scholarly journals Brown Dwarfs in the Alpha Persei Cluster

2003 ◽  
Vol 211 ◽  
pp. 163-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Stauffer ◽  
David Barrado y Navascués ◽  
Jerome Bouvier ◽  
Nicholas Lodieu ◽  
Mark McCaughrean

We have obtained a new, deep, wide-field optical imaging survey of the young Alpha Persei cluster which reveals a well-populated lower main sequence extending into the substellar mass regime. Subsequent infrared photometry confirms that most of the candidate brown dwarfs are indeed likely to be cluster members, with a predicted minimum mass of order 0.035 solar masses. We have combined the new candidate list with previous member catalogs to derive an IMF for Alpha Per; the slope of the IMF at the low mass end is α ~ 0.66. The Alpha Per IMF slope is thus very similar to that found in the Pleiades.

2003 ◽  
Vol 211 ◽  
pp. 179-180
Author(s):  
Nicolas Lodieu ◽  
Mark McCaughrean ◽  
Jérôme Bouvier ◽  
David Barrado y Navascués ◽  
John R. Stauffer

We present preliminary results from a deep near-infrared survey of a ~ 1 square degree area in the young open cluster Alpha Persei using the wide-field Omega-Prime camera on the Calar Alto 3.5m telescope, yielding a list of new low-mass cluster members, including brown dwarf candidates.


2018 ◽  
Vol 620 ◽  
pp. A132 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. W. Holwerda ◽  
J. S. Bridge ◽  
R. Ryan ◽  
M. A. Kenworthy ◽  
N. Pirzkal ◽  
...  

Aims. We aim to 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. Methods. We used the SPLAT SPEX/ISPEX spectroscopic library to map out the colors of the M-, L-, and T-type dwarfs. We have identified 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 evaluated each observatory separately as well as the narrow-field (HST and JWST) and wide-field (Euclid and WFIRST) combinations. Results. The Euclid filters perform equally well as HST wide filters in discriminating between broad types of brown dwarfs. WFIRST performs similarly well, despite a wider selection of filters. However, subtyping with any combination of Euclid and WFIRST observations remains uncertain due to the lack of medium, or narrow-band filters. We argue that a medium band added to the WFIRST filter selection would greatly improve its ability to preselect brown dwarfs its imaging surveys. Conclusions. The HST filters used in high-redshift searches are close to optimal to identify broad stellar type. However, the addition of F127M to the commonly used broad filter sets would allow for unambiguous subtyping. An improvement over HST is one of two broad and medium filter combinations on JWST: pairing F140M with either F150W or F162M discriminates very well between subtypes.


1998 ◽  
Vol 164 ◽  
pp. 325-326
Author(s):  
J. C. Guirado ◽  
J. E. Reynolds ◽  
J.-F. Lestrade ◽  
R. A. Preston ◽  
D. L. Jauncey ◽  
...  

AbstractFrom the combination of VLBI phase-referenced observations and Hipparcos satellite data, we have found evidence of a low-mass object orbiting the late-type star AB Doradus. The mass of the new object is near the hydrogen burning limit and will constitute a precise point for calibrating the low end of the main sequence. This represents the first detection of a low-mass stellar companion using the VLBI technique, which could become an important tool in future searches for planets and brown dwarfs orbiting other stars.


1989 ◽  
Vol 342 ◽  
pp. 1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Dorman ◽  
Lorne A. Nelson ◽  
W. Y. Chau

