Search for: All records

Abstract We conducted a search for new ultracool companions to nearby white dwarfs using multiple methods, including the analysis of colors and examination of images in both the optical and the infrared. Through this process, we identified 51 previously unrecognized systems with candidate ultracool companions. 31 of these systems are resolved in at least one catalog, and all but six are confirmed as comoving companions via common proper motion and consistent parallax measurements (when available). We have followed up four comoving companions with near-infrared spectroscopy and confirm their ultracool nature. The remaining twenty candidates are unresolved, but show clear signs of infrared excess which is most likely due to the presence of a cold, low-mass companion or a dusty circumstellar disk. Three of these unresolved systems have existing optical spectra that clearly show the presence of a cool stellar companion to the white dwarf primary via spectral decomposition. These new discoveries, along with our age estimates for the primary white dwarfs, will serve as valuable benchmark systems for future characterization of ultracool dwarfs. 

Abstract We present the discovery of 118 new ultracool dwarf candidates, discovered using a new machine-learning tool, namedSMDET, applied to time-series images from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. We gathered photometric and astrometric data to estimate each candidate’s spectral type, distance, and tangential velocity. This sample has a photometrically estimated spectral class distribution of 28 M dwarfs, 64 L dwarfs, and 18 T dwarfs. We also identify a T-subdwarf candidate, two extreme T-subdwarf candidates, and two candidate young ultracool dwarfs. Five objects did not have enough photometric data for any estimations to be made. To validate our estimated spectral types, spectra were collected for two objects, yielding confirmed spectral types of T5 (estimated T5) and T3 (estimated T4). Demonstrating the effectiveness of machine-learning tools as a new large-scale discovery technique. 

Abstract We present the discovery of 13 new widely separated T dwarf companions to M dwarf primaries, identified using Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer/NEOWISE data by the CatWISE and Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 projects (hereafter BYW). This sample represents an ∼60% increase in the number of known M + T systems, and allows us to probe the most extreme products of binary/planetary system formation, a discovery space made available by the CatWISE2020 catalog and the BYW effort. Highlights among the sample are WISEP J075108.79-763449.6, a previously known T9 thought to be old due to its spectral energy distribution, which was found by Zhang et al. (2021b) to be part of a common proper motion pair with L34-26 A, a well-studied young M3 V star within 10 pc of the Sun; CWISE J054129.32-745021.5 B and 2MASS J05581644-4501559 B, two T8 dwarfs possibly associated with the very fast-rotating M4 V stars CWISE J054129.32745021.5 A and 2MASS J05581644-4501559 A; and UCAC3 52-1038 B, which is among the widest late-T companions to main-sequence stars, with a projected separation of ∼7100 au. The new benchmarks presented here are prime JWST targets, and can help us place strong constraints on the formation and evolution theory of substellar objects as well as on atmospheric models for these cold exoplanet analogs. 

Abstract We present the discovery of a low-mass comoving system found by means of the NOIRLab Source Catalog DR2. The system consists of the high proper-motion star LEHPM 5005 and an ultracool companion 2MASS J22410186-4500298 with an estimated spectral type of L2. The primary (LEHPM 5005) is likely a mid-M dwarf but over-luminous for its color, indicating a possible close equal mass binary. According to the Gaia EDR3 parallax of the primary, the system is located at a distance of 58 ± 2 pc. We calculated an angular separation of 7.″2 between both components, resulting in a projected physical separation of 418 au. 

Abstract We report the identification of 89 new systems containing ultracool dwarf companions to main-sequence stars and white dwarfs, using the citizen science project Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 and cross-reference between Gaia and CatWISE2020. 32 of these companions and 33 host stars were followed up with spectroscopic observations, with companion spectral types ranging from M7–T9 and host spectral types ranging from G2–M9. These systems exhibit diverse characteristics, from young to old ages, blue to very red spectral morphologies, potential membership to known young moving groups, and evidence of spectral binarity in nine companions. 20 of the host stars in our sample show evidence for higher-order multiplicity, with an additional 11 host stars being resolved binaries themselves. We compare this sample’s characteristics with those of the known stellar binary and exoplanet populations, and find our sample begins to fill in the gap between directly imaged exoplanets and stellar binaries on mass ratio–binding energy plots. With this study, we increase the population of ultracool dwarf companions to FGK stars by ∼42%, and more than triple the known population of ultracool dwarf companions with separations larger than 1000 au, providing excellent targets for future atmospheric retrievals. 

