arXiv subjects

Stanimir Metchev

Publications and source records attributed to Stanimir Metchev.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Spectroscopic characterization of HD 95086 b with the Gemini Planet Imager

We present new $H$ (1.5-1.8 $μ$m) photometric and $K_1$ (1.9-2.2 $μ$m) spectroscopic observations of the young exoplanet HD 95086 b obtained with the Gemini Planet Imager. The $H$-band magnitude has been significantly improved relative to previous measurements, whereas the low resolution $K_1$ ($λ/δλ\approx 66$) spectrum is featureless within the measurement uncertainties, and presents a monotonically increasing pseudo-continuum consistent with a cloudy atmosphere. By combining these new measurements with literature $L^{\prime}$ photometry, we compare the spectral energy distribution of the planet to other young planetary-mass companions, field brown dwarfs, and to the predictions of grids of model atmospheres. HD 95086 b is over a magnitude redder in $K_1-L^{\prime}$ color than 2MASS J12073346-3932539 b and HR 8799 c and d, despite having a similar $L^{\prime}$ magnitude. Considering only the near-infrared measurements, HD 95086 b is most analogous to the brown dwarfs 2MASS J2244316+204343 and 2MASS J21481633+4003594, both of which are thought to have dusty atmospheres. Morphologically, the spectral energy distribution of HD 95086 b is best fit by low temperature ($T_{\rm eff} =$ 800-1300 K), low surface gravity spectra from models which simulate high photospheric dust content. This range of effective temperatures is consistent with field L/T transition objects, but the spectral type of HD 95086 b is poorly constrained between early L and late T due to its unusual position the color-magnitude diagram, demonstrating the difficulty in spectral typing young, low surface gravity substellar objects. As one of the reddest such objects, HD 95086 b represents an important empirical benchmark against which our current understanding of the atmospheric properties of young extrasolar planets can be tested.

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arXiv2016

The Nearest Isolated Member of the TW Hydrae Association is a Giant Planet Analog

In a recent search for unusually red L and T dwarfs, we identified 2MASS J11193254-1137466 as a likely young L7 dwarf and potential member of the TW Hydrae association. We present spectra that confirm the youth of this object. We also measure a radial velocity of 8.5 +/- 3.3 km/s that, together with the sky position, proper motion and photometric distance, results in a 92% probability of membership in the TW Hydrae association, with a calibrated field contamination probability of 0.0005% using the BANYAN II tool. Using the age of TW Hydrae and the luminosity of 2MASS J11193254-1137466, we estimate its mass to be 4.3--7.6 MJup. It is the lowest-mass and nearest isolated member of TW Hydrae at a kinematic distance of 28.9 +/- 3.6 pc, and the second-brightest isolated <10 MJup object discovered to date.

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arXiv2016

A Michelson-type Radio Interferometer for University Education

We report development of a simple and affordable radio interferometer suitable as an educational laboratory experiment. With the increasing importance of interferometry in astronomy, the lack of educational interferometers is an obstacle to training the future generation of astronomers. This interferometer provides the hands-on experience needed to fully understand the basic concepts of interferometry. The design of this interferometer is based on the Michelson & Pease stellar optical interferometer, but operates at a radio wavelength (~11 GHz; ~2.7cm); thus the requirement for optical accuracy is much less stringent. We utilize a commercial broadcast satellite dish and feedhorn. Two flat side mirrors slide on a ladder, providing baseline coverage. This interferometer resolves and measures the diameter of the Sun, a nice daytime experiment which can be carried out even in marginal weather (i.e., partial cloud cover). Commercial broadcast satellites provide convenient point sources for comparison to the Sun's extended disk. We describe the mathematical background of the adding interferometer, the design and development of the telescope and receiver system, and measurements of the Sun. We present results from a students' laboratory report.