1997 ◽  
Vol 180 ◽  
pp. 367-367
Author(s):  
Noam Soker

Stellar binary companions account for bipolar PNe (∼ 11% of all PNe1), and some ellipticalls (22%2). The rest of axisymmetrical PNe (40% to 60% of all PNe) are due to substellar objects (planets and brown dwarfs)3. This classification of axi symmetrical PNe suggests that substellar objects are commonly present within several × AU around main sequence stars, and that several substellar objects must be present around most main sequence stars3. Some substellar and low mass stellar companions will enter the primary envelope only as the primary reaches the upper AGB. Thus, the early mass loss episode will be spherical, leading to the formation of a spherical halo around an elliptical inner region. Gas giant planets and brown dwarfs close to the primary, will not allow Earth-like planets to have stable orbits. Systems with no Jupiter-like planets will allow Earth-like planets to be present. These stars will form spherical PNe (10%-20% of all PNe, including spherically ejected PNe that have been deformed by the ISM through which they move4). Systems with substellar objects at large separation, as Jupiter in the solar system, will also allow Earth-like planets to be present. These systems will form PNe with spherical halo. Therefore, life may have been present in planets around the central stars of round PNe and elliptical PNe with round halos.


1998 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-136
Author(s):  
Hans Zinnecker

Abstract Diffraction limited near-infrared H-band (1.6 μm) NICMOS HST images are scheduled to be obtained in mid-October 1997 of the young cluster NGC 2070 (age 3.5 Myr) in the 30 Dor giant HII region in the LMC. The aim is to search for the low-mass (M < 2 Mʘ) low-luminosity, red pre-Main Sequence stellar population and to establish the H-band infrared luminosity function. With the NICMOS we can now determine whether the IMF in this prototypical extragalactic starburst cluster is deficient in subsolar low-mass stars or not. The best ground-based data can sample only M > 2 Mʘ. In principle, NICMOS in the H-band (F160W) is sensitive enough to reach a magnitude of ~ 23.5 in a relatively short integration time, which indeed corresponds to the fantastic possibility to detect young stellar objects with masses near the hydrogen burning limit (M=0.1 Mʘ) according to pre-Main Sequence evolutionary models. Even if we could reach only H = 22.5 (i.e. M=0.4 Mʘ), our observations will still go a long way in directly answering, by star counts, whether the IMF in starburst galaxies is low-mass deficient or not, with all the corresponding far-reaching implications. The observations would also tell us whether the 30 Dor cluster can be regarded as a prototype young globular cluster. This possibility would be ruled out, if we found NGC 2070 to be low-mass deficient, because old globular clusters do have a rich population of low-mass stars.


2019 ◽  
Vol 632 ◽  
pp. L9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavien Kiefer

The first planetary candidate discovered by Latham et al. (1989, Nature, 339, 38) with radial velocities around a solar-like star other than the Sun, HD 114762 b, was detected with a minimum mass of 11 MJ. The small v sin i ∼ 0 km s−1 that is otherwise measured by spectral analysis indicated that this companion of a late-F subgiant star better corresponds to a massive brown dwarf (BD) or even a low-mass M-dwarf seen nearly face-on. To our knowledge, the nature of HD 114762 b is still undetermined. The astrometric noise measured for this system in the first data release, DR1, of the Gaia mission allows us to derive new constraints on the astrometric motion of HD 114762 and on the mass of its companion. We use the method GASTON, introduced in a preceding paper, which can simulate Gaia data and determine the distribution of inclinations that are compatible with the astrometric excess noise. With an inclination of 6.26.2+1.9−1.3 degree, the mass of the companion is constrained to Mb = 108+31−26 MJ. HD 114762 b thus indeed belongs to the M-dwarf domain, down to brown dwarfs, with Mb >  13.5 MJ at the 3σ level, and is not a planet.


1973 ◽  
Vol 180 ◽  
pp. 195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen S. Grossman ◽  
Harold C. Graboske

2004 ◽  
Vol 202 ◽  
pp. 217-219
Author(s):  
Taishi Nakamoto ◽  
Koji Ogochi

We investigate the minimum mass of brown dwarfs using radiation hydrodynamics simulations of collapsing filamentary clouds and analytical estimates. We found the minimum mass of brown dwarfs depends on the initial temperature of parent clouds and the nature of heating sources. The universal minimum mass of brown dwarfs, which is about 0.007M⊙, is given when the initial cloud temperature is 13.3 K. Our results are consistent with recent observations of low-mass objects in some star forming regions.


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