Program: GN-2008A-Q-51

We have recently undertaken a near-infared proper motion survey (SIMP) to identify new solar neighborhood BDs through their large proper motion (PM). Observations are made at the CTIO 1.5m/OMM 1.6m telescopes with the CPAPIR wide-field near-IR camera and the 2MASS survey is used as a first epoch to calculate PMs. So far, the survey has covered ~16% of the sky and ~200 new L and T dwarf candidates have been identified, 32 of which have been confirmed with spectroscopy thus far, including the the brightest T dwarf in the northern hemisphere. SIMP will unveil a unique sample of nearby relatively bright BDs that will likely become prime targets for detailed follow-up characterization work. This proposal is to secure NIR JHK spectroscopy of 59 SIMP L and T candidates available this semester. These data will be used to determine their spectral type, effective temperature, gravity, and metallicity. This proposal is part of long term program to improve the census of solar neighborhood BDs and determine their fundamental properties. This proram, which makes use of relatively poor observing conditions, will impact several fields of sub-stellar astrophysics, from evolutionary/atmosphere modelling to formation mechanism of BDs, and will generate several new BD-related scientific programs.