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arXiv2015

First Scattered-Light Image of the Debris Disk around HD 131835 with the Gemini Planet Imager

We present the first scattered-light image of the debris disk around HD 131835 in $H$ band using the Gemini Planet Imager. HD 131835 is a $\sim$15 Myr old A2IV star at a distance of $\sim$120 pc in the Sco-Cen OB association. We detect the disk only in polarized light and place an upper limit on the peak total intensity. No point sources resembling exoplanets were identified. Compared to its mid-infrared thermal emission, the disk in scattered light shows similar orientation but different morphology. The scattered-light disk extends from $\sim$75 to $\sim$210 AU in the disk plane with roughly flat surface density. Our Monte Carlo radiative transfer model can well describe the observations with a model disk composed of a mixture of silicates and amorphous carbon. In addition to the obvious brightness asymmetry due to stronger forward scattering, we discover a weak brightness asymmetry along the major axis with the northeast side being 1.3 times brighter than the southwest side at a 3-σ level.

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arXiv2015

Astrometric Confirmation and Preliminary Orbital Parameters of the Young Exoplanet 51 Eridani b with the Gemini Planet Imager

We present new Gemini Planet Imager observations of the young exoplanet 51 Eridani b which provide further evidence that the companion is physically associated with 51 Eridani. Combining this new astrometric measurement with those reported in the literature, we significantly reduce the posterior probability that 51 Eridani b is an unbound foreground or background T-dwarf in a chance alignment with 51 Eridani to $2\times10^{-7}$, an order of magnitude lower than previously reported. If 51 Eridani b is indeed a bound object, then we have detected orbital motion of the planet between the discovery epoch and the latest epoch. By implementing a computationally efficient Monte Carlo technique, preliminary constraints are placed on the orbital parameters of the system. The current set of astrometric measurements suggest an orbital semimajor axis of $14^{+7}_{-3}$ AU, corresponding to a period of $41^{+35}_{-12}$ years (assuming a mass of $1.75$ $M_{\odot}$ for the central star), and an inclination of $138^{+15}_{-13}$ deg. The remaining orbital elements are only marginally constrained by the current measurements. These preliminary values suggest an orbit which does not share the same inclination as the orbit of the distant M-dwarf binary, GJ 3305, which is a wide physically bound companion to 51 Eridani.

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arXiv2015

A Targeted Search for Peculiarly Red L and T Dwarfs in SDSS, 2MASS, and WISE: Discovery of a Possible L7 Member of the TW Hydrae Association

We present first results from a targeted search for brown dwarfs with unusual red colors indicative of peculiar atmospheric characteristics. These include objects with low surface gravities or with unusual dust content or cloud properties. From a positional cross-match of SDSS, 2MASS and WISE, we have identified 40 candidate peculiar early L to early T dwarfs that are either new objects or have not been identified as peculiar through prior spectroscopy. Using low resolution spectra, we confirm that 10 of the candidates are either peculiar or potential L/T binaries. With a J-Ks color of 2.62 +/- 0.15 mag, one of the new objects --- the L7 dwarf 2MASS J11193254-1137466 --- is among the reddest field dwarfs currently known. Its proper motion and photometric parallax indicate that it is a possible member of the TW Hydrae moving group. If confirmed, it would its lowest-mass (5--6 MJup) free-floating member. We also report a new T dwarf, 2MASS J22153705+2110554, that was previously overlooked in the SDSS footprint. These new discoveries demonstrate that despite the considerable scrutiny already devoted to the SDSS and 2MASS surveys, our exploration of these data sets is not yet complete.

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arXiv2015

Sensitive Identification of Nearby Debris Disks via Precise Calibration of WISE Data

Using data from the WISE All-Sky Survey, we have found >100 new infrared excess sources around main-sequence Hipparcos stars within 75pc. Our empirical calibration of WISE photospheric colors and removal of non-trivial false-positive sources are responsible for the high confidence (>99.5%) of detections, while our corrections to saturated W1 (3.4um) and W2 (4.6um) photometry have for the first time allowed us to search for new infrared excess sources around bright field stars in WISE. The careful calibration and filtering of the WISE data have allowed us to probe excess fluxes down to roughly 8% of the photospheric emission at 22um around saturated stars in WISE. We expect that the increased sensitivity of our survey will not only aid in understanding the evolution of debris disks, but will also benefit future studies using WISE.

