Bibcode
Gomes, Joana I.; Pinfield, David; Day-Jones, Avril; Jones, Hugh; Burningham, Ben; Marocco, Federico; Zhang, Z. H.; van Spaandonk, Lieke
Bibliographical reference
From Interacting Binaries to Exoplanets: Essential Modeling Tools, Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union. Edited by M. T. Richards and I. Hubeny, IAU Symposium, Volume 282, p. 482-483
Advertised on:
4
2012
Citations
1
Refereed citations
1
Description
The complexities of ultracool atmospheres are best confronted by
observations of ultracool dwarfs (UCDs) with well known physical
properties (luminosity, mass, Teff, log(g), [M/H]), so-called
``benchmark objects.'' We present two discoveries from a new WISE+2MASS
search for benchmark wide companions to Hipparcos and Gliese stars. This
survey combination provides a powerful tool to confirm new companions
using color-magnitude and common proper motion selections, and also
yield full NIR-MIR measurements of the ultracool emission. These primary
companions are providing important constraints on the age and
composition of the benchmark brown dwarf, and the new discoveries add to
our growing population of benchmarks that is providing crucial tests of
ultracool physics.