548 research outputs found
A proto brown dwarf candidate in Taurus
Aims. We search for brown dwarfs at the Class 0/I evolutionary stage, or proto brown dwarfs.
Methods. We present a multi wavelength study, ranging from optical at 0.8 ÎŒm to radio wavelengths at 6 cm, of a cool, very faint, and red multiple object, SSTB213 J041757, detected by Spitzer toward the Barnard 213 dark cloud, in Taurus.
Results. The SED of SSTB213 J041757 displays a clear excess at long wavelengths resembling that of a Class I object. The mid-IR source has two possible counterparts, A and B, in the near-IR and optical images, and the 350 ÎŒm observations detect clear extended emission, presumably from an envelope around the two sources. The position of A & B in the (Icâ J) versus (J â [3.6]) colour-colour diagram is consistent with them being Galactic sources and not extragalactic contaminants. A proper-motion study confirms this result for A, while it is inconclusive for B. The temperature and mass of the two possible central objects, according to COND evolutionary models, range between 1550â1750 K and 3â4 M_(Jupiter), and 950â1300 K and 1â2 M_(Jupiter), for A and B, respectively. The integrated SED provides bolometric temperatures and luminosities of 280 K and 0.0034 L_â, assuming that the emission at wavelengths > 5 ÎŒm is associated with component A, and 150 K and 0.0033 L_â, assuming that the emission at wavelengths > 5 ÎŒm is associated with component B, which would imply the SSTB213 J041757 object has a luminosity well below the luminosity of other very low luminosity objects discovered up to date.
Conclusions. With these characteristics, SSTB213 J041757 seems to be a promising, and perhaps double, proto brown dwarf candidate
A submillimeter search for pre- and proto-brown dwarfs in Chamaeleon II
Context. Chamaeleon II molecular cloud is an active star forming region that
offers an excellent opportunity for studying the formation of brown dwarfs in
the southern hemisphere. Aims. Our aims are to identify a population of pre-
and proto- brown dwarfs (5 sigma mass limit threshold of ~0.015 Msun) and
provide information on the formation mechanisms of substellar objects. Methods.
We performed high sensitivity observations at 870 microns using the LABOCA
bolometer at the APEX telescope towards an active star forming region in
Chamaeleon II. The data are complemented with an extensive multiwavelength
catalogue of sources from the optical to the far-infrared to study the nature
of the LABOCA detections. Results. We detect fifteen cores at 870 microns, and
eleven of them show masses in the substellar regime. The most intense objects
in the surveyed field correspond to the submillimeter counterparts of the well
known young stellar objects DK Cha and IRAS 12500-7658. We identify a possible
proto-brown dwarf candidate (ChaII-APEX-L) with IRAC emission at 3.6 and 4.5
microns. Conclusions. Our analysis indicates that most of the spatially
resolved cores are transient, and that the point-like starless cores in the
sub-stellar regime (with masses between 0.016 Msun and 0.066 Msun) could be
pre-brown dwarfs cores gravitationally unstable if they have radii smaller than
220 AU to 907 AU (1.2" to 5" at 178 pc) respectively for different masses. ALMA
observations will be the key to reveal the energetic state of these pre-brown
dwarfs candidates.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure
First detection of thermal radio jets in a sample of proto-brown dwarf candidates
We observed with the JVLA at 3.6 and 1.3 cm a sample of 11 proto-brown dwarf
candidates in Taurus in a search for thermal radio jets driven by the most
embedded brown dwarfs. We detected for the first time four thermal radio jets
in proto-brown dwarf candidates. We compiled data from UKIDSS, 2MASS, Spitzer,
WISE and Herschel to build the Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) of the
objects in our sample, which are similar to typical Class~I SEDs of Young
Stellar Objects (YSOs). The four proto-brown dwarf candidates driving thermal
radio jets also roughly follow the well-known trend of centimeter luminosity
against bolometric luminosity determined for YSOs, assuming they belong to
Taurus, although they present some excess of radio emission compared to the
known relation for YSOs. Nonetheless, we are able to reproduce the flux
densities of the radio jets modeling the centimeter emission of the thermal
radio jets using the same type of models applied to YSOs, but with
corresponding smaller stellar wind velocities and mass-loss rates, and
exploring different possible geometries of the wind or outflow from the star.
