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Two T dwarfs from the UKIDSS early data release
Citation
Kendall, TR and Tamura, M and Tinney, CG and Martin, EL and Ishii, M and Pinfield, DJ and Lucas, PW and Jones, HRA and Leggett, SK and Dye, S and Hewett, PC and Allard, F and Baraffe, I and Barrado y Navascues, D and Carraro, G and Casewell, SL and Chabrier, G and Chappelle, RJ and Clarke, F and Day-Jones, A and Deacon, N and Dobbie, PD and Folkes, S and Hambly, NC and Hodgkin, ST and Nakajima, T and Jameson, RF and Lodieu, N and Magazzu, A and McCaughrean, MJ and Pavlenko, YV and Tadashi, N and Zapatero Osorio, MR, Two T dwarfs from the UKIDSS early data release, Astronomy and Astrophysics: A European Journal, 466, (3) pp. 1059 - 1064. ISSN 0004-6361 (2007) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2007 ESO
DOI: doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20066403
Abstract
Context: We report on the first ultracool dwarf discoveries from the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey Early Data Release (LAS EDR), in particular the discovery of T dwarfs which are fainter and more distant than those found using the 2MASS and SDSS surveys.
Aims: We aim to show that our methodologies for searching the ~27 deg2 of the LAS EDR are successful for finding both L and T dwarfs via cross-correlation with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR4 release. While the area searched so far is small, the numbers of objects found shows great promise for near-future releases of the LAS and great potential for finding large numbers of such dwarfs.
Methods: Ultracool dwarfs are selected by combinations of their YJH(K)$ UKIDSS colours and SDSS DR4 z - J and i - z colours, or, lower limits on these red optical/infrared colours in the case of DR4 dropouts. After passing visual inspection tests, candidates have been followed up by methane imaging and spectroscopy at 4 m and 8 m-class facilities.
Results: Our main result is the discovery following CH4 imaging and spectroscopy of a T4.5 dwarf, ULAS J 1452+0655, lying ~80 pc distant. A further T dwarf candidate, ULAS J 1301+0023, has very similar CH4 colours but has not yet been confirmed spectroscopically. We also report on the identification of a brighter L0 dwarf, and on the selection of a list of LAS objects designed to probe for T-like dwarfs to the survey J-band limit.
Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the combination of the UKIDSS LAS and SDSS surveys provide an excellent tool for identifying L and T dwarfs down to much fainter limits than previously possible. Our discovery of one confirmed and one probable T dwarf in the EDR is consistent with expectations from the previously measured T dwarf density on the sky.Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | infrared: stars -- stars: low-mass, brown dwarfs -- stars: fundamental parameters |
| Research Division: | Physical Sciences |
| Research Group: | Astronomical and Space Sciences |
| Research Field: | Stellar Astronomy and Planetary Systems |
| Objective Division: | Expanding Knowledge |
| Objective Group: | Expanding Knowledge |
| Objective Field: | Expanding Knowledge in the Physical Sciences |
| UTAS Author: | Dobbie, PD (Dr Paul Dobbie) |
| ID Code: | 81085 |
| Year Published: | 2007 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 32 |
| Deposited By: | Mathematics and Physics |
| Deposited On: | 2012-11-22 |
| Last Modified: | 2013-06-26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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