Ultracool Astrophysics from Substellar Binaries

来自亚恒星双星的超冷天体物理学

• 批准号: 0909222
• 负责人: Michael Liu
• 金额: $ 54.43万
• 依托单位: University of Hawaii
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-08-01 至 2016-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0909222&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Ultracool; Astrophysics; Substellar; Binaries

In this project, Dr. Liu and his research group will conduct a deep, sensitive search of the coldest known brown dwarfs to identify new substellar binaries suitable for dynamical mass determinations and to search for free-floating objects colder than anything currently known. They will attempt to uncover more examples of these objects through a major observational program employing near-diffraction limited infrared imaging and spectroscopy from the Keck laser guide star adaptive optics system, and will expand the sample of dynamical mass measurements for substellar binaries. While there has been great progress in studying the bulk properties of brown dwarfs, theoretical predictions of low-mass, ultracool objects are largely untested even though such models are widely used to characterize the known substellar and exoplanetary population.The research goals of this proposal will be accomplished in tandem with the broader impact of training junior colleagues. This next generation of astronomers will receive training in the rapidly growing fields of substellar astrophysics and science with adaptive optics. In particular, development of observational techniques and expertise with laser guide star adaptive optics systems is an important step toward future high angular resolution ground-based astronomy.

在这个项目中，刘博士和他的研究小组将对已知最冷的褐矮星进行深入、敏感的搜索，以确定适合动态质量测定的新的亚恒星双星，并寻找比目前已知的任何物体更冷的自由漂浮物体。 他们将尝试通过一项主要观测计划，利用凯克激光导星自适应光学系统的近衍射受限红外成像和光谱学来发现这些物体的更多例子，并将扩大亚星双星动态质量测量的样本。 虽然在研究棕矮星的整体特性方面取得了巨大进展，但低质量、超冷天体的理论预测在很大程度上未经测试，尽管此类模型被广泛用于描述已知的亚恒星和系外行星种群。该提案的研究目标将与培训初级同事的更广泛影响同时实现。下一代天文学家将在快速发展的星际天体物理学和自适应光学科学领域接受培训。特别是，激光导星自适应光学系统观测技术和专业知识的发展是迈向未来高角分辨率地基天文学的重要一步。