New constrains on Gliese 86 B

We present the results of multi epochs imaging observations of the companion to the planetary host Gliese 86. Associated to radial velocity measurements, this study aimed at characterizing dynamically the orbital properties and the mass of this companion (here after Gliese 86 B), but also at investigating the possible history of this particular system. We used the adaptive optics instrument NACO at the ESO Very Large Telescope to obtain deep coronographic imaging in order to determine new photometric and astrometric measurements of Gliese 86 B. Part of the orbit is resolved. The photometry of Gliese B indicates colors compatible with a ~70 Jupiter mass brown dwarf or a white dwarf. Both types of objects allow to fit the available, still limited astrometric data. Besides, if we attribute the long term radial velocity residual drift observed for Gliese A to B, then the mass of the latter object is ~0.5 Msun. We analyse both astrometric and radial velocity data to propose first orbital parameters for Gliese B. Assuming Gliese B is a ~0.5 Msun white dwarf, we explore the constraints induced by this hypothesis and refine the parameters of the system.Comment: 10 pages, 18 figures, accepted in A&

An accurate distance to 2M1207Ab

In April 2004 the first image was obtained of a planetary mass companion (now known as 2M1207 b) in orbit around a self-luminous object different from our own Sun (the young brown dwarf 2MASSW J1207334-393254, hereafter 2M1207 A). 2M1207 b probably formed via fragmentation and gravitational collapse, offering proof that such a mechanism can form bodies in the planetary mass regime. However, the predicted mass, luminosity, and radius of 2M1207 b depend on its age, distance, and other observables such as effective temperature. To refine our knowledge of the physical properties of 2M1207 b and its nature, we obtained an accurate determination of the distance to the 2M1207 A and b system by measurements of its trigonometric parallax at the milliarcsec level. With the ESO NTT/SUSI2 telescope, in 2006 we began a campaign of photometric and astrometric observations to measure the trigonometric parallax of 2M1207 A. An accurate distance ($52.4\pm 1.1$ pc) to 2M1207A was measured. From distance and proper motions we derived spatial velocities fully compatible with TWA membership. With this new distance estimate, we discuss three scenarios regarding the nature of 2M1207 b: (1) a cool ($1150\pm150$ K) companion of mass $4\pm1$ M$_{\rm{Jup}}$, (2) a warmer ($1600\pm100$ K) and heavier ($8\pm2$ M$_{\rm{Jup}}$) companion occulted by an edge-on circum-secondary disk or (3) a hot protoplanet collision afterglow.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication as letter in A&A, 6/11/200

Deep infrared imaging of close companions to austral A- and F-type stars

The search for substellar companions around stars with different masses along the main sequence is critical to understand the different processes leading to the formation of low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and planets. In particular, the existence of a large population of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs physically bound to early-type main-sequence stars could imply that the massive planets recently imaged at wide separations (10-100 AU) around A-type stars are disc-born objects in the low-mass tail of the binary distribution. Our aim is to characterize the environment of early-type main-sequence stars by detecting brown dwarf or low-mass star companions between 10 and 500 AU. High contrast and high angular resolution near-infrared images of a sample of 38 southern A- and F-type stars have been obtained between 2005 and 2009 with the instruments VLT/NaCo and CFHT/PUEO. Multi-epoch observations were performed to discriminate comoving companions from background contaminants. About 41 companion candidates were imaged around 23 stars. Follow-up observations for 83% of these stars allowed us to identify a large number of background contaminants. We report the detection of 7 low-mass stars with masses between 0.1 and 0.8 Msun in 6 multiple systems: the discovery of a M2 companion around the A5V star HD14943 and the detection of the B component of the F4V star HD41742 quadruple system; we resolve the known companion of the F6.5V star HD49095 as a short-period binary system composed by 2 M/L dwarfs. We also resolve the companions to the astrometric binaries iot Crt (F6.5V) and 26 Oph (F3V), and identify a M3/M4 companion to the F4V star omi Gru, associated with a X-ray source. The global multiplicity fraction measured in our sample of A and F stars is >16%. A parallel velocimetric survey of our stars let us conclude that the imaged companions can impact on the observed radial velocity measurements.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures, 7 tables. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. The full version of the preprint including the appendices (24 pages of figures), can be retrieved at http://www-laog.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr/~dehrenre/articles/afsurvey

Near-infrared integral-field spectra of the planet/brown dwarf companion AB Pic b

