Direct-imaging discovery of a 12-14 Jupiter-mass object orbiting a young binary system of very low-mass stars
Abstract
Context. Though only a handful of extrasolar planets have been discovered via direct-imaging, each of these discoveries had a tremendous impact on our understanding of planetary formation, stellar formation, and cool atmosphere physics.
Aims: Since many of these newly imaged giant planets orbit massive A or even B stars, we investigate whether giant planets could be found orbiting low-mass stars at large separations.
Methods: We have been conducting an adaptive optic imaging survey to search for planetary-mass companions of young M dwarfs in the solar neigbourhood, in order to probe different initial conditions of planetary formation.
Results: We report here the direct-imaging discovery of 2MASS J01033563-5515561(AB)b, a 12-14 MJup companion at a projected separation of 84 AU from a pair of young late-M stars, with which it shares proper motion. We also detected a Keplerian-compatible orbital motion.
Conclusions: This young L-type object at the planet/brown dwarf mass boundary is the first ever imaged around a binary system at a separation compatible with formation in a disc.
- Publication:
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Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- May 2013
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1303.4525
- Bibcode:
- 2013A&A...553L...5D
- Keywords:
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- planetary systems;
- stars: low-mass;
- methods: observational;
- instrumentation: adaptive optics;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Accepted in A&