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arXiv2015

Kepler Monitoring of an L Dwarf II. Clouds with Multiyear Lifetimes

We present Kepler, Spitzer Space Telescope, Gemini-North, MMT, and Kitt Peak observations of the L1 dwarf WISEP J190648.47+401106.8. We find that the Kepler optical light curve is consistent in phase and amplitude over the nearly two years of monitoring with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 1.4%. Spitzer Infrared Array Camera 3.6 micron observations are in phase with Kepler with similar light curve shape and peak-to-peak amplitude 1.1%, but at 4.5 micron, the variability has amplitude $<$0.1%. Chromospheric H$α$ emission is variable but not synced with the stable Kepler light curve. A single dark spot can reproduce the light curve but is not a unique solution. An inhomogeneous cloud deck, specifically a region of thick cloud cover, can explain the multi-wavelength data of this ultracool dwarf and need not be coupled with the asynchronous magnetic emission variations. The long life of the cloud is in contrast with weather changes seen in cooler brown dwarfs on the timescale of hours and days.

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arXiv2015

Precise Distances for Main-Belt Asteroids in Only Two Nights

We present a method for calculating precise distances to asteroids using only two nights of data from a single location --- far too little for an orbit --- by exploiting the angular reflex motion of the asteroids due to Earth's axial rotation. We refer to this as the rotational reflex velocity method. While the concept is simple and well-known, it has not been previously exploited for surveys of main-belt asteroids. We offer a mathematical development, estimates of the errors of the approximation, and a demonstration using a sample of 197 asteroids observed for two nights with a small, 0.9-meter telescope. This demonstration used digital tracking to enhance detection sensitivity for faint asteroids, but our distance determination works with any detection method. Forty-eight asteroids in our sample had known orbits prior to our observations, and for these we demonstrate a mean fractional error of only 1.6% between the distances we calculate and those given in ephemerides from the Minor Planet Center. In contrast to our two-night results, distance determination by fitting approximate orbits requires observations spanning 7--10 nights. Once an asteroid's distance is known, its absolute magnitude and size (given a statistically-estimated albedo) may immediately be calculated. Our method will therefore greatly enhance the efficiency with which 4-meter and larger telescopes can probe the size distribution of small (e.g. 100 meter) main belt asteroids. This distribution remains poorly known, yet encodes information about the collisional evolution of the asteroid belt --- and hence the history of the Solar System.

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arXiv2015

Digital Tracking Observations Can Discover Asteroids Ten Times Fainter than Conventional Searches

We describe digital tracking, a method for asteroid searches that greatly increases the sensitivity of a telescope to faint unknown asteroids. It has been previously used to detect faint Kuiper Belt objects using the Hubble Space Telescope and large ground-based instruments, and to find a small, fast-moving asteroid during a close approach to Earth. We complement this earlier work by developing digital tracking methodology for detecting asteroids using large-format CCD imagers. We demonstrate that the technique enables the ground-based detection of large numbers of new faint asteroids. Our methodology resolves or circumvents all major obstacles to the large-scale application of digital tracking for finding main belt and near-Earth asteroids. We find that for both asteroid populations, digital tracking can deliver a factor of ten improvement over conventional searches. Digital tracking has long been standard practice for deep Kuiper Belt surveys, but even there our methodology enables deeper integrations than have yet been attempted. Our search for main belt asteroids using a one-degree imager on the 0.9m WIYN telescope on Kitt Peak validates our methodology, delivers sensitivity to asteroids in a regime previously probed only with 4-meter and larger instruments, and leads to the detection of 156 previously unknown asteroids and 59 known objects in a single field. Digital tracking has the potential to revolutionize searches for faint moving objects ranging from the Kuiper Belt through main belt and near-Earth asteroids, and perhaps even anthropogenic space debris in low Earth orbit.

