Distinguishing Binary from Single L/T Transition Dwarfs Using Only Photometry

Madeline R. Wilson; William M. J. Best

Distinguishing Binary from Single L/T Transition Dwarfs Using Only Photometry

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 2019-12-19 v1

Authors: Madeline R. Wilson , William M. J. Best

Abstract

Brown dwarfs undergo little change in near-infrared luminosity while cooling from L to T spectral types, making the L/T transition (spectral types $\approx$ L9--T6) an ideal region to examine the differences in photometry for binary and single brown dwarfs. We investigated the mean absolute magnitudes for binaries and singles with parallaxes as a function of J-K color in the L/T transition. Overall, binaries are on average $1-2\sigma$ brighter than singles of the same color. We discuss the implications for candidate binaries that are apparent spectral blends which span a broad range of luminosities, from the brightest binaries to the faintest singles.

Keywords

brown dwarfs

Cite

@article{arxiv.1912.08266,
  title  = {Distinguishing Binary from Single L/T Transition Dwarfs Using Only Photometry},
  author = {Madeline R. Wilson and William M. J. Best},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1912.08266},
  year   = {2019}
}

Comments

5 pages, 2 figures. ASP 2020 Compendium of Undergraduate Research in Astronomy and Space Physics, in press

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