Program: GN-2018B-Q-114

We are searching for young brown dwarfs at planetary masses (<10 M_Jup) in the Taurus star-forming region to 1) test star formation theories by constraining the minimum mass of the Initial Mass Function, 2) enable the identification of signatures that can distinguish between planets and brown dwarfs (with JWST), and 3) enable the measurement of the lowest mass at which brown dwarfs harbor the materials for making planets (with JWST). We have identified candidate brown dwarfs in Taurus using optical/IR color-magnitude diagrams and proper motions measured primarily with Spitzer, UKIDSS, and PanSTARRS1. Since 2015B, we have spectroscopically confirmed 18 new members, including the least massive known members (~5 M_Jup, Esplin & Luhman 2017). In 2017B, we obtained additional near-IR images of Taurus with UKIRT. With these data, we have identified 16 new candidate brown dwarfs, the majority of which are fainter (and likely less massive) than those discovered in our previous spectroscopic sample. We propose to observe these targets with GNIRS to confirm their youth and cool nature.