S18B0051

The initial mass function of star-forming regions appears to extend from a few hundred solar masses down to a few Jupiter masses. Stellar multiplicity varies greatly across this mass-range, and has been extensively studied for a major part of it. However, the lowest mass objects around the limit of Deuterium burning (≈ 13 MJup) have not been systematically studied in this context, as a suitable sample has been lacking. Recently, the number of identified young and nearby very low-mass brown dwarfs has begun to sharply increase. We propose to study 12 targets at the bottom of the brown dwarf mass range (some in the ‘planetary mass’ range) with LGS AO in order to search for close companions. Such companions can provide a first census of multiplicity in this mass and age range, and identify important calibrators for the mass-luminosity evolution of brown dwarfs and planets.


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