Dynamical masses for the nearest brown dwarf binary: ε Indi ba, bb

C. V. Cardoso; M. J. Mccaughrean; R. R. King; L. M. Close; R. D. Scholz; R. Lenzen; W. Brandner; N. Lodieu; H. Zinnecker

doi:10.1063/1.3099160

Dynamical masses for the nearest brown dwarf binary: ε Indi ba, bb

C. V. Cardoso, M. J. Mccaughrean, R. R. King, L. M. Close, R. D. Scholz, R. Lenzen, W. Brandner, N. Lodieu, H. Zinnecker

Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article › peer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present preliminary astrometric results for the closest known brown dwarf binary to the Sun: ε Indi Ba, Bb at a distance of 3.626 pc. With ongoing monitoring of the relative separation of the two brown dwarfs (spectral types T1 and T6) with VLT NACO near-IR adaptive optics system since June 2004, we obtain a model-independent dynamical total mass for the system of 121 M _jup, some 60% larger than the one obtained by McCaughrean et al., implying that the system may be as old as 5 Gyr. We have also been monitoring the absolute astrometric motions of the system using the VLT FORS2 optical imager since August 2005 to determine the individual masses. We predict a periastron passage in early 2010, by which time the system mass will be constrained to <1 M _jup and we will be able to determine the individual masses accurately in a dynamical, model-independent manner.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	509-512
Number of pages	4
Journal	AIP Conference Proceedings
Volume	1094
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3099160
State	Published - 2009
Event	15th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems and the Sun - St. Andrews, United Kingdom Duration: Jul 21 2008 → Jul 25 2008

Keywords

Astrometry
Binaries
Brown dwarfs
Celestial mechanics
Visual

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1063/1.3099160

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title = "Dynamical masses for the nearest brown dwarf binary: ε Indi ba, bb",

abstract = "We present preliminary astrometric results for the closest known brown dwarf binary to the Sun: ε Indi Ba, Bb at a distance of 3.626 pc. With ongoing monitoring of the relative separation of the two brown dwarfs (spectral types T1 and T6) with VLT NACO near-IR adaptive optics system since June 2004, we obtain a model-independent dynamical total mass for the system of 121 M jup, some 60% larger than the one obtained by McCaughrean et al., implying that the system may be as old as 5 Gyr. We have also been monitoring the absolute astrometric motions of the system using the VLT FORS2 optical imager since August 2005 to determine the individual masses. We predict a periastron passage in early 2010, by which time the system mass will be constrained to <1 M jup and we will be able to determine the individual masses accurately in a dynamical, model-independent manner.",

keywords = "Astrometry, Binaries, Brown dwarfs, Celestial mechanics, Visual",

author = "Cardoso, {C. V.} and Mccaughrean, {M. J.} and King, {R. R.} and Close, {L. M.} and Scholz, {R. D.} and R. Lenzen and W. Brandner and N. Lodieu and H. Zinnecker",

year = "2009",

doi = "10.1063/1.3099160",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "1094",

pages = "509--512",

journal = "AIP Conference Proceedings",

issn = "0094-243X",

publisher = "American Institute of Physics",

note = "15th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems and the Sun ; Conference date: 21-07-2008 Through 25-07-2008",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Dynamical masses for the nearest brown dwarf binary

T2 - 15th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems and the Sun

AU - Cardoso, C. V.

AU - Mccaughrean, M. J.

AU - King, R. R.

AU - Close, L. M.

AU - Scholz, R. D.

AU - Lenzen, R.

AU - Brandner, W.

AU - Lodieu, N.

AU - Zinnecker, H.

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - We present preliminary astrometric results for the closest known brown dwarf binary to the Sun: ε Indi Ba, Bb at a distance of 3.626 pc. With ongoing monitoring of the relative separation of the two brown dwarfs (spectral types T1 and T6) with VLT NACO near-IR adaptive optics system since June 2004, we obtain a model-independent dynamical total mass for the system of 121 M jup, some 60% larger than the one obtained by McCaughrean et al., implying that the system may be as old as 5 Gyr. We have also been monitoring the absolute astrometric motions of the system using the VLT FORS2 optical imager since August 2005 to determine the individual masses. We predict a periastron passage in early 2010, by which time the system mass will be constrained to <1 M jup and we will be able to determine the individual masses accurately in a dynamical, model-independent manner.

AB - We present preliminary astrometric results for the closest known brown dwarf binary to the Sun: ε Indi Ba, Bb at a distance of 3.626 pc. With ongoing monitoring of the relative separation of the two brown dwarfs (spectral types T1 and T6) with VLT NACO near-IR adaptive optics system since June 2004, we obtain a model-independent dynamical total mass for the system of 121 M jup, some 60% larger than the one obtained by McCaughrean et al., implying that the system may be as old as 5 Gyr. We have also been monitoring the absolute astrometric motions of the system using the VLT FORS2 optical imager since August 2005 to determine the individual masses. We predict a periastron passage in early 2010, by which time the system mass will be constrained to <1 M jup and we will be able to determine the individual masses accurately in a dynamical, model-independent manner.

KW - Astrometry

KW - Binaries

KW - Brown dwarfs

KW - Celestial mechanics

KW - Visual

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U2 - 10.1063/1.3099160

DO - 10.1063/1.3099160

M3 - Conference article

AN - SCOPUS:64849115664

SN - 0094-243X

VL - 1094

SP - 509

EP - 512

JO - AIP Conference Proceedings

JF - AIP Conference Proceedings

Y2 - 21 July 2008 through 25 July 2008

ER -

Dynamical masses for the nearest brown dwarf binary: ε Indi ba, bb

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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