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arXiv2014

Weather on Other Worlds. III. A Survey for T Dwarfs with High Amplitude Optical Variability

We have monitored twelve T dwarfs with the Kitt Peak 2.1m telescope using an f814w filter (0.7-0.95 microns) to place in context the remarkable 10-20% variability exhibited by the nearby T dwarf Luhman 16B in this wavelength regime. The motivation was the poorly known red optical behavior of T dwarfs, which have been monitored almost exclusively at infrared wavelengths, where variability amplitudes greater than 10% have been found to be very rare. We detect highly significant variability in two T dwarfs. The T2.5 dwarf 2MASS 13243559+6358284 shows consistent ~17% variability on two consecutive nights. The T2 dwarf 2MASS J16291840+0335371 exhibits ~10% variability that may evolve from night to night, similarly to Luhman 16B. Both objects were previously known to be variable in the infrared, but with considerably lower amplitudes. We also find evidence for variability in the T6 dwarf J162414.37+002915.6, but since it has lower significance, we conservatively refrain from claiming this object as a variable. We explore and rule out various telluric effects, demonstrating that the variations we detect are astrophysically real. We suggest that high-amplitude photometric variability for T dwarfs is likely more common in the red optical than at longer wavelengths. The two new members of the growing class of high-amplitude variable T dwarfs offer excellent prospects for further study of cloud structures and their evolution.

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arXiv2014

An ALMA Disk Mass for the Candidate Protoplanetary Companion to FW Tau

We present ALMA observations of the FW Tau system, a close binary pair of M5 stars with a wide-orbit (300 AU projected separation) substellar companion. The companion is extremely faint and red in the optical and near-infrared, but boasts a weak far-infrared excess and optical/near-infrared emission lines indicative of a primordial accretion disk of gas and dust. The component-resolved 1.3 mm continuum emission is found to be associated only with the companion, with a flux (1.78 +/- 0.03 mJy) that indicates a dust mass of 1-2 M_Earth. While this mass reservoir is insufficient to form a giant planet, it is more than sufficient to produce an analog of the Kepler-42 exoplanetary system or the Galilean satellites. The mass and geometry of the disk-bearing FW Tau companion remains unclear. Near-infrared spectroscopy shows deep water bands that indicate a spectral type later than M5, but substantial veiling prevents a more accurate determination of the effective temperature (and hence mass). Both a disk-bearing "planetary-mass" companion seen in direct light or a brown dwarf tertiary viewed in light scattered by an edge-on disk or envelope remain possibilities.

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arXiv2014

Weather on Other Worlds. II. Survey Results: Spots Are Ubiquitous on L and T Dwarfs

We present results from the "Weather on Other Worlds" Spitzer Exploration Science program to investigate photometric variability in L and T dwarfs, usually attributed to patchy clouds. We surveyed 44 L3-T8 dwarfs, spanning a range of $J-K_s$ colors and surface gravities. We find that 14/23 (61%; 95% confidence interval: 41%-78%) of our single L3-L9.5 dwarfs are variable with peak-to-peak amplitudes between 0.2% and 1.5%, and 5/16 (31%; 95% confidence interval: 14%-56%) of our single T0-T8 dwarfs are variable with amplitudes between 0.8% and 4.6%. After correcting for sensitivity, we find that 80% (95% confidence interval: 53%-100%) of L dwarfs vary by >0.2%, and 36% (95% confidence interval: 19%-52%) of T dwarfs vary by >0.4%. Given viewing geometry considerations, we conclude that photospheric heterogeneities causing >0.2% 3-5-micron flux variations are present on virtually all L dwarfs, and probably on most T dwarfs. A third of L dwarf variables show irregular light curves, indicating that L dwarfs may have multiple spots that evolve over a single rotation. Also, approximately a third of the periodicities are on time scales >10 h, suggesting that slowly-rotating brown dwarfs may be common. We observe an increase in the maximum amplitudes over the entire spectral type range, revealing a potential for greater temperature contrasts in T dwarfs than in L dwarfs. We find a tentative association (92% confidence) between low surface gravity and high-amplitude variability among L3-L5.5 dwarfs. Although we can not confirm whether lower gravity is also correlated with a higher incidence of variables, the result is promising for the characterization of directly imaged young extrasolar planets through variability.

