K. L. Luhman et al. 2007 ApJ 659 1629 doi:10.1086/512539
Ophiuchus 1622–2405: Not a Planetary-Mass Binary*
FREE ISSUEK. L. Luhman1, K. N. Allers2,3, D. T. Jaffe4, M. C. Cushing3,5,6, K. A. Williams5,7, C. L. Slesnick8 and W. D. Vacca9
Show affiliationsWe present an analysis of the mass and age of the young low-mass binary Oph 1622-2405. Using resolved optical spectroscopy of the binary, we measure spectral types of M7.25 ± 0.25 and M8.75 ± 0.25 for the A and B components, respectively. We show that our spectra are inconsistent with the spectral types of M9 and M9.5-L0 from Jayawardhana & Ivanov and M9 ± 0.5 and M9.5 ± 0.5 from Close and coworkers. Based on our spectral types and the theoretical evolutionary models of Chabrier and Baraffe, we estimate masses of ~0.055 and ~0.019 M
for Oph 1622-2405A and B, which are significantly higher than the values of 0.013 and 0.007 M derived by Jayawardhana & Ivanov and above the range of masses observed for extrasolar planets (M 
0.015 M). Planet-like mass estimates are further contradicted by our demonstration that Oph 1622-2405A is only slightly later (by 0.5 subclass) than the composite of the young eclipsing binary brown dwarf 2M 0535-0546, whose components have dynamical masses of 0.034 and 0.054 M. To constrain the age of Oph 1622-2405, we compare the strengths of gravity-sensitive absorption lines in optical and near-infrared spectra of the primary to lines in field dwarfs (τ > 1 Gyr) and members of Taurus (τ ~ 1 Myr) and Upper Scorpius (τ ~ 5 Myr). The line strengths for Oph 1622-2405A are inconsistent with membership in Ophiuchus (τ < 1 Myr) and instead indicate an age similar to that of Upper Sco, which is in agreement with a similar analysis performed by Close and coworkers. We conclude that Oph 1622-2405 is part of an older population in Sco-Cen, perhaps Upper Sco itself.
- Footnote
- Subject headings
binaries: visual; infrared: stars; stars: evolution; stars: formation; stars: low-mass, brown dwarfs; stars: pre-main sequence
- Dates
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Issue 2 (2007 April 20)
Received 2006 August 29, accepted for publication 2007 January 8
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Ophiuchus 1622–2405: Not a Planetary-Mass Binary
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