The Astrophysical Journal (Jan 2023)
VLTI/GRAVITY Observations and Characterization of the Brown Dwarf Companion HD 72946 B
- William O. Balmer,
- Laurent Pueyo,
- Tomas Stolker,
- Henrique Reggiani,
- A.-L. Maire,
- S. Lacour,
- P. Mollière,
- M. Nowak,
- D. Sing,
- N. Pourré,
- S. Blunt,
- J. J. Wang,
- E. Rickman,
- J. Kammerer,
- Th. Henning,
- K. Ward-Duong,
- R. Abuter,
- A. Amorim,
- R. Asensio-Torres,
- M. Benisty,
- J.-P. Berger,
- H. Beust,
- A. Boccaletti,
- A. Bohn,
- M. Bonnefoy,
- H. Bonnet,
- G. Bourdarot,
- W. Brandner,
- F. Cantalloube,
- P. Caselli,
- B. Charnay,
- G. Chauvin,
- A. Chavez,
- E. Choquet,
- V. Christiaens,
- Y. Clénet,
- V. Coudé du Foresto,
- A. Cridland,
- R. Dembet,
- J. Dexter,
- A. Drescher,
- G. Duvert,
- A. Eckart,
- F. Eisenhauer,
- F. Gao,
- P. Garcia,
- R. Garcia Lopez,
- E. Gendron,
- R. Genzel,
- S. Gillessen,
- J. H. Girard,
- X. Haubois,
- G. Heißel,
- S. Hinkley,
- S. Hippler,
- M. Horrobin,
- M. Houllé,
- Z. Hubert,
- L. Jocou,
- M. Keppler,
- P. Kervella,
- L. Kreidberg,
- A.-M. Lagrange,
- V. Lapeyrère,
- J.-B. Le Bouquin,
- P. Léna,
- D. Lutz,
- J. D. Monnier,
- D. Mouillet,
- E. Nasedkin,
- T. Ott,
- G. P. P. L. Otten,
- C. Paladini,
- T. Paumard,
- K. Perraut,
- G. Perrin,
- O. Pfuhl,
- J. Rameau,
- L. Rodet,
- G. Rousset,
- Z. Rustamkulov,
- J. Shangguan,
- T. Shimizu,
- J. Stadler,
- O. Straub,
- C. Straubmeier,
- E. Sturm,
- L. J. Tacconi,
- E. F. van Dishoeck,
- A. Vigan,
- F. Vincent,
- S. D. von Fellenberg,
- F. Widmann,
- E. Wieprecht,
- E. Wiezorrek,
- T. Winterhalder,
- J. Woillez,
- S. Yazici,
- A. Young,
- The ExoGRAVITY Collaboration,
- The GRAVITY Collaboration
Affiliations
- William O. Balmer
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Laurent Pueyo
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Tomas Stolker
- ORCiD
- Leiden Observatory, Leiden University , P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Henrique Reggiani
- ORCiD
- The Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science , 813 Santa Barbara St., Pasadena, CA 91101, USA
- A.-L. Maire
- ORCiD
- STAR Institute/Université de Liège , Belgium; Max Planck Institute for Astronomy , Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- S. Lacour
- ORCiD
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France; European Southern Observatory , Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- P. Mollière
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy , Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- M. Nowak
- Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge , Madingley Rd., Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK
- D. Sing
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, MD, USA
- N. Pourré
- ORCiD
- Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- S. Blunt
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- J. J. Wang
- ORCiD
- Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University , Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- E. Rickman
- ORCiD
- European Space Agency (ESA), ESA Office, Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- J. Kammerer
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Th. Henning
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy , Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- K. Ward-Duong
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, Smith College , Northampton MA 01063, USA
- R. Abuter
- European Southern Observatory , Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- A. Amorim
- Universidade de Lisboa—Faculdade de Ciências , Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; CENTRA—Centro de Astrofísica e Gravitação, IST, Universidade de Lisboa , 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
- R. Asensio-Torres
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy , Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- M. Benisty
- ORCiD
- Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- J.-P. Berger
- Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- H. Beust
- Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- A. Boccaletti
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
- A. Bohn
- ORCiD
- Leiden Observatory, Leiden University , P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- M. Bonnefoy
- ORCiD
- Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- H. Bonnet
- European Southern Observatory , Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- G. Bourdarot
- Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France; Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- W. Brandner
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy , Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- F. Cantalloube
- ORCiD
- Aix-Marseille Université , CNRS, CNES, LAM, Marseille, France
- P. Caselli
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- B. Charnay
- ORCiD
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
- G. Chauvin
- Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- A. Chavez
- Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University , Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- E. Choquet
- Aix-Marseille Université , CNRS, CNES, LAM, Marseille, France
- V. Christiaens
- ORCiD
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University , Clayton, VIC 3800, Melbourne, Australia
- Y. Clénet
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
- V. Coudé du Foresto
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
- A. Cridland
- Leiden Observatory, Leiden University , P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- R. Dembet
- European Southern Observatory , Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- J. Dexter
- JILA and Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado , Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- A. Drescher
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- G. Duvert
- Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- A. Eckart
- ORCiD
- 1st Institute of Physics, University of Cologne , Zülpicher Straße 77, D-50937 Cologne, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy , Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
- F. Eisenhauer
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- F. Gao
- Hamburger Sternwarte, Universität Hamburg , Gojenbergsweg 112, D-21029 Hamburg, Germany
- P. Garcia
- CENTRA—Centro de Astrofísica e Gravitação, IST, Universidade de Lisboa , 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; Universidade do Porto , Faculdade de Engenharia, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- R. Garcia Lopez