Moreover, we also find that the modeled mass outflow rates for the bolometric
luminosities of our objects agree reasonably well with the trends found between
the mass outflow rates and bolometric luminosities of YSOs, which indicates
that, despite the "excess" centimeter emission, the intrinsic properties of
proto-brown dwarfs are consistent with a continuation of those of very low mass
stars to a lower mass range. Overall, our study favors the formation of brown
dwarfs as a scaled-down version of low-mass stars.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, 14 tables, accepted by the Astrophysical Journa
Gas and dust in the Beta Pictoris Moving Group as seen by the Herschel Space Observatory
Context. Debris discs are thought to be formed through the collisional
grinding of planetesimals, and can be considered as the outcome of planet
formation. Understanding the properties of gas and dust in debris discs can
help us to comprehend the architecture of extrasolar planetary systems.
Herschel Space Observatory far-infrared (IR) photometry and spectroscopy have
provided a valuable dataset for the study of debris discs gas and dust
composition. This paper is part of a series of papers devoted to the study of
Herschel PACS observations of young stellar associations.
Aims. This work aims at studying the properties of discs in the Beta Pictoris
Moving Group (BPMG) through far-IR PACS observations of dust and gas.
Methods. We obtained Herschel-PACS far-IR photometric observations at 70, 100
and 160 microns of 19 BPMG members, together with spectroscopic observations of
four of them. Spectroscopic observations were centred at 63.18 microns and 157
microns, aiming to detect [OI] and [CII] emission. We incorporated the new
far-IR observations in the SED of BPMG members and fitted modified blackbody
models to better characterise the dust content.
Results. We have detected far-IR excess emission toward nine BPMG members,
including the first detection of an IR excess toward HD 29391.The star HD
172555, shows [OI] emission, while HD 181296, shows [CII] emission, expanding
the short list of debris discs with a gas detection. No debris disc in BPMG is
detected in both [OI] and [CII]. The discs show dust temperatures in the range
55 to 264 K, with low dust masses (6.6*10^{-5} MEarth to 0.2 MEarth) and radii
from blackbody models in the range 3 to 82 AU. All the objects with a gas
detection are early spectral type stars with a hot dust component.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, 6 table
From the Top to the Bottom of the Main Sequence: A Complete Mass Function of the Young Open Cluster M35
We present very deep and accurate photometry of the open cluster M35 (VRIc
filters). We have covered a region of 27.5x27.5 square arcmin.
The data range from Ic=12.5 to 23.5 mag, and the color intervals are
0.4\le(V-I)c\le3.0, 0.5\le(R-I)c\le2.5. Roughly, these values span from 1.6
M_\odot down to the substellar limit. By using the location of the stars on
color-magnitude and color-color diagrams, we have selected candidate members of
this cluster. We have merged our sample with previously published data and
obtained a color-magnitude diagram for the complete stellar population of the
cluster, covering the spectral range early B - mid M. The Mass Function
increases monotonically, when plotted in a log-log form, until it reaches ~0.8
M_\odot (\alpha=2.59). It remains shallower for less massive stars (\alpha=0.81
for 0.8-0.2 M_\odot), whereas a decrease ins observed for stars close to the
substellar regime. The total mass of the cluster is ~1600 M_\odot in the area
covered by this study.Comment: Accepted ApJ (Jan 10, 2001 issue
A new Classical T Tauri object at the sub-stellar boundary in Chamaeleon II
We have obtained low- and medium-resolution optical spectra of 20 candidate
young low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in the nearby Chamaeleon II dark cloud,
using the Magellan Baade telescope. We analyze these data in conjunction with
near-infrared photometry from the 2-Micron All Sky Survey. We find that one
target, [VCE2001] C41, exhibits broad H(alpha) emission as well as a variety of
forbidden emission lines. These signatures are usually associated with
accretion and outflow in young stars and brown dwarfs. Our spectra of C41 also
reveal LiI in absorption and allow us to derive a spectral type of M5.5 for it.
