We report the results of a J-band survey for photometric variability in a sample of young, low-gravity objects using the New Technology Telescope (NTT) and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope ...(UKIRT). Surface gravity is a key parameter in the atmospheric properties of brown dwarfs and this is the first large survey that aims to test the gravity dependence of variability properties. We do a full analysis of the spectral signatures of youth and assess the group membership probability of each target using membership tools from the literature. This results in a 30 object sample of young low-gravity brown dwarfs. Since we are lacking in objects with spectral types later than L9, we focus our statistical analysis on the L0–L8.5 objects. We find that the variability occurrence rate of L0–L8.5 low-gravity brown dwarfs in this survey is 30(+16,−8) per cent. We reanalyse the results of Radigan (2014) and find that the field dwarfs with spectral types L0–L8.5 have a variability occurrence rate of 11(+13,−4) per cent. We determine a probability of 98 per cent that the samples are drawn from different distributions. This is the first quantitative indication that the low-gravity objects are more likely to be variable than the field dwarf population. Furthermore, we present follow-up J(S) and K(S) observations of the young, planetary-mass variable object PSO 318.5–22 over three consecutive nights. We find no evidence of phase shifts between the J(S) and K(S) bands and find higher J(S) amplitudes. We use the J(S) light curves to measure a rotational period of 8.45 ± 0.05 h for PSO 318.5–22.
ABSTRACT
For sensitive optical interferometry, it is crucial to control the evolution of the optical path difference (OPD) of the wavefront between the individual telescopes of the array. The OPD ...between a pair of telescopes is induced by differential optical properties such as atmospheric refraction, telescope alignment, etc. This has classically been measured using a fringe tracker that provides corrections to a piston actuator to account for this difference. An auxiliary method, known as the Piston Reconstruction Experiment (P-REx), has been developed to measure the OPD, or differential ‘piston’ of the wavefront, induced by the atmosphere at each telescope. Previously, this method was outlined and results obtained from Large Binocular Telescope adaptive optics data for a single telescope aperture were presented. P-REx has now been applied off-line to previously acquired Very Large Telescope Intereferometer (VLTI)’s GRAVITY Coudé Infrared Adaptive Optics wavefront sensing data to estimate the atmospheric OPD for the six baselines. Comparisons with the OPD obtained from the VLTI GRAVITY fringe tracker were made. The results indicate that the telescope and instrumental noise of the combined VLTI and GRAVITY systems dominates over the atmospheric turbulence contributions. However, good agreement between simulated and on-sky P-REx data indicates that if the telescope and instrumental noise was reduced to atmospheric piston noise levels, P-REx has the potential to reduce the OPD root mean square of piston turbulence by up to a factor of 10 for frequencies down to 1 Hz. In such conditions, P-REx will assist in pushing the sensitivity limits of optical fringe tracking with long baseline interferometers.
We have measured the proper motion of the Arches cluster near the Galactic Center (GC) with respect to the ambient field, using Keck/NIRC2 LGS-AO and VLT/NAOS-CONICA NGS-AO observations spanning a ...baseline of 4.3 yr. Combined with the radial velocity, we derive a 3D space motion of 232±30 km s
−1
for the Arches cluster. This motion is exceptionally large compared to molecular cloud orbits at the GC, and places stringent constraints on the formation scenarios for starburst clusters in dense, nuclear environments.
We combine new Lucky Imaging astrometry from New Technology Telescope/AstraLux Sur with already published astrometry from the AstraLux Large M-dwarf Multiplicity Survey to compute orbital elements ...and individual masses of the 2MASS J10364483+1521394 triple system belonging to the Ursa-Major moving group. The system consists of one primary low-mass M-dwarf orbited by two less massive companions, for which we determine a combined dynamical mass of MB + C = 0.48 ± 0.14 M⊙. We show from the companions’ relative motions that they are of equal mass (with a mass ratio of 1.00 ± 0.03), thus 0.24 ± 0.07 M⊙ individually, with a separation of 3.2 ± 0.3 AU, and we conclude that these masses are significantly higher (30%) than what is predicted by theoretical stellar evolutionary models. The biggest uncertainty remains the distance to the system, here adopted as 20.1 ± 2.0 pc based on trigonometric parallax, whose ambiguity has a major impact on the result. With the new observational data we are able to conclude that the orbital period of the BC pair is 8.41+0.04-0.02yr.
Examining the T Tauri system with SPHERE Csépány, Gergely; van den Ancker, Mario; Ábrahám, Péter ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
06/2015, Letnik:
578
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Context. The prototypical low-mass young stellar object, T Tauri, is a well-studied multiple system with at least three components. Aims. We aim to explore the T Tau system with the highest spatial ...resolution, study the time evolution of the known components, and re-determine the orbital parameters of the stars. Methods. Near-infrared classical imaging and integral field spectrograph observations were obtained during the Science Verification of SPHERE, the new high-contrast imaging facility at the VLT. The obtained FWHM of the primary star varies between 0.050′′ and 0.059′′, making these the highest spatial resolution near-infrared images of the T Tauri system obtained to date. Results. Our near-infrared images confirm the presence of extended emission south of T Tau Sa, reported in the literature. New narrow-band images show, for the first time, that this feature shows strong emission in both the Br-γ and H2 1−0 S(1) lines. Broadband imaging at 2.27 μm shows that T Tau Sa is 0.92 mag brighter than T Tau Sb, which is in contrast to observations from Jan. 2014 (when T Tau Sa was fainter than Sb), and demonstrates that T Tau Sa has entered a new period of high variability. The newly obtained astrometric positions of T Tau Sa and Sb agree with orbital fits from previous works. The orbit of T Tau S (the centre of gravity of Sa and Sb) around T Tau N is poorly constrained by the available observations and can be fit with a range of orbits ranging from a nearly circular orbit with a period of 475 years to highly eccentric orbits with periods up to 2.7 × 104 years. We also detected a feature south of T Tau N, at a distance of 144 ± 3 mas, which shows the properties of a new companion.
