New Extinction and Mass Estimates from Optical Photometry of the Very Low Mass Brown Dwarf Companion CT Chamaeleontis B with the Magellan AO System

CT Cha in MagAO filters. Image contrasts are adjusted to bring out the objects.
Top row: unsaturated dataset showing the PSF. Middle row: reduced, saturated dataset
before any halo subtraction. Bottom row: primary’s halo removed by subtracting a rota-
tionally symmetric PSF.

Abstract:
We used the Magellan adaptive optics (MagAO) system and its VisAO CCD camera to image the young low mass brown dwarf companion CT Chamaeleontis B for the first time at visible wavelengths. We detect it at r’, i’, z’, and Ys. With our new photometry and Teff~2500 K derived from the shape of its K-band spectrum, we find that CT Cha B has Av = 3.4+/-1.1 mag, and a mass of 14-24 Mj according to the DUSTY evolutionary tracks and its 1-5 Myr age. The overluminosity of our r’ detection indicates that the companion has significant Halpha emission and a mass accretion rate ~6*10^-10 Msun/yr, similar to some substellar companions. Proper motion analysis shows that another point source within 2″ of CT Cha A is not physical. This paper demonstrates how visible wavelength AO photometry (r’, i’, z’, Ys) allows for a better estimate of extinction, luminosity, and mass accretion rate of young substellar companions.

Wu, Y.-L., et al. “New Extinction and Mass Estimates from Optical Photometry of the Very Low Mass Brown Dwarf Companion CT Chamaeleontis B with the Magellan AO System”
ApJ, 801, 4, 2015      arxiv preprint

On the Morphology and Chemical Composition of the HR 4796A Debris Disk

This is the easy wavelength
HR 4796 at L’ (3.8 microns)
Now this is hard
HR 4796 at z’ (0.91 microns)

Abstract:
We present resolved images of the HR 4796A debris disk using the Magellan adaptive optics system paired with Clio-2 and VisAO. We detect the disk at 0.77 microns, 0.91 microns, 0.99 microns, 2.15 microns, 3.1 microns, 3.3 microns, and 3.8 microns. We find that the deprojected center of the ring is offset from the star by 4.76 ± 1.6 AU and that the deprojected eccentricity is 0.06 ± 0.02, in general agreement with previous studies. We find that the average width of the ring is 14+3-2% (11.1+2.4-1.6 AU), also comparable to previous measurements. Combining our new scattered light data with archival Hubble Space Telescope images at ~0.5-2 mum, along with previously unpublished Spitzer/MIPS thermal emission data and all other literature thermal data, we set out to constrain the chemical composition of the dust grains. After testing 19 individual root compositions and more than 8400 unique mixtures of these compositions, we find that good fits to the scattered light alone and thermal emission alone are discrepant, suggesting that caution should be exercised if fitting to only one or the other. When we fit to both data sets simultaneously, we find that silicates and organics are generally the most favored, while large abundances of water ice are usually not favored. These results suggest the HR 4796A dust grains are similar to interstellar dust and solar system comets, though improved modeling is necessary to place better constraints on the exact chemical composition of the dust.

Rodigas, T. J., et al. “On the Morphology and Chemical Composition of the HR 4796A Debris Disk”
ApJ, 798, 96, 2015     ADS    arxiv preprint

Discovery of Halpha Emission from the Close Companion inside the Gap of Transitional Disk HD 142527

MagAO+VisAO images of the companion HD 142527 B, made with our special “simultaneous differential imaging”, or SDI, mode.

We utilized MagAO to obtain very high-resolution visible light images of HD142527 with MagAO’s VisAO science camera. In the median seeing conditions of the 6.5m Magellan telescope (0.5 − 0.7′′), we find MagAO delivers 24-19% Strehl at Ha (0.656 mm). We detect a faint companion (HD142527B) embedded in this young transitional disk system at just 86.3±1.9 mas (~12 AU) from the star. The companion is detected in both Halpha and a continuum filter (Dmag=6.33±0.20 mag at Ha and 7.50±0.25 mag in the continuum filter). This provides confirmation of the tentative companion discovered by Biller and co-workers (a past graduate of Dr. Close, who is now a professor at the University of Edinburgh) with sparse aperture masking at the 8m VLT.

