A possible dividing line between massive planets and brown-dwarf companions

Abstract

Brown dwarfs are intermediate objects between planets and stars. The lower end of the brown-dwarf mass range overlaps with the one of massive planets and therefore the distinction between planets and brown-dwarf companions may require to trace the individual formation process. We present results on new potential brown-dwarf companions of Sun-like stars, which were discovered using CORALIE radial-velocity measurements. By combining the spectroscopic orbits and Hipparcos astrometric measurements, we have determined the orbit inclinations and therefore the companion masses for many of these systems. This has revealed a mass range between 25 and 45 Jupiter masses almost void of objects, suggesting a possible dividing line between massive planets and sub-stellar companions.

4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to IAUS 276 conference proceedings

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• The HARPS search for southern extrasolar planets XXV. Results from the metal-poor sample
• MARVELS-1b: A Short-Period, Brown Dwarf Desert Candidate from the SDSS-III MARVELS Planet Search

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