Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – Galaxy Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2011-02-26
Astrophys.J.730(2011)L9
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Galaxy Astrophysics
Scientific paper
We have used multi-epoch images from the Infrared Array Camera on board the Spitzer Space Telescope to search for substellar companions to stars in the solar neighborhood based on common proper motions. Through this work, we have discovered a faint companion to the white dwarf WD 0806-661. The comoving source has a projected separation of 130", corresponding to 2500 AU at the distance of the primary (19.2 pc). If it is physically associated, then its absolute magnitude at 4.5um is ~1 mag fainter than the faintest known T dwarfs, making it a strong candidate for the coolest known brown dwarf. The combination of M_4.5 and the age of the primary (1.5 Gyr) implies an effective temperature of ~300 K and a mass of ~7 M_Jup according to theoretical evolutionary models. The white dwarf's progenitor likely had a mass of ~2 M_sun, and thus could have been born with a circumstellar disk that was sufficiently massive to produce a companion with this mass. Therefore, the companion could be either a brown dwarf that formed like a binary star or a giant planet that was born within a disk and has been dynamically scattered to a larger orbit.
Bochanski John J.
Burgasser Adam Jonathan
Luhman Kevin L.
No associations
LandOfFree
Discovery of a Candidate for the Coolest Known Brown Dwarf does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Discovery of a Candidate for the Coolest Known Brown Dwarf, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Discovery of a Candidate for the Coolest Known Brown Dwarf will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-302854