Examinando por Autor "Faherty, J."

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    Discovery of a brown dwarf companion to the A3V star β Circini
    (Oxford University Press, 2015-12) Smith, L.C.; Lucas, P.W.; Contreras Peña, C.; Kurtev, R.; Marocco, F.; Jones, H.R.A.; Beamin, J.C.; Napiwotzki, R.; Borissova, J.; Burningham, B.; Faherty, J.; Pinfield, D.J.; Gromadzki, M.; Ivanov, V.D.; Minniti, D.; Stimson, W.; Villanueva, V.
    We report the discovery of an L dwarf companion to the A3V star β Circini. VVV J151721.49−585131.5, or β Cir B, was identified in a proper motion and parallax catalogue of the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea survey as having near-infrared luminosity and colour indicative of an early L dwarf, and a proper motion and parallax consistent with that of β Cir. The projected separation of ∼3.6 arcmin corresponds to 6656 au, which is unusually wide. The most recent published estimate of the age of the primary combined with our own estimate based on newer isochrones yields an age of 370–500 Myr. The system therefore serves as a useful benchmark at an age greater than that of the Pleiades brown dwarfs and most other young L dwarf benchmarks. We have obtained a medium resolution echelle spectrum of the companion which indicates a spectral type of L1.0 ± 0.5 and lacks the typical signatures of low-surface gravity seen in younger brown dwarfs. This suggests that signs of low-surface gravity disappear from the spectra of early L dwarfs by an age of ∼370–500 Myr, as expected from theoretical isochrones. The mass of β Cir B is estimated from the BHAC15 isochrones as 0.056 ± 0.007 M⊙.
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    MagAO IMAGING OF LONG-PERIOD OBJECTS (MILO). I. A BENCHMARK M DWARF COMPANION EXCITING A MASSIVE PLANET AROUND THE SUN-LIKE STAR HD 7449
    (IOP PUBLISHING, 2016-02) Rodigas, T.J.; Arriagada, P.; Faherty, J.; Anglada-Escudé, G.; Kaib, N.; Butler, R.P.; Shectman, S.; Weinberger, A.; Males, J.R.; Morzinski, K.M.; Close, L.M.; Hinz, P.M.; Crane, J.D.; Thompson, I.; Teske, J.; Diaz, M.; Minniti, D.; Lopez-Morales, M.; Adams, F.C.; Boss, A.P.
    We present high-contrast Magellan adaptive optics images of HD 7449, a Sun-like star with one planet and a long-term radial velocity (RV) trend. We unambiguously detect the source of the long-term trend from 0.6-2.15 mu m. at a separation of similar to 0.'' 54. We use the object's colors and spectral energy distribution to show that it is most likely an M4-M5 dwarf (mass similar to 0.1-0.2 M-circle dot) at the same distance as the primary and is therefore likely bound. We also present new RVs measured with the Magellan/MIKE and Planet Finder Spectrograph spectrometers and compile these with archival data from CORALIE and HARPS. We use a new Markov chain Monte Carlo procedure to constrain both the mass (>0.17 M-circle dot at 99% confidence) and semimajor axis (similar to 18 AU) of the M dwarf companion (HD 7449B). We also refine the parameters of the known massive planet (HD 7449Ab), finding that its minimum mass is 1.09(-0.19)(+0.52) M-J, its semimajor axis is 2.33(-0.02)(+0.01) AU, and its eccentricity is 0.8(-0.06)(+0.08). We use N-body simulations to constrain the eccentricity of HD 7449B to less than or similar to 0.5. The M dwarf may be inducing Kozai oscillations on the planet, explaining its high eccentricity. If this is the case and its orbit was initially circular, the mass of the planet would need to be less than or similar to 1.5 M-J. This demonstrates that strong constraints on known planets can be made using direct observations of otherwise undetectable long-period companions.