A Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics Study of Very Low Mass Binaries: Constraining Evolutionary Models with New Dynamical Masses

Details A Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics Study of Very Low Mass Binaries: Constraining Evolutionary Models with New Dynamical Masses A Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics Study of Very Low Mass Binaries: Constraining Evolutionary Models with New Dynamical Masses

Dec 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007aas...21110303k&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #211, #103.03; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.919

Physics

Optics

Scientific paper

We present new results from our ongoing monitoring of very low mass (VLM) binary stars with laser guide star adaptive optics (LGSAO) on the 10 m Keck II telescope. Our survey, which targets 22 sources between spectral types M8 and T5, is aimed at obtaining dynamical mass estimates with an accuracy of 10% or better over the course of the study. Utilizing the near-infrared imaging camera NIRC2, we have obtained new epochs of high precision ( 1 mas) astrometry on nearby VLM binaries, allowing us to determine the astrometric orbital solutions for a number of these sources. These solutions provide the total system mass of the VLM binaries. In addition, we are using the high resolution infrared spectrometer NIRSPEC in conjuction with the LGSAO system to obtain the first spatially resolved radial velocity measurements for these sources, yielding not only improved total system masses, but also individual masses of the components. We have a radial velocity precision of less than 1 km/s. In the best case (2MASS0746+20), we have constrained the dynamical mass of a VLM binary to better than 2%, allowing us to conclude that the DUSTY evolutionary models make the best predictions for the mass of this system.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

A Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics Study of Very Low Mass Binaries: Constraining Evolutionary Models with New Dynamical Masses 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 A Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics Study of Very Low Mass Binaries: Constraining Evolutionary Models with New Dynamical Masses, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and A Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics Study of Very Low Mass Binaries: Constraining Evolutionary Models with New Dynamical Masses will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1480580