A Novel Survey for Young Substellar Objects with the W-band Filter. VII. Water-bearing Objects in the Core of the ρ Ophiuchi Cloud Complex

We present a study of very low mass stars and brown dwarfs in the rich star-forming core of the ρ Ophiuchi cloud complex. The selection of the sample relies on detecting the inherent water absorption characteristic in young substellar objects. Of the 22 water-bearing candidates selected, 15 have a s...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tanvi Sharma, Wen Ping Chen, Beth Biller, Loïc Albert, Belinda Damian, Jessy Jose, Bhavana Lalchand, Michael C. Liu, Yumiko Oasa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ada3c3
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Summary:We present a study of very low mass stars and brown dwarfs in the rich star-forming core of the ρ Ophiuchi cloud complex. The selection of the sample relies on detecting the inherent water absorption characteristic in young substellar objects. Of the 22 water-bearing candidates selected, 15 have a spectral type of M6 or later. Brown dwarf candidates too faint for membership determination by Gaia have their proper motions derived by deep-infrared images spanning 6 yr. Astrometric analysis confirms 21/22 sources as members, with one identified as a contaminant. Infrared colors and the spectral energy distribution of each water-bearing candidate are used to diagnose the mass, age, and possible existence of circumstellar dust. A total of 15 sources exhibit evidence of disks in their spectral energy distributions, as late as in M8-type objects. Spectroscopy for bright candidates has confirmed one as an M8 member and verified two sources (with disks) exhibiting signatures of magnetospheric accretion.
ISSN:1538-4357