Direct Imaging and Spectroscopy of a Planetary Mass Candidate Companion to a Young Solar Analog

Details Direct Imaging and Spectroscopy of a Planetary Mass Candidate Companion to a Young Solar Analog Direct Imaging and Spectroscopy of a Planetary Mass Candidate Companion to a Young Solar Analog

2008-09-08

arxiv.org/abs/0809.1424v2

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Revised accepted version, ApJL, in press

Scientific paper

10.1086/595870

We present Gemini near-infrared adaptive optics imaging and spectroscopy of a planetary mass candidate companion to 1RXS J160929.1-210524, a roughly solar-mass member of the 5 Myr-old Upper Scorpius association. The object, separated by 2.22" or 330 AU at ~150 pc, has infrared colors and spectra suggesting a temperature of 1800(-100/+200) K, and spectral type of L4(-2/+1). The H- and K-band spectra provide clear evidence of low surface gravity, and thus youth. Based on the widely used DUSTY models, we infer a mass of 8(-2/+4)Mjupiter. If gravitationally bound, this would be the lowest mass companion imaged around a normal star thus far, and its existence at such a large separation would pose a serious challenge to theories of star and planet formation.

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