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arXiv2014

HST Rotational Spectral Mapping of Two L-Type Brown Dwarfs: Variability In and Out of Water Bands Indicates High-Altitude Haze Layers

We present time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy of two L5 dwarfs, 2MASS J18212815+1414010 and 2MASS J15074759-1627386, observed with the Wide Field Camera 3 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We study the wavelength dependence of rotation-modulated flux variations between 1.1 $μ$m and 1.7 $μ$m. We find that the water absorption bands of the two L5 dwarfs at 1.15 $μ$m and 1.4 $μ$m vary at similar amplitudes as the adjacent continuum. This differs from the results of previous HST observations of L/T transition dwarfs, in which the water absorption at 1.4 $μ$m displays variations of about half of the amplitude at other wavelengths. We find that the relative amplitude of flux variability out of the water band with respect to that in the water band shows a increasing trend from the L5 dwarfs toward the early T dwarfs. We utilize the models of Saumon & Marley (2008) and find that the observed variability of the L5 dwarfs can be explained by the presence of spatially varying high-altitude haze layers above the condensate clouds. Therefore, our observations show that the heterogeneity of haze layers - the driver of the variability - must be located at very low pressures, where even the water opacity is negligible. In the near future, the rotational spectral mapping technique could be utilized for other atomic and molecular species to probe different pressure levels in the atmospheres of brown dwarfs and exoplanets and uncover both horizontal and vertical cloud structures.

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arXiv2014

SpeX Spectroscopy of Unresolved Very Low Mass Binaries. II. Identification of Fourteen Candidate Binaries with Late-M/Early-L and T Dwarf Components

Multiplicity is a key statistic for understanding the formation of very low mass (VLM) stars and brown dwarfs. Currently, the separation distribution of VLM binaries remains poorly constrained at small separations ($\leq$ 1 AU), leading to uncertainty in the overall binary fraction. We approach this problem by searching for late-M/early-L plus T dwarf spectral binaries whose combined light spectra exhibit distinct peculiarities, allowing for separation-independent identification. We define a set of spectral indices designed to identify these systems, and use a spectral template fitting method to confirm and characterize spectral binary (SB) candidates from a library of 815 spectra from the SpeX Prism Spectral Libraries. We present eleven new binary candidates, confirm three previously reported candidates and rule out two previously identified candidates, all with primary and secondary spectral types between M7-L7 and T1-T8, respectively. We find that subdwarfs and blue L dwarfs are the primary contaminants in our sample and propose a method for segregating these sources. If confirmed by follow-up observations, these systems may add to the growing list of tight separation binaries, whose orbital properties may yield further insight into brown dwarf formation scenarios.

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arXiv2014

Accretion onto Planetary Mass Companions of Low-Mass Young Stars

Measurements of accretion rates onto planetary mass objects may distinguish between different planet formation mechanisms, which predict different accretion histories. In this Letter, we use \HST/WFC3 UVIS optical photometry to measure accretion rates onto three accreting objects, GSC06214-00210 b, GQ Lup b, and DH Tau b, that are at the planet/brown dwarf boundary and are companions to solar mass stars. The excess optical emission in the excess accretion continuum yields mass accretion rates of $10^{-9}$ to $10^{-11}$ \Msol/yr for these three objects. Their accretion rates are an order of magnitude higher than expected from the correlation between mass and accretion rates measured from the UV excess, which is applicable if these wide planetary mass companions formed by protostellar core fragmentation. The high accretion rates and large separation from the central star demonstrate the presence of massive disks around these objects. Models for the formation and evolution of wide planetary mass companions should account for their large accretion rates. High ratios of H$α$ luminosity over accretion luminosity for objects with low accretion rates suggest that searches for H$α$ emission may be an efficient way to find accreting planets.

