2020ApJ...896..173P -
Astrophys. J., 896, 173-173 (2020/June-3)
2MASS J04435686+3723033 B: a young companion at the substellar boundary with potential membership in the β Pictoris moving group.
PHILLIPS C.L., BOWLER B.P., MACE G., LIU M.C. and SOKAL K.
Abstract (from CDS):
We present a detailed characterization of 2MASS J04435750+3723031, a low-mass companion orbiting the young M2 star 2MASS J04435686+3723033 at 7.''6 (550 au) with potential membership in the 23 Myr β Pictoris moving group (βPMG). Using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy of the companion from IRTF/SpeX, we have found a spectral type of M6 ± 1 and indications of youth through age-sensitive absorption lines and a low surface gravity index (VL-G). A young age is supported by Hα emission and lithium absorption in the host. We reevaluate the membership of this system and find that it is a marginally consistent kinematic match to the βPMG using Gaia parallaxes and new radial velocities for the host and companion. If this system does belong to the βPMG, it would be a kinematic outlier and the companion would be overluminous compared to other similar ultracool objects like PZ Tel B; this would suggest that 2M0443+3723 B could be a close binary (≃52+52 MJup if equal-flux, compared with 99 ± 5 MJup if single), and would make it the sixth substellar companion in this group. To test this hypothesis, we acquired NIR adaptive optics images with Keck II/NIRC2, but they do not resolve the companion to be a binary down to the diffraction limit of ∼3 au. If 2M0443+3723 AB does not belong to any moving group, then its age is more uncertain. In this case it is still young (<=30 Myr), and the implied mass of the companion would be between ∼30 and 110 MJup.
Abstract Copyright:
© 2020. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
Journal keyword(s):
Low mass stars - Brown dwarfs - Direct imaging - Close binary stars
Simbad objects:
46
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