A Search for Substellar Companions to the Two Nearest Brown Dwarf Systems [SSA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1506.06950


WISE J104915.57-531906.1 A+B and WISE J085510.83-071442.5 were recently discovered as the third and fourth closest known systems to the Sun, respectively (2.0 and 2.3 pc). The former consists of a L8+T0.5 binary and the latter is a probable Y dwarf and is the coldest known brown dwarf (~250 K). We present a search for common proper motion companions to these brown dwarfs using multi-epoch mid-infrared images from the Spitzer Space Telescope. We have also obtained near-infrared adaptive optics images of WISE J104915.57-531906.1 A+B with the Very Large Telescope to search for companions at smaller separations than reached by Spitzer. No new companions are detected in either system. At projected separations of 25-420″ (50-840 AU) for WISE J104915.57-531906.1 A+B and 4-420″ (9-970 AU) for WISE J085510.83-071442.5, the Spitzer images are sensitive to companions with M_4.5<21.6 and 21.9, respectively, which correspond to masses of >=1 M_Jup for ages of >=1 Gyr and temperatures of >=150 K. The detection limit in the adaptive optics images of WISE J104915.57-531906.1 A+B is dH~10 at 3-15″ (6-30 AU), or >=7 M_Jup for >=1 Gyr.

Read this paper on arXiv…

N. Melso, K. Kaldon and K. Luhman
Wed, 24 Jun 15
46/54

Comments: Astronomical Journal, in press