A method for selecting M dwarfs with an increased likelihood of unresolved ultracool companionship

Neil Cook; D.J. Pinfield; F. Marocco; B. Burningham; H.R.A. Jones; James Frith; J. Zhong; A. Luo; Z. Qi; P.W. Lucas; Mariusz Gromadzki; Avril Day-Jones; Radostin Kurtev; Y. Guo; Y. Wang; Y. Bai; Z. Yi; R. Smart

doi:10.1093/mnras/stw061

A method for selecting M dwarfs with an increased likelihood of unresolved ultracool companionship

Neil Cook, D.J. Pinfield, F. Marocco, B. Burningham, H.R.A. Jones, James Frith, J. Zhong, A. Luo, Z. Qi, P.W. Lucas, Mariusz Gromadzki, Avril Day-Jones, Radostin Kurtev, Y. Guo, Y. Wang, Y. Bai, Z. Yi, R. Smart

Centre for Astrophysics Research (CAR)

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Abstract

Locating ultracool companions to M dwarfs is important for constraining low-mass formation models, the measurement of substellar dynamical masses and radii, and for testing ultracool evolutionary models. We present an optimized method for identifying M dwarfs which may have unresolved ultracool companions. We construct a catalogue of 440 694 M dwarf candidates, from Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, Two Micron All-Sky Survey and Sloan Digital Sky Survey, based on optical- and near-infrared colours and reduced proper motion. With strict reddening, photometric and quality constraints we isolate a subsample of 36 898 M dwarfs and search for possible mid-infrared M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates by comparing M dwarfs which have similar optical/near-infrared colours (chosen for their sensitivity to effective temperature and metallicity). We present 1082 M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates for follow-up. Using simulated ultracool dwarf companions to M dwarfs, we estimate that the occurrence of unresolved ultracool companions amongst our M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates should be at least four times the average for our full M dwarf catalogue. We discuss possible contamination and bias and predict yields of candidates based on our simulations.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2192-2208
Number of pages	17
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	457
Issue number	2
Early online date	10 Feb 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw061
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2016

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1601.03402Accepted author manuscript, 1.38 MB

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Cook, N., Pinfield, D. J., Marocco, F., Burningham, B., Jones, H. R. A., Frith, J., Zhong, J., Luo, A., Qi, Z., Lucas, P. W., Gromadzki, M., Day-Jones, A., Kurtev, R., Guo, Y., Wang, Y., Bai, Y., Yi, Z., & Smart, R. (2016). A method for selecting M dwarfs with an increased likelihood of unresolved ultracool companionship. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 457(2), 2192-2208. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw061

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title = "A method for selecting M dwarfs with an increased likelihood of unresolved ultracool companionship",

abstract = "Locating ultracool companions to M dwarfs is important for constraining low-mass formation models, the measurement of substellar dynamical masses and radii, and for testing ultracool evolutionary models. We present an optimized method for identifying M dwarfs which may have unresolved ultracool companions. We construct a catalogue of 440 694 M dwarf candidates, from Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, Two Micron All-Sky Survey and Sloan Digital Sky Survey, based on optical- and near-infrared colours and reduced proper motion. With strict reddening, photometric and quality constraints we isolate a subsample of 36 898 M dwarfs and search for possible mid-infrared M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates by comparing M dwarfs which have similar optical/near-infrared colours (chosen for their sensitivity to effective temperature and metallicity). We present 1082 M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates for follow-up. Using simulated ultracool dwarf companions to M dwarfs, we estimate that the occurrence of unresolved ultracool companions amongst our M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates should be at least four times the average for our full M dwarf catalogue. We discuss possible contamination and bias and predict yields of candidates based on our simulations.",

author = "Neil Cook and D.J. Pinfield and F. Marocco and B. Burningham and H.R.A. Jones and James Frith and J. Zhong and A. Luo and Z. Qi and P.W. Lucas and Mariusz Gromadzki and Avril Day-Jones and Radostin Kurtev and Y. Guo and Y. Wang and Y. Bai and Z. Yi and R. Smart",

note = "This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society following peer review. The version of record [N. J, Cook, et al, 'A method for selecting M dwarfs with an increased likelihood of unresolved ultracool companionship', MNRAS, Vol. 457(2): 2192-2208, February 2016] is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw061. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.",

