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Multiplicity of Nearby Free-floating Late M and L Dwarfs: HST-WFPC2 Observations of Candidates and Bona Fide Binary Brown Dwarfs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2016

Hervé Bouy
Affiliation:
European Southern Observatory, Karl Schwarzschildstraße 2, Garching, Germany
Wolfgang Brandner
Affiliation:
European Southern Observatory, Karl Schwarzschildstraße 2, Garching, Germany
Eduardo L. Martín
Affiliation:
Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, U.S.A.
Xavier Delfosse
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de l'Observatoire de Grenoble, 414 rue de la Piscine, F-38400 Saint Martin d'Hère, France
France Allard
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherche Astronomique de Lyon (UML 5574), Ecole Normale Superieure, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
Gibor Basri
Affiliation:
University of California at Berkeley, Astronomy Department, MC 3411 Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

Abstract

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We review the results of HST/WFPC2 observations of a sample of 50 very-low-mass objects in the solar neighborhood (30 from our own program and 20 from the archive). Using high spatial resolution HST/WFPC2 images, we observed these objects in two filters (F814W and F675W) in order to identify close companions, measure their colours, and obtain first epoch data of the newly discovered binaries. In addition to 3 previously known binaries we discovered 3 new multiple systems. Second epoch data are required to confirm that they are real common proper motion pairs. Binary properties like multiplicity, distribution of binary separations and brightness ratios hold clues on the origin and evolution of free-floating brown dwarf binaries.

Type
Part 6. Searches for Substellar Companions
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of the Pacific 2001