Sign on

SAO/NASA ADS Astronomy Abstract Service

· Find Similar Abstracts (with default settings below)
· Electronic Refereed Journal Article (HTML)
· Full Refereed Journal Article (PDF/Postscript)
· arXiv e-print (arXiv:astro-ph/9804005)
· References in the article
· Citations to the Article (183) (Citation History)
· Refereed Citations to the Article
· SIMBAD Objects (15)
· Also-Read Articles (Reads History)
·
· Translate This Page
Title:
Keck Spectra of Pleiades Brown Dwarf Candidates and a Precise Determination of the Lithium Depletion Edge in the Pleiades
Authors:
Stauffer, John R.; Schultz, Greg; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy
Publication:
Astrophysical Journal Letters v.499, p.L199 (ApJL Homepage)
Publication Date:
06/1998
Origin:
APJ
ApJ Keywords:
STARS: LOW-MASS, BROWN DWARFS, GALAXY: OPEN CLUSTERS AND ASSOCIATIONS: INDIVIDUAL NAME: PLEIADES
DOI:
10.1086/311379
Bibliographic Code:
1998ApJ...499L.199S

Abstract

We have obtained intermediate resolution spectra of 11 candidate brown dwarf members of the Pleiades open cluster using the Keck II telescope and Low-Resolution Imaging Spectrograph. Our primary goal was to determine the location of the "lithium depletion edge" in the Pleiades and hence to derive a precise age for the cluster. All but one of our 11 program objects have radial velocities appropriate for Pleiades members, have moderately strong H alpha emission, and have spectral types M6-M8.5 as expected from their (R - I) _{{C}} colors. We have constructed a color-magnitude diagram for the faint end of the Pleiades main sequence, including only stars for which high signal-to-noise spectra in the region of the lithium 6708 A absorption line have been obtained. These data allow us to accurately determine the Pleiades single-star lithium depletion edge at I _{{C}0} = 17.80, (R - I) _{{C}0} = 2.20, spectral type M6.5. By reference to theoretical evolutionary models, this converts fairly directly into an age for the Pleiades of tau = 125 Myr. This is significantly older than the age that is normally quoted, but does agree with some other recent estimates.
Bibtex entry for this abstract   Preferred format for this abstract (see Preferences)
   

Find Similar Abstracts:

Use: Authors
Title
Keywords (in text query field)
Abstract Text
Return: Query Results Return    items starting with number
Query Form
Database: Astronomy
Physics
arXiv e-prints