Microlensing Constraints on Low-Mass Companions

dc.creatorGaudi, B. Scott
dc.date2002-06-27
dc.date2002-07-02
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T02:04:05Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T02:04:05Z
dc.descriptionMicrolensing is sensitive to binary, brown dwarf, and planetary companions to normal stars in the Galactic bulge with separations between about 1-10 AU. The accurate, densely-sampled photometry of microlensing events needed to detect planetary companions has been achieved by several follow-up collaborations. Detailed analysis of microlensing events toward the bulge demonstrates that less than 45% of M-dwarfs in the bulge have Jupiter-mass companions between 1 and 5 AU. Detection of binary and brown-dwarf companions using microlensing is considerably easier; however, the interpretation is hampered by their non-perturbative influence on the parent lightcurve. I demonstrate that ~25% of brown-dwarf companions with separations 1-10 AU should be detectable with survey-quality data (~1 day sampling and ~5% photometry). Survey data is more amenable to generic, brute-force analysis methods and less prone to selection biases. An analysis of the ~1500 microlensing events detected by OGLE-III in the next three years should test whether the BD desert exists at separations 1-10 AU from M-dwarfs in the Galactic bulge.
dc.description4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the proceedings of the IAU Symposium 211, "Brown Dwarfs", ASP Conference Series
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0206494
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0206494
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/4616
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleMicrolensing Constraints on Low-Mass Companions
dc.typetext

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