Mapping the Shores of the Brown Dwarf Desert. III. Young Moving Groups

• Published in: Astrophysical journal. Letters Vol. 744; no. 2; pp. 120 - 21
• Main Authors: Evans, T. M, Ireland, M. J, Kraus, A. L, Martinache, F, Stewart, P, Tuthill, P. G, Lacour, S, Carpenter, J. M, Hillenbrand, L. A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States IOP Publishing 10.01.2012; American Astronomical Society
• Subjects: Astrophysics; ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; Beta; DWARF STARS; Hot isostatic pressing; INTERFEROMETRY; Mapping; MASS DISTRIBUTION; ORBITS; Physics; Shores; TELESCOPES; Very Large Telescope; Wavelengths
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 2041-8205; 1538-4357; 2041-8213
• DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/744/2/120

We present the results of an aperture-masking interferometry survey for substellar companions around 67 members of the young (~8-200 Myr) nearby (~5-86 pc) AB Doradus, [beta] Pictoris, Hercules-Lyra, TW Hya, and Tucana-Horologium stellar associations. Observations were made at near-infrared wavelengths between 1.2 and 3.8 [mu]m using the adaptive optics facilities of the Keck II, Very Large Telescope UT4, and Palomar Hale Telescopes. We report the discovery of a 0.52 + or - 0.09 M companion to HIP 14807, as well as the detections and orbits of previously known stellar companions to HD 16760, HD 113449, and HD 160934. No substellar companions were detected around any of our sample members, despite our ability to detect companions with masses below 80 M[subJ] for 50 of our targets: of these, our sensitivity extended down to 40 M[subJ] around 30 targets, with a subset of 22 subject to the still more stringent limit of 20 M[subJ].