MagAO found that the Halpha emission from the ~0.25 solar mass companion (EW=180 Angstroms) implies a mass accretion rate of ~5.9×10-10 Msun/yr, and a total accretion luminosity of 1.2% Lsun. Assuming a similar accretion rate, we estimate that a 1 Jupiter mass gas giant could have considerably better (50-1000x) planet/star contrasts at Halpha than at H band (COND models) for a range of optical extinctions (3.4-0 mag). We suggest that 0.5-5 Mjup extrasolar planets in their gas accretion phase should be much more luminous at Halpha than in the NIR. This is the motivation for our new MagAO GAPplanetS survey for extrasolar planets which is a key project for the MagAO team, and in particular senior PhD student Kate Follette who has lead most of the GAPplanets work to date.

Here is the Astrophysical Journal abstract:

“We utilized the new high-order 585 actuator Magellan Adaptive Optics system (MagAO) to obtain very high-resolution visible light images of HD 142527 with MagAO’s VisAO science camera. In the median seeing conditions of the 6.5 m Magellan telescope (0.”5-0.”7), we find MagAO delivers 24%-19% Strehl at Halpha (0.656 mum). We detect a faint companion (HD 142527B) embedded in this young transitional disk system at just 86.3 ± 1.9 mas (~12 AU) from the star. The companion is detected in both Halpha and a continuum filter (Deltamag = 6.33 ± 0.20 mag at Halpha and 7.50 ± 0.25 mag in the continuum filter). This provides confirmation of the tentative companion discovered by Biller and co-workers with sparse aperture masking at the 8 m Very Large Telescope. The Halpha emission from the ~0.25 solar mass companion (EW = 180 Å) implies a mass accretion rate of ~5.9 × 10-10 M sun yr-1 and a total accretion luminosity of 1.2% L sun. Assuming a similar accretion rate, we estimate that a 1 Jupiter mass gas giant could have considerably better (50-1000×) planet/star contrasts at Halpha than at the H band (COND models) for a range of optical extinctions (3.4-0 mag). We suggest that ~0.5-5 M jup extrasolar planets in their gas accretion phase could be much more luminous at Halpha than in the NIR. This is the motivation for our new MagAO GAPplanetS survey for extrasolar planets.”

You can read more about it here:

Close, L. M., et al. “Discovery of Hα Emission from the Close Companion inside the Gap of Transitional Disk HD 142527”
ApJ, 781, L30, 2014    ADS    arxiv preprint

2014B Day 41: Not really switched over

According to the blog, we were working the night shift for 36 nights (see Povilas, the blog can be useful). That means we’re almost completely nocturnal at this point, and not doing so well at this “awake during normal hours” thing. We have an overnight flight from Santiago to Dallas tomorrow night — it may be a long one.

The MagAO team took in one last sunset.

MagAO is all packed up and ready for its ~6 month rest. It’s well deserved — we really made the system work hard this time.

Katie and Laird wrapped up the ASM. This is to keep dust out.
The Burro herd came up to see Katie and me off on our last morning. They formed a guard of honor for us along the road.
So long guys! See you soon.
A trio of Storks (!) caused a bit of a commotion by perching on the DIMM this morning.
Katie took some time to say goodbye to the gorgeous view from Cerro Manqui.

As we used to say in the Navy, just a wake-up to go. We leave at 10 am, and then it’s time to celebrate.

2014B Day 38: One More Night

We only have 1 more night of observing left. Can you believe it? And after all that, the last two nights are mine and Katie’s to do with as we please. We have a nice informal queue worked out between us. It goes something like: seeing 0.5″ or better, we do the impossible stuff, better than 0.7″ we do the hard stuff, and after that the stuff we won’t do any other time. Tonight was a just go for the impossible kind of night – half arcsecond seeing, no winds, and not a cloud in the sky.

Cerro Manqui delivered tonight. I think we deserved it.

I hope our favorite mountain peak has one more of those in store for us tonight. There’s plenty of impossible in the sky.

The ASB vizzy has been around a little more reliably the last week.
This Viscacha struck a nice pose for me on my way up tonight. I knew it would be good after this.

We’ll be in Tucson by the next time empanada Sunday comes around. I still had one leftover last night.

My last empanada for a while.