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| Paper: |
L Dwarf Kinematics |
| Volume: |
448, 16th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun |
| Page: |
333 |
| Authors: |
Schmidt, S. J.; West, A. A.; Hawley, S. L. |
| Abstract: |
The L spectral class is composed of both stars and brown dwarfs. Because brown dwarfs cool as they age, it is not possible to assign a mass to an L dwarf based on its Teff/spectral type. Due to this degeneracy between mass, age, and spectral type, it is especially important to determine the ages of L dwarfs. Indirect estimates of age, such as a relationship between age and J–KS color have been proposed, but a better calibration is needed. Kinematics have proven to be a useful age calibrator, and will likely be instrumental in future studies of L dwarf ages. We examine the differences between the kinematics of a large, magnitude limited sample of L dwarfs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and a smaller, volume-limited sample of L dwarfs within 20pc. Both samples show a kinematically hot component, suggestive of an older population of stars. Additionally, L dwarfs with bluer J–KS colors have hotter kinematics than redder L dwarfs, indicating a relationship between J–KS color and age in both samples. |
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