NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2011B-0466
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2011B-0466 |
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PI: Jacqueline Faherty, American Museum of Natural History, jfaherty@amnh.org
Address: Astrophysics, 79th Street and Central Park West, New York, NY 10023, USA
CoI: Adam Burgasser, UCSD
CoI: Kelle Cruz, Hunter College
CoI: Andrew West, Boston University
CoI: Frederick Vrba, USNO Flagstaff
Title: The Brown Dwarf Kinematics Project: Parallaxes for Southern Bright Low- Gravity dwarfs
Abstract: The distances and kinematics of brown dwarfs provide key statistical constraints on their ages, moving group membership, absolute brightnesses, evolutionary trends, and multiplicity. Yet fundamental measurements of parallax, proper motion and radial velocity have been made for only a relatively small fraction of the known brown dwarf population. To address this deficiency, we have initiated the \bf Brown Dwarf Kinematics Project which aims to measure and compile the 6D positions and velocities of all known brown dwarfs within 20 pc of the Sun and select sources of scientific interest. As part of this overarching project, we propose to continue our astrometric program on the 1.3m telescope using the ANDICAM dual IR and optical imager. By focusing on bright L dwarfs identified as having low-surface gravity spectral features, this program will provide fundamental measurements for testing atmospheric and evolutionary models, and will allow us to better define the luminosity/effective temperature scale for potentially juvenile-aged, dusty, giant-planet analog brown dwarfs.
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2011B-0466 |
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