A Search for Extreme Ultracool Objects in UKIDSS+VISTA

Zhang, Z. H.; Pinfield, D.; Day-Jones, A.; Burningham, B.; Jones, H.; Lucas, P.; Gomes, J.; Ruiz, M. T.; Gallardo, J.; Jenkins, J.
Bibliographical reference

16th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun. ASP Conference Series, Vol. 448, proceedings of a conference held August 28- September 2, 2010 at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Edited by Christopher M. Johns-Krull, Matthew K. Browning, and Andrew A. West. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2012., p.1411

Advertised on:
12
2011
Number of authors
10
IAC number of authors
0
Citations
0
Refereed citations
0
Description
Brown dwarfs with thick water cloud atmospheres, ancient population III brown dwarfs, and nearby free-floating planetary mass objects are targets in our new discovery space. We have developed a candidate selection process that identifies near infrared sources without optical counterparts whose infrared/optical fluxes are not consistent with stars, and whose infrared colors are not like those of known L and T dwarf populations. We plan to carry out this programme over the next 3-4 years, and effectively give UKIDSS and VISTA the capability to measure proper motions of unusual objects in 14000 sq degs of infrared sky. High proper motion discoveries will be fast-tracked for spectroscopy through our ongoing 8m class telescopes initiatives.