A Proper Motion Survey Using the First Sky Pass of NEOWISE-reactivation Data
Abstract
The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) was reactivated in 2013 December (NEOWISE) to search for potentially hazardous near-Earth objects. We have conducted a survey using the first sky pass of NEOWISE data and the AllWISE catalog to identify nearby stars and brown dwarfs with large proper motions ({μ }{{total}} ≳ 250 mas yr-1). A total of 20,548 high proper motion objects were identified, 1006 of which are new discoveries. This survey has uncovered a significantly larger sample of fainter objects (W2 ≳ 13 mag) than the previous WISE motion surveys of Luhman and Kirkpatrick et al. Many of these objects are predicted to be new L and T dwarfs based on near- and mid-infrared colors. Using estimated spectral types along with distance estimates, we have identified several objects that likely belong to the nearby solar neighborhood (d < 25 pc). We have followed up 19 of these new discoveries with near-infrared or optical spectroscopy, focusing on potentially nearby objects, objects with the latest predicted spectral types, and potential late-type subdwarfs. This subset includes six M dwarfs, five of which are likely subdwarfs, as well as eight L dwarfs and five T dwarfs, many of which have blue near-infrared colors. As an additional supplement, we provide 2MASS and AllWISE positions and photometry for every object found in our search, as well as 2MASS/AllWISE calculated proper motions.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- February 2016
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1512.00318
- Bibcode:
- 2016ApJ...817..112S
- Keywords:
-
- brown dwarfs;
- stars: low-mass;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal