Stellar Systems Group

Mugrauer, M., Neuhäuser, R., Mazeh, T., Guenther, E., and Fernández, M.
Astronomische Nachrichten, Vol.325, Issue 9, p.718-722
12/2004

ABSTRACT

In our ongoing deep infrared imaging search for faint wide secondaries of planet-candidate host stars we have confirmed astrometrically the companionship of a low-mass object to be co-moving with HD 89744, a companion-candidate suggested already by Wilson et al. (2000). The derivation of the common proper motion of HD 89744 and its companion, which are separated by 62.996±0.035 arcsec, is based on about 5 year epoch difference between 2MASS and our own UKIRT/UFTI images. The companion effective temperature is about 2200 K and its mass is in the range between 0.072 and 0.081 M_\sun, depending on the evolutionary model. Therefore, HD 89744 B is either a very low mass stellar or a heavy brown dwarf companion.