Radio Emission from Binary Ultracool Dwarf Systems

TL;DR

This study reports new radio emissions detected from ultracool dwarf binary systems, revealing insights into their magnetospheric activity and suggesting they may be more luminous than previously predicted.

Contribution

It provides the first detections of non-auroral and potential auroral radio emissions in specific ultracool dwarf binaries, advancing understanding of their magnetic phenomena.

Findings

Detected non-auroral radio emission at 4-8 GHz in three ultracool dwarf binaries.

Tentative detection of a highly circularly polarized pulse indicating possible aurorae.

Binary systems may be more luminous in radio than single ultracool dwarfs.

Abstract

Well-characterized binary systems will provide valuable opportunities to study the conditions that are necessary for the onset of both auroral and non-auroral magnetospheric radio emission in the ultracool dwarf regime. We present new detections of non-auroral "quiescent" radio emission at 4-8 GHz of the three ultracool dwarf binary systems GJ 564 BC, LP 415-20, and 2MASS J21402931+1625183. We also tentatively detect a highly circularly polarized pulse at 4-6 GHz that may indicate aurorae from GJ 564 BC. Finally, we show that the brightest binary ultracool dwarf systems may be more luminous than predictions from single-object systems.