JWST unveils the brown dwarf sequence of 47 Tucanae

Abstract

We have developed a technique to restore scientific usage in compromised (publicly-available) images collected with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) of the Galactic globular cluster NGC 104 (47 Tucanae). In spite of the degradation and limited data, we were able to recover photometry and astrometry for the coolest stellar objects ever observed within a globular cluster, possibly unveiling the brightest part of the brown dwarf (BD) sequence. This is supported by: (i) proper motion membership, derived by the comparison with positions obtained from Hubble Space Telescope archival early epochs; (ii) the predicted location of the BD sequence; and (iii) the mass function for low-mass stars derived from models. Future JWST observations will provide the necessary deep and precise proper motions to confirm the nature of the here-identified BD candidates belonging to this globular cluster.

7 pages, 4 figures (+1 bonus), 1 table. Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter on February 9, 2023

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Cited by in corpus (2)

• Photometry and astrometry with JWST -- II. NIRCam distortion correction
• New Way to Date Globular Clusters: Brown Dwarf Cooling Sequences