Deep IRAC/MIPS Photometry of Candidate Young Planetary Mass Objects
Abstract
We propose to map a 0.7 sq deg area of the Ophiuchus Cloud to very deep levels with IRAC and MIPS to identify a robust sample of young, planetary mass objects from a set of 39 candidates. We identified the candidates through previous deep near-IR imaging, c2d 3.6/4.5 micron detections, and have extracted low S/N 5.8/8 micron fluxes from existing c2d Legacy data. The 39 Ophiuchus candidates were then selected using color-magnitude criteria from our previous very successful search for higher luminosity brown dwarfs with disks. In order to determine which of these candidates is truly a young planetary mass object with a disk, we now require much deeper Spitzer observations at 5.8, 8, and 24 micron to obtain good S/N and to characterize the disks. We are also in the process of obtaining complementary near-IR narrowband photometry that will allow us to eliminate extra-galactic contaminants in our sample and to obtain spectral types for the cool sub-stellar objects. As a result, we will end up with a sample of well characterized young planetary-mass objects with and without disks and a similar number of field dwarfs. The wide field and very high sensitivity of Spitzer are essential to the success of this project. This combination of capabilities is unlikely to exist for a long time after the end of Spitzer's cryogenic mission.
- Publication:
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Spitzer Proposal
- Pub Date:
- March 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008sptz.prop50025H