Program: GN-2009B-DD-3

Title:Followup Observations of a Candidate Planetary-Mass Companion to a Young Brown Dwarf
PI:Kevin Luhman
Co-I(s): Kamen Todorov, Kim McLeod

Abstract

We have recently completed an HST WFPC2 survey of young brown dwarfs in the Taurus star-forming region. In these data, we have identified a promising candidate companion at a separation of 0.1" from one of the brown dwarfs, corresponding to 15 AU at the distance of Taurus. This candidate should have a mass of roughly 5-7 Jupiter masses based on its WFPC2 photometry if it is a bona fide companion. We propose to obtain NIRI+Altair+LGS images of this candidate and combine the resulting astrometry with the WFPC2 astrometry so that we can determine whether it has the same proper motion as the primary. We will also measure near-IR photometry for the candidate from the NIRI images and use the combination of the WFPC2 and NIRI photometry to estimate its luminosity and mass. Given the youth of the brown dwarf primary (1 Myr), confirmation of this object as a companion would provide a unique new constraint on the timescale of the formation of planetary mass companions to brown dwarfs.

Publications using this program's data