Abstract
We present the results of intense photometric monitoring in the near-infrared (0.9 $m) with the TRAPPIST robotic telescope of the newly discovered binary brown dwarf WISE J104915.57-531906.1, the third closest system to the Sun at a distance of only 2 pc. Our twelve nights of time-series photometry reveal a quasi-periodic (P = 4.87 plusmn 0.01h) variability with a maximum peak-peak amplitude of 11% and strong night-to-night evolution. We attribute this variability to the rotational modulation of fast-evolving weather patterns in the atmosphere of the coolest component (T1-type) of the binary. No periodic signal is detected for the hottest component (L8-type). For both brown dwarfs, our data allow us to firmly discard any unique transit during our observations for planets ge2 R$_⊕$. For orbital periods smaller than 9.5 h, transiting planets are excluded down to an Earth-size.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | L5 |
Journal | Astronomy and Astrophysics |
Volume | 555 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jul 2013 |
Keywords
- brown dwarfs, stars: individual: WISE-J104915.57-531906.1, solar neighborhood, techniques: photometric