Therefore, we propose that C41 is a classical T Tauri object near the
sub-stellar boundary. Thirteen other targets in our sample have continuum
spectra without intrinsic absorption or emission features, and are difficult to
characterize. They may be background giants or foreground field stars not
associated with the cloud or embedded protostars, and need further
investigation. The six remaining candidates, with moderate reddening, are
likely to be older field dwarfs, given their spectral types, lack of lithium
and H(alpha).Comment: Astrophysical Journal, accepted June 19, 200
The Substellar Mass Function in sigma Orionis
We combine results from imaging searches for substellar objects in the sigma
Orionis cluster and follow-up photometric and spectroscopic observations to
derive a census of the brown dwarf population in a region of 847 arcmin^2. We
identify 64 very low-mass cluster member candidates in this region. We have
available three color (IZJ) photometry for all of them, spectra for 9 objects,
and K photometry for 27% of our sample. These data provide a well defined
sequence in the I vs I-J, I-K color magnitude diagrams, and indicate that the
cluster is affected by little reddening despite its young age (~5 Myr). Using
state-of-the-art evolutionary models, we derive a mass function from the
low-mass stars (0.2 Msol) across the complete brown dwarf domain (0.075 Msol to
0.013 Msol), and into the realm of free-floating planetary-mass objects (<0.013
Msol). We find that the mass spectrum (dN/dm ~ m^{-alpha}) increases toward
lower masses with an exponent alpha = 0.8+/-0.4. Our results suggest that
planetary-mass isolated objects could be as common as brown dwarfs; both kinds
of objects together would be as numerous as stars in the cluster. If the
distribution of stellar and substellar masses in sigma Orionis is
representative of the Galactic disk, older and much lower luminosity
free-floating planetary-mass objects with masses down to about 0.005 Msol
should be abundant in the solar vicinity, with a density similar to M-type
stars.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 19 pages, 3 figures include
Pre-main-sequence Lithium Depletion
In this review I briefly discuss the theory of pre-main-sequence (PMS) Li
depletion in low-mass (0.075<M<1.2 Msun) stars and highlight those uncertain
parameters which lead to substantial differences in model predictions. I then
summarise observations of PMS stars in very young open clusters, clusters that
have just reached the ZAMS and briefly highlight recent developments in the
observation of Li in very low-mass PMS stars.Comment: 8 pages, invited review at "Chemical abundances and mixing in stars
in the Milky Way and its satellites", eds. L. Pasquini, S. Randich. ESO
Astrophysics Symposium (Springer-Verlag
The substellar population of the young cluster lambda Orionis
By collecting optical and infrared photometry and low resolution
spectroscopy, we have identified a large number of low mass stars and brown
dwarf candidates belonging to the young cluster (~5 Myr) associated with the
binary star lambda Orionis. The lowest mass object found is a M8.5 with an
estimated mass of 0.02 Msun (~0.01 Msun for objects without spectroscopic
confirmation).
For those objects with spectroscopy, the measured strength of the Halpha
emission line follows a distribution similar to other clusters with the same
age range, with larger equivalent widths for cooler spectral types. Three of
the brown dwarfs have Halpha emission equivalent widths of order 100 \AA,
suggestive that they may have accretion disks and thus are the substellar
equivalent of Classical T Tauri stars. We have derived the Initial Mass
Function for the cluster. For the substellar regime, the index of the mass
spectrum is alpha=0.60$+-0.06, very similar to other young associations.Comment: Astrophysica Journal, accepted April 2, 200
Natural uranium isotopes determination in 24h-urine samples from exposed workers to enriched uranium
peer reviewedIndividual monitoring of occupationally exposed workers to enriched uranium is mandatory, due to its radiotoxicity. The aim of this work is to determine if the use of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and an estimation method for 234U activity, could supply the information obtained by Alpha Spectrometry (AS), which is the analytical technique commonly employed in this scenario. A total of 105 samples of 24 h-urine from exposed workers were analyzed by both techniques and the obtained results were compared. 235U activity results were only quantifiable in 7 samples by AS (0.07â0.30 mBq/d) while ICP-MS quantified it in most of the cases.238U activity was measurable in 88 samples by AS and ICP-MS with wide range of results (0.11â2.4 mBq/d). For these isotopes no significant dosimetry differences were found between both techniques. However, 234U activities results obtained by AS ranged from 0.15 to 7.6 mBq/d and the isotopic ratio of 234U/238U were highly variable. 234U estimation was done with the average of these isotopic ratios and 235U and 238U ICP-MS results. Significant differences between estimated results and the ones obtained by AS were observed. Therefore, ICP-MS cannot supply the information given by AS, although can complement it. New studies must be started in order to obtain better and faster results applying radiochemical separation and ICP-MS measurement and studying the real contribution of diet in final uranium dose assessment
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