SpeX spectroscopy of unresolved very low mass binaries. II. Identification of 14 candidate binaries with late-M/early-L and T dwarf components
- Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0424, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)
- NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, Mail Code 100-22, California Institute of Technology, 770 South Wilson Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 (Australia)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065 (United States)
- Department of Astrophysics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024 (United States)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, 104 The Green, Newark, DE 19716 (United States)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7 (Canada)
- Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, Mail Code 100-22, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)
Multiplicity is a key statistic for understanding the formation of very low mass (VLM) stars and brown dwarfs. Currently, the separation distribution of VLM binaries remains poorly constrained at small separations (≤1 AU), leading to uncertainty in the overall binary fraction. We approach this problem by searching for late-M/early-L plus T dwarf spectral binaries whose combined light spectra exhibit distinct peculiarities, allowing for separation-independent identification. We define a set of spectral indices designed to identify these systems, and we use a spectral template fitting method to confirm and characterize spectral binary candidates from a library of 815 spectra from the SpeX Prism Spectral Libraries. We present 11 new binary candidates, confirm 3 previously reported candidates, and rule out 2 previously identified candidates, all with primary and secondary spectral types in the range M7-L7 and T1-T8, respectively. We find that subdwarfs and blue L dwarfs are the primary contaminants in our sample and propose a method for segregating these sources. If confirmed by follow-up observations, these systems may add to the growing list of tight separation binaries, whose orbital properties may yield further insight into brown dwarf formation scenarios.
- OSTI ID:
- 22370378
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 794, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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