Abstract
The results of near-infrared imaging and spectroscopy of a substellar companion (SR12?C), with a possible planetary mass, of a binary T Tauri star (SR12?AB) in the ? Ophiuchi star-forming region are presented. The object is separated by ~87, corresponding to ~1100?AU at 125?pc, and has an H-band brightness of 15.2 mag and infrared spectra suggesting a spectral type of M9.0 ? 0.5. It is confirmed that SR12?C is physically related to the ? Ophiuchi star-forming region from its common proper motion with SR12?AB and its youth is confirmed by a gravity-sensitive spectral feature. Furthermore, based on the number of known members of the ? Ophiuchi star-forming region in the area in which SR12?AB exists, the probability of a chance alignment is ~1% and it is therefore likely that SR12?C is physically associated with SR12?AB. The mass of SR12?C is estimated by comparing its estimated luminosity and assumed age with the theoretical age-luminosity relation. SR12?C is identified as an extremely low-mass (0.013?? 0.007 M ?) object, but its separation from its parent star is the widest among planetary-mass companion (PMC) candidates imaged to date. In addition, SR12?C is the first PMC candidate directly imaged around a binary star. This discovery suggests that PMCs form via multiple star formation processes including disk gravitational instability and cloud core fragmentation.
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