The physical properties of HD 3651B: An extrasolar nemesis?

被引:47
作者
Burgasser, Adam J. [1 ]
机构
[1] MIT, Kavli Inst Astrophys & Space Res, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
关键词
planetary systems; solar neighborhood; stars : fundamental parameters; stars; individual; (HD; 3651B; Gliese; 570D); low-mass; brown dwarfs;
D O I
10.1086/511176
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
I present detailed analysis of the near-infrared spectrum of HD 3651B, a faint, comoving wide companion to the nearby planet-hosting star HD 3651. These data confirm the companion as a brown dwarf with spectral type T8, consistent with the analysis of Luhman et al. Application of the semi-empirical technique of Burgasser, Burrows, & Kirkpatrick indicates that HD 3651B has T-eff = 790 +/- 30 K and log g 5.0 +/- 0.3 for a metallicity of [M/H] = 0.12 +/- 0.04, consistent with a mass M 0.033 +/- 0.013 M-circle dot and an age of 0.7-4.7 Gyr. The surface gravity, mass, and age estimates of this source are all highly sensitive to the assumed metallicity; however, a supersolar metallicity is deduced by direct comparison of spectral models to the observed absolute fluxes. The age of HD 3651B is somewhat better constrained than that of the primary, with estimates for the latter ranging over similar to 2 Gyr to > 12 Gyr. As a widely orbiting massive object to a known planetary system that could potentially harbor terrestrial planets in its habitable zone, HD 3651B may play the role of Nemesis in this system.
引用
收藏
页码:617 / 621
页数:5
相关论文
共 69 条
[1]  
ADAMS FC, 2006, APJ, V546, P992
[2]   The limiting effects of dust in brown dwarf model atmospheres [J].
Allard, F ;
Hauschildt, PH ;
Alexander, DR ;
Tamanai, A ;
Schweitzer, A .
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 2001, 556 (01) :357-372
[3]   A new model for brown dwarf spectra including accurate unified line shape theory for the NaI and KI resonance line profiles [J].
Allard, NF ;
Allard, F ;
Hauschildt, PH ;
Kielkopf, JF ;
Machin, L .
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, 2003, 411 (03) :L473-L476
[4]   EXTRATERRESTRIAL CAUSE FOR THE CRETACEOUS-TERTIARY EXTINCTION - EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND THEORETICAL INTERPRETATION [J].
ALVAREZ, LW ;
ALVAREZ, W ;
ASARO, F ;
MICHEL, HV .
SCIENCE, 1980, 208 (4448) :1095-1108
[5]   EVIDENCE FROM CRATER AGES FOR PERIODIC IMPACTS ON THE EARTH [J].
ALVAREZ, W ;
MULLER, RA .
NATURE, 1984, 308 (5961) :718-720
[6]   Discovery of a candidate inner Oort Cloud planetoid [J].
Brown, ME ;
Trujillo, C ;
Rabinowitz, D .
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 2004, 617 (01) :645-649
[7]   Discovery of a brown dwarf companion to gliese 570ABC: A 2mass T dwarf significantly cooler than gliese 229B [J].
Burgasser, AJ ;
Kirkpatrick, JD ;
Cutri, RM ;
McCallon, H ;
Kopan, G ;
Gizis, JE ;
Liebert, J ;
Reid, IN ;
Brown, ME ;
Monet, DG ;
Dahn, CC ;
Beichman, CA ;
Skrutskie, MF .
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 2000, 531 (01) :L57-L60
[8]   A unified near-infrared spectral classification scheme for T dwarfs [J].
Burgasser, AJ ;
Geballe, TR ;
Leggett, SK ;
Kirkpatrick, JD ;
Golimowski, DA .
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 2006, 637 (02) :1067-1093
[9]   A method for determining the physical properties of the coldest known brown dwarfs [J].
Burgasser, AJ ;
Burrows, A ;
Kirkpatrick, JD .
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 2006, 639 (02) :1095-1113
[10]   The 2MASS wide-field T dwarf search. III. Seven new T dwarfs and other cool dwarf discoveries [J].
Burgasser, AJ ;
McElwain, MW ;
Kirkpatrick, JD ;
Cruz, KL ;
Tinney, CG ;
Reid, IN .
ASTRONOMICAL JOURNAL, 2004, 127 (05) :2856-2870