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy , Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany; School of Physics, University College Dublin , Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
- E. Gendron
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
- R. Genzel
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- S. Gillessen
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- J. H. Girard
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- X. Haubois
- European Southern Observatory , Casilla 19001, Santiago 19, Chile
- G. Heißel
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
- S. Hinkley
- ORCiD
- University of Exeter , Physics Building, Stocker Rd., Exeter EX4 4QL, UK
- S. Hippler
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy , Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- M. Horrobin
- ORCiD
- 1st Institute of Physics, University of Cologne , Zülpicher Straße 77, D-50937 Cologne, Germany
- M. Houllé
- Aix-Marseille Université , CNRS, CNES, LAM, Marseille, France
- Z. Hubert
- Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- L. Jocou
- Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- M. Keppler
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy , Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- P. Kervella
- ORCiD
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
- L. Kreidberg
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy , Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- A.-M. Lagrange
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France; Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- V. Lapeyrère
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
- J.-B. Le Bouquin
- Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- P. Léna
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
- D. Lutz
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- J. D. Monnier
- ORCiD
- Astronomy Department, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- D. Mouillet
- Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- E. Nasedkin
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy , Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- T. Ott
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- G. P. P. L. Otten
- Academia Sinica, Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics , 11F Astronomy-Mathematics Bldg., NTU/AS Campus, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- C. Paladini
- European Southern Observatory , Casilla 19001, Santiago 19, Chile
- T. Paumard
- ORCiD
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
- K. Perraut
- Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- G. Perrin
- ORCiD
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
- O. Pfuhl
- European Southern Observatory , Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- J. Rameau
- Université Grenoble Alpes , CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- L. Rodet
- ORCiD
- Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Department of Astronomy, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- G. Rousset
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
- Z. Rustamkulov
- Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, MD, USA
- J. Shangguan
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- T. Shimizu
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- J. Stadler
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- O. Straub
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- C. Straubmeier
- 1st Institute of Physics, University of Cologne , Zülpicher Straße 77, D-50937 Cologne, Germany
- E. Sturm
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- L. J. Tacconi
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- E. F. van Dishoeck
- ORCiD
- Leiden Observatory, Leiden University , P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- A. Vigan
- ORCiD
- Aix-Marseille Université , CNRS, CNES, LAM, Marseille, France
- F. Vincent
- ORCiD
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université , Université de Paris, 5 place Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
- S. D. von Fellenberg
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- F. Widmann
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- E. Wieprecht
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- E. Wiezorrek
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- T. Winterhalder
- European Southern Observatory , Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- J. Woillez
- ORCiD
- European Southern Observatory , Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- S. Yazici
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- A. Young
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- The ExoGRAVITY Collaboration
- The GRAVITY Collaboration
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acf761
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 956,
no. 2
p. 99
Abstract
Tension remains between the observed and modeled properties of substellar objects, but objects in binary orbits, with known dynamical masses, can provide a way forward. HD 72946 B is a recently imaged brown dwarf companion to a nearby, solar-type star. We achieve ∼100 μ as relative astrometry of HD 72946 B in the K band using VLTI/GRAVITY, unprecedented for a benchmark brown dwarf. We fit an ensemble of measurements of the orbit using orbitize! and derive a strong dynamical mass constraint M _B = 69.5 ± 0.5 M _Jup assuming a strong prior on the host star mass M _A = 0.97 ± 0.01 M _⊙ from an updated stellar analysis. We fit the spectrum of the companion to a grid of self-consistent BT-Settl-CIFIST model atmospheres, and perform atmospheric retrievals using petitRADTRANS . A dynamical mass prior only marginally influences the sampled distribution of effective temperature, but has a large influence on the surface gravity and radius, as expected. The dynamical mass alone does not strongly influence retrieved pressure–temperature or cloud parameters within our current retrieval setup. Independently of the cloud prescription and prior assumptions, we find agreement within ±2 σ between the C/O of the host (0.52 ± 0.05) and brown dwarf (0.43–0.63), as expected from a molecular cloud collapse formation scenario, but our retrieved metallicities are implausibly high (0.6–0.8) in light of the excellent agreement of the data with the solar-abundance model grid. Future work on our retrieval framework will seek to resolve this tension. Additional study of low surface gravity objects is necessary to assess the influence of a dynamical mass prior on atmospheric analysis.
Keywords
- Brown dwarfs
- L dwarfs
- Interferometry
- Long baseline interferometry
- Optical interferometry
- Orbit determination