Chauvin et al. 2005 imaged a co-moving companion at ~260 AU from the young star AB Pic A. Evolutionary models predictions based on J H K photometry of AB Pic b suggested a mass of ~13 - 14 MJup, placing the object at the deuterium-burning boundary. We used the adaptive-optics-fed integral field spectrograph SINFONI to obtain high quality medium-resolution spectra of AB Pic b (R = 1500-2000) over the 1.1 - 2.5 microns range. Our analysis relies on the comparison of our spectra to young standard templates and to the latest libraries of synthetic spectra developed by the Lyon's Group. AB Pic b is confirmed to be a young early-L dwarf companion. We derive a spectral type L0-L1 and find several features indicative of intermediate gravity atmosphere. A comparison to synthetic spectra yields Teff = 2000+100-300 K and log(g) = 4 +- 0.5 dex. The determination of the derived atmospheric parameters of AB Pic b is limited by a non-perfect match of current atmosphere spectra with our near-infrared observations of AB Pic b. The current treatment of dust settling and missing molecular opacity lines in the atmosphere models could be responsible. By combining the observed photometry, the surface fluxes from atmosphere models and the known distance of the system, we derive new mass, luminosity and radius estimates of AB Pic b. They confirm independently the evolutionary model predictions. We finally review the current methods used to characterize planetary mass companions and discuss them in the perspective of future planet deep imaging surveys.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Deep search for companions to probable young brown dwarfs

We have obtained high contrast images of four nearby, faint, and very low mass objects 2MASSJ04351455-1414468, SDSSJ044337.61+000205.1, 2MASSJ06085283-2753583 and 2MASSJ06524851-5741376 (here after 2MASS0435-14, SDSS0443+00, 2MASS0608-27 and 2MASS0652-57), identified in the field as probable isolated young brown dwarfs. Our goal was to search for binary companions down to the planetary mass regime. We used the NAOS-CONICA adaptive optics instrument (NACO) and its unique capability to sense the wavefront in the near-infrared to acquire sharp images of the four systems in Ks, with a field of view of 28"*28". Additional J and L' imaging and follow-up observations at a second epoch were obtained for 2MASS0652-57. With a typical contrast DKs= 4.0-7.0 mag, our observations are sensitive down to the planetary mass regime considering a minimum age of 10 to 120 Myr for these systems. No additional point sources are detected in the environment of 2MASS0435-14, SDSS0443+00 and 2MASS0608-27 between 0.1-12" (i.e about 2 to 250 AU at 20 pc). 2MASS0652-57 is resolved as a \sim230 mas binary. Follow-up observations reject a background contaminate, resolve the orbital motion of the pair, and confirm with high confidence that the system is physically bound. The J, Ks and L' photometry suggest a q\sim0.7-0.8 mass ratio binary with a probable semi-major axis of 5-6 AU. Among the four systems, 2MASS0652-57 is probably the less constrained in terms of age determination. Further analysis would be necessary to confirm its youth. It would then be interesting to determine its orbital and physical properties to derive the system's dynamical mass and to test evolutionary model predictions.Comment: Research note, 5 pages, 2 tables and 3 figures, accepted to A&

A library of near-infrared integral field spectra of young M-L dwarfs

We present a library of near-infrared (1.1-2.45 microns) medium-resolution (R~1500-2000) integral field spectra of 15 young M6-L0 dwarfs, composed of companions with known ages and of isolated objects. We use it to (re)derive the NIR spectral types, luminosities and physical parameters of the targets, and to test (BT-SETTL, DRIFT-PHOENIX) atmospheric models. We derive infrared spectral types L0+-1, L0+-1, M9.5+-0.5, M9.5+-0.5, M9.25+-0.25, M8+0.5-0.75, and M8.5+-0.5 for AB Pic b, Cha J110913-773444, USco CTIO 108B, GSC 08047-00232 B, DH Tau B, CT Cha b, and HR7329B, respectively. BT-SETTL and DRIFT-PHOENIX models yield close Teff and log g estimates for each sources. The models seem to evidence a 600-300+600 K drop of the effective temperature at the M-L transition. Assuming the former temperatures are correct, we derive new mass estimates which confirm that DH Tau B, USco CTIO 108B, AB Pic b, KPNO Tau 4, OTS 44, and Cha1109 lay inside or at the boundary of the planetary mass range. We combine the empirical luminosities of the M9.5-L0 sources to the Teff to derive semi-empirical radii estimates that do not match "hot-start" evolutionary models predictions at 1-3 Myr. We use complementary data to demonstrate that atmospheric models are able to reproduce the combined optical and infrared spectral energy distribution, together with the near-infrared spectra of these sources simultaneously. But the models still fail to represent the dominant features in the optical. This issue casts doubts on the ability of these models to predict correct effective temperatures from near-infrared spectra alone. We advocate the use of photometric and spectroscopic data covering a broad range of wavelengths to study the properties of very low mass young companions to be detected with the planet imagers (Subaru/SCExAO, LBT/LMIRCam, Gemini/GPI, VLT/SPHERE).Comment: 27 pages, 14 tables, 19 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

