Infrared Search for Young Brown Dwarf Companions around Young Stellar Objects in the rho Ophiucus Molecular Cloud and the Serpens Molecular Cloud

TL;DR

This study used infrared imaging and spectroscopy to identify and characterize faint low-mass stellar and brown dwarf companions around young stellar objects in two molecular clouds, revealing likely young brown dwarf companions.

Contribution

First infrared search for faint companions around young stellar objects in these clouds, identifying and characterizing potential brown dwarf companions.

Findings

Three objects with low effective temperatures identified as companions.

One likely low-mass stellar companion, two likely young brown dwarfs.

Companions show infrared excess and water absorption features.

Abstract

We conducted an infrared search for faint companions around 351 young stellar objects in the rho Ophiucus molecular cloud and the Serpens molecular cloud. Nine objects in the Spitzer/IRAC archival images were identified as young stellar companion candidates. They showed an intrinsic infrared excess; one object was extremely red both in the [3.6] - [4.5] color and in the [4.5] - [5.8] color, and two objects were red in the [4.5] - [5.8] color. They were as faint as 15 mag in the [3.6] band. Follow-up K-band spectroscopy revealed that three objects had deep water absorption bands, indicative of low effective temperatures. By comparing the spectra and infrared spectral energy distributions with synthesized spectra of low-temperature objects, we derived the effective temperatures and continuum excess for these objects. It seems highly likely that one of the three objects is a low-mass stellar companion and two objects are young brown dwarf companions associated with the young stellar objects.