Lucas, Phil

Contact Email: pwl@star.herts.ac.uk
Institute: University of Hertfordshire
First Coauthor: UKIDSS Consortium
Institute: UK wide
Second Coauthor: VISTA Consortium
Institute: UK wide
Research URL:http://www.roe.ac.uk/atc/projects/
Subject Area: Instrumentation: Ground Based
Waveband: Infrared
Technique: Imaging (Direct)
Presentation: Poster Display
Title: 500 K and Below - Finding Ultracool Dwarfs with the UKIRT/WFCAM and VISTA surveys.
Abstract: I describe the very large area infrared UKIRT and VISTA surveys which will begin in 2003 and their impact on the field of brown dwarf searches. These surveys will reach K=19 and survey on the order of 20 of the sky. Present plans are for ZJHK imaging, with K repeats to detect proper motions. It is expected that brown dwarfs in the 400-500 K range will be detected, possibly reaching the threshold at which liquid water droplet clouds will form in the upper atmosphere. Some planetary mass 'sub-brown dwarfs' may also be detected if any exist within 10 parsecs. These surveys form natural successors to 2MASS, DENIS and SLOAN.