High resolution imaging of young M-type stars of the solar neighborhood: Probing the existence of companions down to the mass of Jupiter

Context. High contrast imaging is a powerful technique to search for gas giant planets and brown dwarfs orbiting at separation larger than several AU. Around solar-type stars, giant planets are expected to form by core accretion or by gravitational instability, but since core accretion is increasingly difficult as the primary star becomes lighter, gravitational instability would be the a probable formation scenario for yet-to-be-found distant giant planets around a low-mass star. A systematic survey for such planets around M dwarfs would therefore provide a direct test of the efficiency of gravitational instability. Aims. We search for gas giant planets orbiting around late-type stars and brown dwarfs of the solar neighborhood. Methods. We obtained deep high resolution images of 16 targets with the adaptive optic system of VLT-NACO in the Lp band, using direct imaging and angular differential imaging. This is currently the largest and deepest survey for Jupiter-mass planets around Mdwarfs. We developed and used an integrated reduction and analysis pipeline to reduce the images and derive our 2D detection limits for each target. The typical contrast achieved is about 9 magnitudes at 0.5" and 11 magnitudes beyond 1". For each target we also determine the probability of detecting a planet of a given mass at a given separation in our images. Results. We derived accurate detection probabilities for planetary companions, taking into account orbital projection effects, with in average more than 50% probability to detect a 3MJup companion at 10AU and a 1.5MJup companion at 20AU, bringing strong constraints on the existence of Jupiter-mass planets around this sample of young M-dwarfs.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&

The dam-break problem for concentrated suspensions of neutrally buoyant particles

This paper addresses the dam-break problem for particle suspensions, that is, the flow of a finite volume of suspension released suddenly down an inclined flume. We were concerned with concentrated suspensions made up of neutrally buoyant non-colloidal particles within a Newtonian fluid. Experiments were conducted over wide ranges of slope, concentration and mass. The major contributions of our experimental study are the simultaneous measurement of local flow properties far from the sidewalls (velocity profile and, with lower accuracy, particle concentration) and macroscopic features (front position, flow depth profile). To that end, the refractive index of the fluid was adapted to closely match that of the particles, enabling data acquisition up to particle volume fractions of 60 %. Particle migration resulted in the blunting of the velocity profile, in contrast to the parabolic profile observed in homogeneous Newtonian fluids. The experimental results were compared with predictions from lubrication theory and particle migration theory. For solids fractions as large as 45 %, the flow behaviour did not differ much from that of a homogeneous Newtonian fluid. More specifically, we observed that the velocity profiles were closely approximated by a parabolic form and there was little evidence of particle migration throughout the depth. For particle concentrations in the 52-56 % range, the flow depth and front position were fairly well predicted by lubrication theory, but taking a closer look at the velocity profiles revealed that particle migration had noticeable effects on the shape of the velocity profile (blunting), but had little impact on its strength, which explained why lubrication theory performed well. Particle migration theories (such as the shear-induced diffusion model) successfully captured the slow evolution of the velocity profiles. For particle concentrations in excess of 56 %, the macroscopic flow features were grossly predicted by lubrication theory (to within 20 % for the flow depth, 50 % for the front position). The flows seemed to reach a steady state, i.e. the shape of the velocity profile showed little time dependenc

A companion candidate in the gap of the T Cha transitional disk

T Cha is a young star surrounded by a cold disk. The presence of a gap within its disk, inferred from fitting to the spectral energy distribution, has suggested on-going planetary formation. We observed T Cha in L' and K_s with NAOS-CONICA, the adaptive optics system at the VLT, using sparse aperture masking. We detected a source in the L' data at a separation of 62+-7 mas, position angle of 78+-1 degrees, and a contrast of delta L' = 5.1+-0.2 mag. The object is not detected in the Ks band data, which show a 3-sigma contrast limit of 5.2 mag at the position of the detected L' source. For a distance of 108 pc, the detected companion candidate is located at 6.7 AU from the primary, well within the disk gap. If T Cha and the companion candidate are bound, the comparison of the L' and Ks photometry with evolutionary tracks shows that the photometry is inconsistent with any unextincted photosphere at the age and distance of T Cha. The detected object shows a very red Ks-L' color for which a possible explanation would be a significant amount of dust around it. This would imply that the companion candidate is young, which would strengthen the case for a physical companion, and moreover that the object would be in the substellar regime, according to the Ks upper limit. Another exciting possibility would be that this companion is a recently formed planet within the disk. Additional observations are mandatory to confirm that the object is bound and to properly characterize it.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; accepted for publication by A&