English

The First Brown Dwarf/Planetary-Mass Object in the 32 Orionis Group

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 2016-03-23 v1 Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Abstract

The 32 Orionis group is a co-moving group of roughly 20 young (24 Myr) M3-B5 stars 100 pc from the Sun. Here we report the discovery of its first substellar member, WISE J052857.69+090104.2. This source was previously reported to be an M giant star based on its unusual near-infrared spectrum and lack of measurable proper motion. We re-analyze previous data and new moderate-resolution spectroscopy from Magellan/FIRE to demonstrate that this source is a young near-infrared L1 brown dwarf with very low surface gravity features. Spectral model fits indicate Teff_{eff} = 188070+150^{+150}_{-70} K and logg\log{g} = 3.80.2+0.2^{+0.2}_{-0.2} (cgs), consistent with a 15-22 Myr object with a mass near the deuterium-burning limit. Its sky position, estimated distance, kinematics (both proper motion and radial velocity), and spectral characteristics are all consistent with membership in 32 Orionis, and its temperature and age imply a mass (M = 143+4^{+4}_{-3} MJup_{Jup}) that straddles the brown dwarf/planetary-mass object boundary. The source has a somewhat red JW2J-W2 color compared to other L1 dwarfs, but this is likely a low-gravity-related temperature offset; we find no evidence of significant excess reddening from a disk or cool companion in the 3-5 μ\mum waveband.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1602.03022,
  title  = {The First Brown Dwarf/Planetary-Mass Object in the 32 Orionis Group},
  author = {Adam J. Burgasser and Mike A. Lopez and Eric E. Mamajek and Jonathan Gagne and Jacqueline K. Faherty and Melisa Tallis and Caleb Choban and Ivanna Escala and Christian Aganze},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1602.03022},
  year   = {2016}
}

Comments

8 pages, 9 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ 2016 Feb 8