The Nearest Isolated Member of the TW Hydrae Association is a Giant Planet Analog [SSA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1603.08529


In a recent search for unusually red L and T dwarfs, we identified 2MASS J11193254-1137466 as a likely young L7 dwarf and potential member of the TW Hydrae association. We present spectra that confirm the youth of this object. We also measure a radial velocity of 8.5 +/- 3.3 km/s that, together with the sky position, proper motion and photometric distance, results in a 92% probability of membership in the TW Hydrae association, with a calibrated field contamination probability of 0.0005% using the BANYAN II tool. Using the age of TW Hydrae and the luminosity of 2MASS J11193254-1137466, we estimate its mass to be 4.3–7.6 MJup. It is the lowest-mass and nearest isolated member of TW Hydrae at a kinematic distance of 28.9 +/- 3.6 pc, and the second-brightest isolated <10 MJup object discovered to date.

Read this paper on arXiv…

K. Kellogg, S. Metchev, J. Gagne, et. al.
Wed, 30 Mar 16
39/48

Comments: 6 pages, 3 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters