1. Understanding sub-stellar populations using wide-field infrared surveys
- Author
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Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, West, A. A., Pinfield, D. J., Day-Jones, A. C., Burningham, B., Leggett, S. K., Beaumont, H., Tamura, M., Tinney, C. G., Liu, M. C., Homeier, Derek, Lodieu, N., Deacon, N. R., Huelamo, N., Dupuy, Trent J., Mortlock, D. J., Warren, S. J., Jones, H. R. A., Lucas, P. W., Ishi, M., McMahon, R. G., Hewett, P., Zapatero-Osorio, M. R., Martin, E. L., Venemans, B. P., Barrado, D., Zhang, Z., Morales-Calderon, M., Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, West, A. A., Pinfield, D. J., Day-Jones, A. C., Burningham, B., Leggett, S. K., Beaumont, H., Tamura, M., Tinney, C. G., Liu, M. C., Homeier, Derek, Lodieu, N., Deacon, N. R., Huelamo, N., Dupuy, Trent J., Mortlock, D. J., Warren, S. J., Jones, H. R. A., Lucas, P. W., Ishi, M., McMahon, R. G., Hewett, P., Zapatero-Osorio, M. R., Martin, E. L., Venemans, B. P., Barrado, D., Zhang, Z., and Morales-Calderon, M.
- Abstract
This paper discusses benchmark brown dwarfs in various environments, and focuses on those in wide binary systems. We present a summary of the recently discovered T dwarf population from the UKIDSS Large Area Survey, and describe the constraints that it places on our knowledge of the sub-stellar initial mass function. We also present some exciting results from our ongoing search for wide companions to this sample, that has so far revealed an M4-T8.5 binary system at ∼12 parsecs and also the first ever Tdwarf-white dwarf binary system. The T dwarfs in these binaries have their properties constrained by the primary object and are thus benchmark objects that are already testing the predictions of theoretical model atmospheres.
- Published
- 2014