We present a study of age-related spectral signatures observed in 25 young low-mass objects that we have previously determined as possible kinematic members of five young moving groups: the Local Association (Pleiades moving group, age=20 - 150 Myr),
the Ursa Major group (Sirius supercluster, age=300 Myr), the Hyades supercluster (age=600 Myr), IC 2391 supercluster (age=35--55 Myr) and the Castor moving group (age=200 Myr). In this paper we characterize the spectral properties of observed high or low resolution spectra of our kinematic members by fitting theoretical spectral distributions. We study signatures of youth, such as lithium {sc i} 6708 AA, H$alpha$ emission and other age-sensitive spectroscopic signatures in order to confirm the kinematic memberships through age constraints. We find that 21 ($84%$) targets show spectroscopic signatures of youth in agreement with the age ranges of the moving group to which membership is implied. For two further objects, age-related constraints remain difficult to determine from our analysis. In addition, we confirm two moving group kinematic candidates as brown dwarfs.
We associate 132 low-mass ultracool dwarfs in the southern hemisphere as candidate members of five moving groups using photometric and astrometric selection techniques. Of these objects, we present high resolution spectroscopy for seven candidates an
d combine these with previous measurements from the literature to determine spectral types and radial velocities. We thus constrain distance and space motion spectroscopically, allowing the kinematic membership of the moving groups to be assessed. Possible membership of moving groups has allowed ages and metallicities to be constrained for these objects and evolutionary models have been used to estimate their mass. We estimate that up to ~75 of our candidate moving group members should be genuine, and discuss future work that will confirm and exploit this major new sample.
