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Title: EVIDENCE FOR ACCRETION IN A NEARBY, YOUNG BROWN DWARF

Abstract

We report on the discovery of the young, nearby, brown dwarf 2MASS J0041353-562112. The object has a spectral type of M7.5; it shows Li absorption and signatures of accretion, which implies that it still has a disk and suggests an age below 10 Myr. The space motion vector and position on the sky indicate that the brown dwarf is probably a member of the {approx}20 Myr old Tuc-Hor association, or that it may be an ejected member of the {approx}12 Myr old {beta} Pic association; both would imply that 2MASS J0041353-562112 may in fact be older than 10 Myr. No accreting star or brown dwarf was previously known in these associations. Assuming an age of 10 Myr, the brown dwarf has a mass of about 30 M{sub Jup} and is located at 35 pc distance. The newly discovered object is the closest accreting brown dwarf known. Its membership to an association older than 10 Myr implies that either disks in brown dwarfs can survive as long as in more massive stars, perhaps even longer, or that star formation in Tuc-Hor or {beta} Pic occurred more recently than previously thought. The history and evolution of this object can provide new fundamentalmore » insight into the formation process of stars, brown dwarfs, and planets.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21336010
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal (Online)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 702; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/702/2/L119; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1538-4357
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ABSORPTION; DWARF STARS; MASS; PLANETS; STAR EVOLUTION

Citation Formats

Reiners, Ansgar. EVIDENCE FOR ACCRETION IN A NEARBY, YOUNG BROWN DWARF. United States: N. p., 2009. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/702/2/L119; COUNTRY OF INPUT: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA).
Reiners, Ansgar. EVIDENCE FOR ACCRETION IN A NEARBY, YOUNG BROWN DWARF. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/702/2/L119; COUNTRY OF INPUT: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)
Reiners, Ansgar. 2009. "EVIDENCE FOR ACCRETION IN A NEARBY, YOUNG BROWN DWARF". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/702/2/L119; COUNTRY OF INPUT: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA).
@article{osti_21336010,
title = {EVIDENCE FOR ACCRETION IN A NEARBY, YOUNG BROWN DWARF},
author = {Reiners, Ansgar},
abstractNote = {We report on the discovery of the young, nearby, brown dwarf 2MASS J0041353-562112. The object has a spectral type of M7.5; it shows Li absorption and signatures of accretion, which implies that it still has a disk and suggests an age below 10 Myr. The space motion vector and position on the sky indicate that the brown dwarf is probably a member of the {approx}20 Myr old Tuc-Hor association, or that it may be an ejected member of the {approx}12 Myr old {beta} Pic association; both would imply that 2MASS J0041353-562112 may in fact be older than 10 Myr. No accreting star or brown dwarf was previously known in these associations. Assuming an age of 10 Myr, the brown dwarf has a mass of about 30 M{sub Jup} and is located at 35 pc distance. The newly discovered object is the closest accreting brown dwarf known. Its membership to an association older than 10 Myr implies that either disks in brown dwarfs can survive as long as in more massive stars, perhaps even longer, or that star formation in Tuc-Hor or {beta} Pic occurred more recently than previously thought. The history and evolution of this object can provide new fundamental insight into the formation process of stars, brown dwarfs, and planets.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/702/2/L119; COUNTRY OF INPUT: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21336010}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal (Online)},
issn = {1538-4357},
number = 2,
volume = 702,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Sep 10 00:00:00 EDT 2009},
month = {Thu Sep 10 00:00:00 EDT 2009}
}