Liu, Michael

Contact Email: mliu@ifa.hawaii.edu
Institute: Institute for Astronomy/Univ of Hawaii
First Coauthor: Joan Najita
Institute: Institute; NOAO
Second Coauthor: Alan Tokunaga
Institute: IfA/Univ of Hawaii
Research URL:http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~mliu
Subject Area: Brown Dwarfs & Extrasolar Planets
Waveband: Infrared
Technique: Spectroscopy
Presentation: Oral Contribution: Tuesday
Title: Subaru Spectroscopy of Young Brown Dwarfs and Super Planets in IC 348
Abstract: We have observed newly found substellar objects in the nearby young cluster IC 348 using the IRCS spectrograph on the Subaru Telescope. Our sample has been selected by Najita et al (2000) using a novel photometric technique based on the 1.9 micron water band in cool stars. The sample is complete down to the fiducial boundary between brown dwarfs and planets, and contains many potential free-floating planetary mass objects. We have obtained K-band spectra of the very coolest objects to determine accurate spectral classifications, and hence mass estimates. These results allow us to measure the substellar IMF down into the planetary regime. These objects are also an important test for models of very cool atmospheres at pre-main sequence gravities.