Surface Gravities for 228 M, L, and T Dwarfs in the NIRSPEC Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Emily C.; Mace, Gregory N.; McLean, Ian S.; Logsdon, Sarah E.; Rice, Emily L.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Burgasser, Adam J.; McGovern, Mark R.; Prato, Lisa

2017-03-01

We combine 131 new medium-resolution (R ˜ 2000) J-band spectra of M, L, and T dwarfs from the Keck NIRSPEC Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey (BDSS) with 97 previously published BDSS spectra to study surface-gravity-sensitive indices for 228 low-mass stars and brown dwarfs spanning spectral types M5-T9. Specifically, we use an established set of spectral indices to determine surface gravity classifications for all of the M6-L7 objects in our sample by measuring the equivalent widths (EW) of the K I lines at 1.1692, 1.1778, and 1.2529 μm, and the 1.2 μm FeH J absorption index. Our results are consistent with previous surface gravity measurements, showing a distinct double peak—at ˜L5 and T5—in K I EW as a function of spectral type. We analyze the K I EWs of 73 objects of known ages and find a linear trend between log(Age) and EW. From this relationship, we assign age ranges to the very low gravity, intermediate gravity, and field gravity designations for spectral types M6-L0. Interestingly, the ages probed by these designations remain broad, change with spectral type, and depend on the gravity-sensitive index used. Gravity designations are useful indicators of the possibility of youth, but current data sets cannot be used to provide a precise age estimate. The data presented herein were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W.M. Keck Foundation.

Searching for the Elusive Optical Photospheric Continuum of the Enigmatic Wide-Orbit Tertiary Companion to FW Tau with HET LRS2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, Raquel

2018-01-01

Adaptive-optics imaging of nearby star-forming regions has found a population of wide-orbit, planetary-mass companions (PMCs), indicating these objects are a normal product of star and planet formation. It is unclear whether these systems represent the low-mass extreme of stellar binary formation, or the high-mass and wide-orbit extreme of planet formation. The final determination of which theory prevails will require a statistical sample of PMCs from which general properties and demographics can be obtained, as well as detailed characterization of each rare discovery.The large separation (>2") and moderate contrast between a PMC and its host star make such systems amenable to direct imaging and spectroscopic study. While the dominant formation mechanism of PMCs remains to be determined, if they did form similarly to planets, studying PMC atmospheres and accretion would provide insight into the gas giant planets that orbit closer to their host stars.FW Tau is a close binary system that harbors a third component whose nature is still a matter of debate. By obtaining ALMA Cycle 1 observations and modeling the SED, Caceres et al. (2015) find the companion to be consistent with either being a brown dwarf embedded in an edge-on disk or a planet embedded in a low inclination disk. More recent ALMA Cycle 3 observations and disk modeling from Wu & Sheehan (2017) suggest the embedded brown dwarf solution. Spectroscopic observations have found the companion to be accreting and driving outflows, but also have failed to detect any photospheric features. In this work, we present observations of FW Tau with the newly commissioned 9 m Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) second generation Low Resolution Spectrograph (LRS2). We have obtained >8 hours of data over 12 nights in an attempt to detect the continuum of FW Tau’s third component. We will describe the LRS2 integral-field unit and provide details of our observing strategy. We will detail the data reduction pipeline and current progress in combining our observations to produce a detection of the tertiary component’s continuum. We will conclude by discussing our plans to further characterize this potential planetary-mass companion caught in mid-assembly.

The K-KIDS Sample: K Dwarfs within 50 Parsecs and the Search for their Closest Companions with CHIRON

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paredes-Alvarez, Leonardo; Nusdeo, Daniel Anthony; Henry, Todd J.; Jao, Wei-Chun; Gies, Douglas R.; White, Russel; RECONS Team

2017-01-01

To understand fundamental aspects of stellar populations, astronomers need carefully vetted, volume-complete samples. In our K-KIDS effort, our goal is to survey a large sample of K dwarfs for their "kids", companions that may be stellar, brown dwarf, or planetary in nature. Four surveys for companions orbiting an initial set of 1048 K dwarfs with declinations between +30 and -30 have begun. Companions are being detected with separations less than 1 AU out to 10000 AU. Fortuitously, the combination of Hipparcos and Gaia DR1 astrometry with optical photometry from APASS and infrared photometry from 2MASS now allows us to create an effectively volume-complete sample of K dwarfs to a horizon of 50 pc. This sample facilitates rigorous studies of the luminosity and mass functions, as well as comprehensive mapping of the companions orbiting K dwarfs that have never before been possible.Here we present two important results. First, we find that our initial sample of ~1000 K dwarfs can be expanded to 2000-3000 stars in what is an effectively volume-complete sample. This population is sufficiently large to provide superb statistics on the outcomes of star and planet formation processes. Second, initial results from our high-precision radial velocity survey of K dwarfs with the CHIRON spectrograph on the CTIO/SMARTS 1.5m reveal its short-term precision and indicate that stellar, brown dwarf and Jovian planets will be detectable. We present radial velocity curves for an inital sample of 8 K dwarfs with V = 7-10 using cross-correlation techniques on R=80,000 spectra, and illustrate the stability of CHIRON over hours, days, and weeks. Ultimately, the combination of all four surveys will provide an unprecedented portrait of K dwarfs and their kids.This effort has been supported by the NSF through grants AST-1412026 and AST-1517413, and via observations made possible by the SMARTS Consortium