Abstract While stars are often found in binary systems, brown dwarf binaries are much rarer. Brown dwarf–brown dwarf pairs are typically difficult to resolve because they often have very small separations. Using brown dwarfs discovered with data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) via the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 citizen science project, we inspected other, higher-resolution, sky surveys for overlooked cold companions. During this process, we discovered the brown dwarf binary system CWISE J0146−0508AB, which we find has a very small chance alignment probability based on the similar proper motions of the components of the system. Using follow-up near-infrared spectroscopy with Keck/NIRES, we determined component spectral types of L4 and L8 (blue), making CWISE J0146−0508AB one of only a few benchmark systems with a blue L dwarf. At an estimated distance of ∼40 pc, CWISE J0146−0508AB has a projected separation of ∼129 au, making it the widest-separation brown dwarf pair found to date. We find that such a wide separation for a brown dwarf binary may imply formation in a low-density star-forming region. 

Abstract We present the discovery of 34 comoving systems containing an ultracool dwarf found by means of the NOIRLab Source Catalog (NSC) DR2. NSC’s angular resolution of ∼ 1″ allows for the detection of small separation binaries with significant proper motions. We used the catalog’s accurate proper motion measurements to identify the companions by cross-matching a previously compiled list of brown dwarf candidates with NSC DR2. The comoving pairs consist of either a very low-mass star and an ultracool companion, or a white dwarf and an ultracool companion. The estimated spectral types of the primaries are in the K and M dwarf regimes, those of the secondaries in the M, L, and T dwarf regimes. We calculated angular separations between ∼2″ and ∼ 56″, parallactic distances between ∼43 and ∼261 pc, and projected physical separations between ∼169 and ∼8487 au. The lowest measured total proper motion is 97 mas yr⁻¹, with the highest 314 mas yr⁻¹. Tangential velocities range from ∼23 to ∼187 km s⁻¹. We also determined comoving probabilities, estimated mass ratios, and calculated binding energies for each system. We found no indication of possible binarity for any component of the 34 systems in the published literature. The discovered systems can contribute to the further study of the formation and evolution of low-mass systems as well as to the characterization of cool substellar objects. 

Abstract A complete accounting of nearby objects—from the highest-mass white dwarf progenitors down to low-mass brown dwarfs—is now possible, thanks to an almost complete set of trigonometric parallax determinations from Gaia, ground-based surveys, and Spitzer follow-up. We create a census of objects within a Sun-centered sphere of 20 pc radius and check published literature to decompose each binary or higher-order system into its separate components. The result is a volume-limited census of ∼3600individualstar formation products useful in measuring the initial mass function across the stellar (<8M_⊙) and substellar (≳5M_Jup) regimes. Comparing our resulting initial mass function to previous measurements shows good agreement above 0.8M_⊙and a divergence at lower masses. Our 20 pc space densities are best fit with a quadripartite power law, $\xi \left(M\right)=\mathit{dN}/\mathit{dM}\propto M^{-\alpha }$, with long-established values ofα= 2.3 at high masses (0.55 <M< 8.00M_⊙), andα= 1.3 at intermediate masses (0.22 <M< 0.55M_⊙), but at lower masses, we findα= 0.25 for 0.05 <M< 0.22M_⊙, andα= 0.6 for 0.01 <M< 0.05M_⊙. This implies that the rate of production as a function of decreasing mass diminishes in the low-mass star/high-mass brown dwarf regime before increasing again in the low-mass brown dwarf regime. Correcting for completeness, we find a star to brown dwarf number ratio of, currently, 4:1, and an average mass per object of 0.41M_⊙.