Program: GN-2015B-FT-21

Title:Searching for the Bottom of the IMF in Taurus
PI:Taran Esplin
Co-I(s): Kevin Luhman

Abstract

The measurement of the minimum mass of the IMF would provide a fundamental test of theories of star formation. To provide better constraints on the shape of the substellar IMF and its minimum mass, we are performing a search for low-mass brown dwarfs in the Taurus star-forming region (140 pc) using optical/IR color-magnitude diagrams and proper motions measured from multi-epoch Spitzer images. Through this analysis, we have identified 20 promising candidates that should have spectral types later than M9 (<15 Jupiter masses) if they are members of Taurus. Most of these candidates are fainter than the least massive known members of Taurus. We propose to use GNIRS to obtain spectra of 5 of these candidates to verify their youth and cool nature and to estimate the yield of bona fide Taurus brown dwarfs in our larger sample. If a majority of these candidates are confirmed as Taurus members, we will pursue spectroscopy for the remainder of the sample with Gemini in 2016B.

Publications using this program's data