THE SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTION OF THE COLDEST KNOWN BROWN DWARF

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luhman, K. L.; Esplin, T. L., E-mail: kluhman@astro.psu.edu

2016-09-01

WISE J085510.83–071442.5 (hereafter WISE 0855–0714) is the coldest known brown dwarf (∼250 K) and the fourth-closest known system to the Sun (2.2 pc). It has been previously detected only in the J band and two mid-IR bands. To better measure its spectral energy distribution (SED), we have performed deep imaging of WISE 0855–0714 in six optical and near-IR bands with Gemini Observatory, the Very Large Telescope, and the Hubble Space Telescope . Five of the bands show detections, although one detection is marginal (S/N ∼ 3). We also have obtained two epochs of images with the Spitzer Space Telescope for use inmore » refining the parallax of the brown dwarf. By combining astrometry from this work and previous studies, we have derived a parallax of 0.449 ± 0.008″ (2.23 ± 0.04 pc). We have compared our photometry for WISE 0855–0714 to data for known Y dwarfs and to the predictions of three suites of models by Saumon et al. and Morley et al. that are defined by the presence or absence of clouds and nonequilibrium chemistry. Our estimates of Y − J and J − H for WISE 0855–0714 are redder than colors of other Y dwarfs, confirming a predicted reversal of near-IR colors to redder values at temperatures below 300–400 K. In color–magnitude diagrams, no single suite of models provides a clearly superior match to the sequence formed by WISE 0855–0714 and other Y dwarfs. Instead, the best-fitting model changes from one diagram to the next. Similarly, all of the models have substantial differences from the SED of WISE 0855–0714. As a result, we are currently unable to constrain the presence of clouds or nonequilibrium chemistry in its atmosphere.« less

DETECTION OF WHITE DWARF COMPANIONS TO BLUE STRAGGLERS IN THE OPEN CLUSTER NGC 188: DIRECT EVIDENCE FOR RECENT MASS TRANSFER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gosnell, Natalie M.; Mathieu, Robert D.; Geller, Aaron M.

2014-03-01

Several possible formation pathways for blue straggler stars have been developed recently, but no one pathway has yet been observationally confirmed for a specific blue straggler. Here we report the first findings from a Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys/Solar Blind Channel far-UV photometric program to search for white dwarf companions to blue straggler stars. We find three hot and young white dwarf companions to blue straggler stars in the 7 Gyr open cluster NGC 188, indicating that mass transfer in these systems ended less than 300 Myr ago. These companions are direct and secure observational evidence that these blue straggler starsmore » were formed through mass transfer in binary stars. Their existence in a well-studied cluster environment allows for observational constraints of both the current binary system and the progenitor binary system, mapping the entire mass transfer history.« less

IRAC Photometry of the Coldest CatWISE-selected Brown Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meisner, Aaron; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Eisenhardt, Peter; Marocco, Federico; Faherty, Jacqueline; Cushing, Michael; Wright, Edward

2018-05-01

We will obtain IRAC [3.6] and [4.5] photometry of 250 extremely cool brown dwarfs newly revealed by the powerful combination of WISE and NEOWISE imaging at 4.6 microns. Our CatWISE effort, which is an archival data analysis program using WISE and NEOWISE data, will improve upon the motion selection of AllWISE by enabling a >10x time baseline enhancement, from 0.5 years (AllWISE) to 6.5 years (CatWISE). As a result, CatWISE motion selection is expected to yield a dramatic 8-fold increase in the sample of known brown dwarfs at spectral types T5 and later (T < 1,200 K). Many of the coolest such CatWISE discoveries will be detected exclusively in the WISE 4.6 micron (W2) channel. WISE W1 (3.4 micron) nondetections, which we expect for the majority of our most interesting sources, will provide only limits on mid-infrared color. Spitzer can supply this critical datum by measuring accurate [3.6]-[4.5] colors of our discoveries. These Spitzer color measurements will permit photometric spectral type estimates, which in turn yield estimates for critical parameters including luminosity, distance, and near-infrared flux. Using large [3.6]-[4.5] color to pinpoint the coldest late T and Y dwarfs among our CatWISE sample will enable us to prioritize these objects for spectroscopic follow-up, better understand the bottom of the substellar mass function, and identify nearby giant planet analogs suitable for future atmospheric studies with JWST.