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Cook, N, Pinfield, DJ, Marocco, F, Burningham, B , Jones, HRA, Frith, J, Zhong, J, Luo, A, Qi, Z, Lucas, PW, Gromadzki, M, Day-Jones, A, Kurtev, R, Guo, Y, Wang, Y, Bai, Y, Yi, Z & Smart, R 2016, 'A method for selecting M dwarfs with an increased likelihood of unresolved ultracool companionship', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 457, no. 2, pp. 2192-2208. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw061

TY - JOUR

T1 - A method for selecting M dwarfs with an increased likelihood of unresolved ultracool companionship

AU - Cook, Neil

AU - Pinfield, D.J.

AU - Marocco, F.

AU - Burningham, B.

AU - Jones, H.R.A.

AU - Frith, James

AU - Zhong, J.

AU - Luo, A.

AU - Qi, Z.

AU - Lucas, P.W.

AU - Gromadzki, Mariusz

AU - Day-Jones, Avril

AU - Kurtev, Radostin

AU - Guo, Y.

AU - Wang, Y.

AU - Bai, Y.

AU - Yi, Z.

AU - Smart, R.

N1 - This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society following peer review. The version of record [N. J, Cook, et al, 'A method for selecting M dwarfs with an increased likelihood of unresolved ultracool companionship', MNRAS, Vol. 457(2): 2192-2208, February 2016] is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw061. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.

PY - 2016/4/1

Y1 - 2016/4/1

N2 - Locating ultracool companions to M dwarfs is important for constraining low-mass formation models, the measurement of substellar dynamical masses and radii, and for testing ultracool evolutionary models. We present an optimized method for identifying M dwarfs which may have unresolved ultracool companions. We construct a catalogue of 440 694 M dwarf candidates, from Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, Two Micron All-Sky Survey and Sloan Digital Sky Survey, based on optical- and near-infrared colours and reduced proper motion. With strict reddening, photometric and quality constraints we isolate a subsample of 36 898 M dwarfs and search for possible mid-infrared M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates by comparing M dwarfs which have similar optical/near-infrared colours (chosen for their sensitivity to effective temperature and metallicity). We present 1082 M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates for follow-up. Using simulated ultracool dwarf companions to M dwarfs, we estimate that the occurrence of unresolved ultracool companions amongst our M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates should be at least four times the average for our full M dwarf catalogue. We discuss possible contamination and bias and predict yields of candidates based on our simulations.

AB - Locating ultracool companions to M dwarfs is important for constraining low-mass formation models, the measurement of substellar dynamical masses and radii, and for testing ultracool evolutionary models. We present an optimized method for identifying M dwarfs which may have unresolved ultracool companions. We construct a catalogue of 440 694 M dwarf candidates, from Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, Two Micron All-Sky Survey and Sloan Digital Sky Survey, based on optical- and near-infrared colours and reduced proper motion. With strict reddening, photometric and quality constraints we isolate a subsample of 36 898 M dwarfs and search for possible mid-infrared M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates by comparing M dwarfs which have similar optical/near-infrared colours (chosen for their sensitivity to effective temperature and metallicity). We present 1082 M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates for follow-up. Using simulated ultracool dwarf companions to M dwarfs, we estimate that the occurrence of unresolved ultracool companions amongst our M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates should be at least four times the average for our full M dwarf catalogue. We discuss possible contamination and bias and predict yields of candidates based on our simulations.

U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stw061

DO - 10.1093/mnras/stw061

M3 - Article

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 457

SP - 2192

EP - 2208

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 2

ER -

A method for selecting M dwarfs with an increased likelihood of unresolved ultracool companionship

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