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arXiv2013

Kepler Monitoring of an L Dwarf I. The Photometric Period and White Light Flares

We report on the results of fifteen months of monitoring the nearby field L1 dwarf WISEP J190648.47+401106.8 (W1906+40) with the Kepler mission. Supporting observations with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array and Gemini North telescope reveal that the L dwarf is magnetically active, with quiescent radio and variable H$α$ emission. A preliminary trigonometric parallax shows that W1906+40 is at a distance of $16.35^{+0.36}_{-0.34}$ pc, and all observations are consistent with W1906+40 being an old disk star just above the hydrogen-burning limit. The star shows photometric variability with a period of 8.9 hours and an amplitude of 1.5%, with a consistent phase throughout the year. We infer a radius of $0.92 \pm 0.07 R_J$ and $\sin i > 0.57$ from the observed period, luminosity ($10^{-3.67 \pm 0.03} L_\odot$), effective temperature ($2300 \pm 75$K), and $v \sin i$ ($11.2 \pm 2.2$ km/s). The light curve may be modeled with a single large, high latitude dark spot. Unlike many L-type brown dwarfs, there is no evidence of other variations at the $\gtrsim 2%$ level, either non-periodic or transient periodic, that mask the underlying rotation period. We suggest that the long-lived surface features may be due to starspots, but the possibility of cloud variations cannot be ruled out without further multi-wavelength observations. During the Gemini spectroscopy, we observed the most powerful flare ever seen on an L dwarf, with an estimated energy of $\sim 1.6 \times 10^{32}$ ergs in white light emission. Using the Kepler data, we identify similar flares and estimate that white light flares with optical/ultraviolet energies of $10^{31}$ ergs or more occur on W1906+40 as often as 1-2 times per month.

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arXiv2013

Weather on Other Worlds I: Detection of Periodic Variability in the L3 Dwarf DENIS-P J1058.7-1548 with Precise Multi-Wavelength Photometry

Photometric monitoring from warm Spitzer reveals that the L3 dwarf DENIS-P J1058.7-1548 varies sinusoidally in brightness with a period of 4.25 +0.26/-0.16 hours and an amplitude of 0.388 +/- 0.043% (peak-to-valley) in the 3.6 micron band, confirming the reality of a 4.31 +/- 0.31 hour periodicity detected in J-band photometry from the SOAR telescope. The J-band variations are a factor of 2.17 +/- 0.35 larger in amplitude than those at 3.6 microns, while 4.5 micron Spitzer observations yield a 4.5 micron/3.6 micron amplitude ratio of only 0.23 +/- 0.15, consistent with zero 4.5 micron variability. This wide range in amplitudes indicates rotationally modulated variability due to magnetic phenomena and/or inhomogeneous cloud cover. Weak H-alpha emission indicates some magnetic activity, but it is difficult to explain the observed amplitudes by magnetic phenomena unless they are combined with cloud inhomogeneities (which might have a magnetic cause). However, inhomogenous cloudcover alone can explain all our observations, and our data align with theory in requiring that the regions with the thickest clouds also have the lowest effective temperature. Combined with published v sin(i) results, our rotation period yields a 95% confidence lower limit of 0.111 solar radii on the radius of DENIS-P J1058.7-1548, suggesting upper limits of 320 Myr and 0.055 solar masses on the age and mass. These limits should be regarded cautiously because of 3-sigma inconsistencies with other data; however, a lower limit of 45 degrees on the inclination is more secure. DENIS-P J1058.7-1548 is only the first of nearly two dozen low-amplitude variables discovered and analyzed by the Weather on Other Worlds project.

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