2005/09/26 by G. Lodato, Giuseppe Lodato, Eduardo Delgado-Donate +2
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/j.1745-3933.2005.00112.x
published as Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc.Lett.364:L91-L95,2005 · 5 pages, MNRAS in press
arxiv created 2005/09/26 · openalex publication_date 2005/10/21 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
In this paper we discuss the nature and the possible formation scenarios of the companion of the brown dwarf 2MASS 1207334-393254. We initially discuss the basic physical properties of this object and conclude that, although from its absolute mass (5MJup) it is a planetary object, in terms of its mass ratio q and of its separation a with respect to the primary brown dwarf, it is consistent with the statistical properties of binaries with higher primary mass. We then explore the possible formation mechanism for this object. We show that the standard planet formation mechanism of core accretion is far too slow to form this object within 10 Myr, the observed age of the system. On the other hand, the alternative mechanism of gravitational instability (proposed both in the context of planet and of binary formation) may, in principle, work and form a system with the observed properties.