HST NICMOS imaging of the planetary-mass companion to the young brown dwarf 2MASSW J1207334-393254

Inseok Song; G. Schneider; B. Zuckerman; J. Farihi; E. E. Becklin; M. S. Bessell; P. Lowrance; B. A. Macintosh

doi:10.1086/507831

HST NICMOS imaging of the planetary-mass companion to the young brown dwarf 2MASSW J1207334-393254

Inseok Song^*, G. Schneider, B. Zuckerman, J. Farihi, E. E. Becklin, M. S. Bessell, P. Lowrance, B. A. Macintosh

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Multiband (0.9-1.6 μm) images of the TW Hydrae association (TWA) brown dwarf 2MASSW J1207334-393254 (also known as 2M 1207) and its candidate planetary-mass companion (2M 1207b) were obtained on 2004 August 28 and 2005 April 26 with HST NICMOS. The images from these two epochs unequivocally confirm the two objects as a common proper motion pair (16.0 σ confidence). A new measurement of the proper motion of 2M 1207 implies a distance to the system of 59 ± 7 pc and a projected separation of 46 ± 5 AU. The NICMOS and previously published VLT photometry of 2M 1207b, extending overall from 0.9 to 3.8 μm, are fully consistent with an object of a few Jupiter masses at the canonical age of a TWA member (∼8 Myr) based on evolutionary models of young giant planets. These observations provide information on the physical nature of 2M 1207b and unambiguously establish that the first direct image of a planetary-mass companion in orbit around a self-luminous body, other than our Sun, has been secured.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	724-729
Number of pages	6
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	652
Issue number	1 I
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/507831
Publication status	Published - 20 Nov 2006

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@article{fdd2ff901a484b28baed8b62d7c09e9c,

title = "HST NICMOS imaging of the planetary-mass companion to the young brown dwarf 2MASSW J1207334-393254",

abstract = "Multiband (0.9-1.6 μm) images of the TW Hydrae association (TWA) brown dwarf 2MASSW J1207334-393254 (also known as 2M 1207) and its candidate planetary-mass companion (2M 1207b) were obtained on 2004 August 28 and 2005 April 26 with HST NICMOS. The images from these two epochs unequivocally confirm the two objects as a common proper motion pair (16.0 σ confidence). A new measurement of the proper motion of 2M 1207 implies a distance to the system of 59 ± 7 pc and a projected separation of 46 ± 5 AU. The NICMOS and previously published VLT photometry of 2M 1207b, extending overall from 0.9 to 3.8 μm, are fully consistent with an object of a few Jupiter masses at the canonical age of a TWA member (∼8 Myr) based on evolutionary models of young giant planets. These observations provide information on the physical nature of 2M 1207b and unambiguously establish that the first direct image of a planetary-mass companion in orbit around a self-luminous body, other than our Sun, has been secured.",

keywords = "Planetary systems, Stars: individual (2MASSW J1207334-393254), Stars: low-mass, brown dwarfs",

author = "Inseok Song and G. Schneider and B. Zuckerman and J. Farihi and Becklin, {E. E.} and Bessell, {M. S.} and P. Lowrance and Macintosh, {B. A.}",

year = "2006",

month = nov,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1086/507831",

language = "English",

volume = "652",

pages = "724--729",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - HST NICMOS imaging of the planetary-mass companion to the young brown dwarf 2MASSW J1207334-393254

AU - Song, Inseok

AU - Schneider, G.

AU - Zuckerman, B.

AU - Farihi, J.

AU - Becklin, E. E.

AU - Bessell, M. S.

AU - Lowrance, P.

AU - Macintosh, B. A.

PY - 2006/11/20

Y1 - 2006/11/20

N2 - Multiband (0.9-1.6 μm) images of the TW Hydrae association (TWA) brown dwarf 2MASSW J1207334-393254 (also known as 2M 1207) and its candidate planetary-mass companion (2M 1207b) were obtained on 2004 August 28 and 2005 April 26 with HST NICMOS. The images from these two epochs unequivocally confirm the two objects as a common proper motion pair (16.0 σ confidence). A new measurement of the proper motion of 2M 1207 implies a distance to the system of 59 ± 7 pc and a projected separation of 46 ± 5 AU. The NICMOS and previously published VLT photometry of 2M 1207b, extending overall from 0.9 to 3.8 μm, are fully consistent with an object of a few Jupiter masses at the canonical age of a TWA member (∼8 Myr) based on evolutionary models of young giant planets. These observations provide information on the physical nature of 2M 1207b and unambiguously establish that the first direct image of a planetary-mass companion in orbit around a self-luminous body, other than our Sun, has been secured.

AB - Multiband (0.9-1.6 μm) images of the TW Hydrae association (TWA) brown dwarf 2MASSW J1207334-393254 (also known as 2M 1207) and its candidate planetary-mass companion (2M 1207b) were obtained on 2004 August 28 and 2005 April 26 with HST NICMOS. The images from these two epochs unequivocally confirm the two objects as a common proper motion pair (16.0 σ confidence). A new measurement of the proper motion of 2M 1207 implies a distance to the system of 59 ± 7 pc and a projected separation of 46 ± 5 AU. The NICMOS and previously published VLT photometry of 2M 1207b, extending overall from 0.9 to 3.8 μm, are fully consistent with an object of a few Jupiter masses at the canonical age of a TWA member (∼8 Myr) based on evolutionary models of young giant planets. These observations provide information on the physical nature of 2M 1207b and unambiguously establish that the first direct image of a planetary-mass companion in orbit around a self-luminous body, other than our Sun, has been secured.

KW - Planetary systems

KW - Stars: individual (2MASSW J1207334-393254)

KW - Stars: low-mass, brown dwarfs

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U2 - 10.1086/507831

DO - 10.1086/507831

M3 - Article

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 652

SP - 724

EP - 729

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1 I

ER -

HST NICMOS imaging of the planetary-mass companion to the young brown dwarf 2MASSW J1207334-393254

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