As part of our ongoing NTT SoFI survey for variability in young free-floating planets and low-mass brown dwarfs, we detect significant variability in the young, free-floating planetary-mass object ...PSO J318.5-22, likely due to rotational modulation of inhomogeneous cloud cover. A member of the 23 3 Myr beta Pic moving group, PSO J318.5-22 has T sub(eff) = (ProQuest: Formulae and/or non-USASCII text omitted) K and a mass estimate of 8.3 0.5 M sub(Jup) for a 23 3 Myr age. PSO J318.5-22 is intermediate in mass between 51 Eri b and beta Pic b, the two known exoplanet companions in the beta Pic moving group. With variability amplitudes from 7% to 10% in Js at two separate epochs over 3-5 hr observations, we constrain the rotational period of this object to >5 hr. In Ks, we marginally detect a variability trend of up to 3% over a 3 hr observation. This is the first detection of weather on an extrasolar planetary-mass object. Among L dwarfs surveyed at high photometric precision (<3%), this is the highest amplitude variability detection. Given the low surface gravity of this object, the high amplitude preliminarily suggests that such objects may be more variable than their high-mass counterparts, although observations of a larger sample are necessary to confirm this. Measuring similar variability for directly imaged planetary companions is possible with instruments such as SPHERE and GPI and will provide important constraints on formation. Measuring variability at multiple wavelengths can help constrain cloud structure.
We present Spitzer Space Telescope variability monitoring observations of three low-gravity L dwarfs with previous detections of variability in the near-IR: 2MASS J0045+16, 2MASS J0501−00, and 2MASS ...J1425−36. We detect significant periodic variability in two of our targets, 2MASS J0045+16 and 2MASS J0501−00. We do not detect variability in 2MASS J1425−36. Combining our new rotation periods with rotational velocities, we calculate inclination angles of 22° 1°, , and for 2MASS J0045+16, 2MASS J0501−00, and 2MASS J1425−36, respectively. Our three new objects are consistent with the tentative relations between inclination, amplitude, and color anomaly previously reported. Objects with the highest variability amplitudes are inclined equator on, while the maximum observed amplitude decreases as the inclination angle decreases. We also find a correlation between the inclination angle and color anomaly for the sample of objects with measured inclinations. Compiling the entire sample of brown dwarfs with Spitzer variability detections, we find no enhancement in amplitude for young, early-L dwarfs compared to the field dwarf population. We find a possible enhancement in amplitude of low-gravity late-L dwarfs at 4.5 m. We do not find a correlation between amplitude ratio and spectral type for field dwarfs or for the young population. Finally, we compile the rotation periods of a large sample of brown dwarfs with ages 1 Myr-1 Gyr and compare the rotation rates predicted by evolutionary models assuming angular momentum conservation. We find that the rotation rates of the current sample of brown dwarfs fall within the expected range set by evolutionary models and breakup limits.
The identification and characterisation of low-mass binaries is of importance for a range of astrophysical investigations. Low-mass binaries in young (∼10–100 Myr) moving groups (YMGs) in the solar ...neighborhood are of particular significance as they provide unique opportunities to calibrate stellar models and evaluate the ages and coevality of the groups themselves. Low-mass M-dwarfs have pre-main sequence life times on the order of ∼100 Myr and therefore are continually evolving along a mass-luminosity track throughout the YMG phase, providing ideal laboratories for precise isochronal dating, if a model-independent dynamical mass can be measured. AstraLux lucky imaging multiplicity surveys have recently identified hundreds of new YMG low-mass binaries, where a subsample of M-dwarf multiples have estimated orbital periods less than 50 yr. We have conducted a radial velocity survey of a sample of 29 such targets to complement the astrometric data. This will allow enhanced orbital determinations and precise dynamical masses to be derived in a shorter timeframe than possible with astrometric monitoring alone, and allow for a more reliable isochronal analysis. Here we present radial velocity measurements derived for our sample over several epochs. We report the detection of the three-component spectroscopic multiple 2MASS J05301858-5358483, for which the C component is a new discovery, and forms a tight pair with the B component. Originally identified as a YMG member, we find that this system is a likely old field interloper, whose high chromospheric activity level is caused by tidal spin-up of the tight BC pair. Two other triple systems with a tight pair exist in the sample, 2MASS J04244260-0647313 (previously known) and 2MASS J20163382-0711456, but for the rest of the targets we find that additional tidally synchronized companions are highly unlikely, providing further evidence that their high chromospheric activity levels are generally signatures of youth.
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