Discovery of a companion at the brown dwarf limit to the solar‐type star Gliese 29. Issue 6 (June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chini, R.; Fuhrmann, K.; Pozo Nuñez, F.; Ramolla, M.; Kaderhandt, L.; Niedworok, N.; Hodapp, K.‐W.
• Is Part Of: Astronomische Nachrichten. Volume 337:Issue 6(2016)
• Page Start: 621
• Page End: 626
• Publication Date: 2016-06
• Subjects: astrometry -- brown dwarfs -- proper motions -- stars: solar‐type -- stars: individual (Gliese 29); Astronomy -- Periodicals; 520.5
• DOI: 10.1002/asna.201512309
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0004-6337

Abstract

Abstract: Gliese 29 is a 7 to 8 Gyr old, southern Population I turnoff star with a large proper motion of 1″/yr. Using recent direct imaging observations with the 0.8 m Infrared Imaging System (IRIS) of the Universitätssternwarte Bochum near Cerro Armazones in Chile, we demonstrate that the faint source 2MASS J00402651–5927168 at a projected angular separation ρ = 6.″35 is a common‐proper‐motion companion to Gl 29. Provided this source is not part of a further subsystem, the IRIS J ‐ and K s ‐band photometry either implies a spectral type of about L2, based on its absolute magnitude, or an approximate mass M B ≃ 0.077 M⊙, suggesting that it may even be a brown dwarf. Assuming a face‐on circular orbit this faint companion orbits Gl 29 in 1880 years. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)