Radio Emission from a Nearby M dwarf Binary

TL;DR

This study reports the detection of radio emission from a nearby M dwarf binary system, analyzing its properties and proposing a gyrosynchrotron origin, with implications for understanding stellar magnetic activity.

Contribution

First detection of radio emission from the M dwarf binary 2MASS J02132062+3648506 AB using VLA and e-MERLIN data, with detailed analysis of emission characteristics and magnetic field estimates.

Findings

Detected quiescent, polarized radio emission with spectral index -0.44

Estimated magnetic field strength less than 175 G

Brown dwarf companion not detected in radio

Abstract

We present the detection of the binary system 2MASS J02132062+3648506 AB using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) archive data observed at 4-8 GHz. The system is a triple consisting of a tight binary ($\sim0.2"$) of two M dwarfs of spectral class M4.5 and M6.5 and a wide T3 brown dwarf companion ($\sim$16.4"). The binary displays coronal and chromospheric activity as traced by previously measured X-ray flux and H$\alpha$ emission. We detect the unresolved binary at a peak flux density of $\sim356\ \mu \mathrm{Jybeam}^{-1}$ at a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of $\sim36$ and determine a radio luminosity of $\mathrm{log}L_R/\mathrm{log}L_\mathrm{bol}\approx-7.76$. The radio emission is quiescent, polarised at a mean circular polarisation fraction $f_\mathrm{c}=45.20 \pm 1.58$ % and exhibits a spectral index $\alpha=-0.44\pm0.07$ . We probe the binary using the Enhanced Multi-Element Remotely Linked Interferometer Network (e-MERLIN) with an angular resolution of $\sim40$ mas at 5 GHz and detect a component at a peak flux density of $\sim90\ \mu$Jy $\mathrm{beam}^{-1}$ at a SNR $\sim5$ . We propose a gyrosynchrotron origin for the radio emission and estimate a magnetic field strength $B<174.86$ G, an emitting region of size $L<1.54$ times the radius of the M4.5 primary and a plasma number density $n_\mathrm{e}<2.91\times10^5\ \mathrm{cm}^{-3}$. The brown dwarf companion is not detected. Additionally, we have analysed observations of 2MASS J04183483+213127, a chromospherically active L5 brown dwarf which is also not detected. Accordingly, we place $3\sigma$ flux density upper limits at $36.9\ \mu$Jy $\mathrm{beam}^{-1}$ and $42.3\ \mu$Jy $\mathrm{beam}^{-1}$ for Stokes I and V respectively.