WISE J104915.57$-$531906.1 is a L/T brown dwarf binary located 2pc from the Sun. The pair contains the closest known brown dwarfs and is the third closest known system, stellar or sub-stellar. We report comprehensive follow-up observations of this ne
wly uncovered system. We have determined the spectral types of both components (L8+/-1, for the primary, agreeing with the discovery paper; T1.5+/-2 for the secondary, which was lacking spectroscopic type determination in the discovery paper) and, for the first time, their radial velocities (V_rad~23.1, 19.5 km/s) using optical spectra obtained at the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) and other facilities located at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO). The relative radial velocity of the two components is smaller than the range of orbital velocities for theoretically predicted masses, implying that they form a gravitationally bound system. We report resolved near-infrared JHK_S photometry from the IRSF telescope at the SAAO which yields colors consistent with the spectroscopically derived spectral types. The available kinematic and photometric information excludes the possibility that the object belongs to any of the known nearby young moving groups or associations. Simultaneous optical polarimetry observations taken at the SAAO 1.9-m give a non-detection with an upper limit of 0.07%. For the given spectral types and absolute magnitudes, 1Gyr theoretical models predict masses of 0.04--0.05 M_odot for the primary, and 0.03--0.05 M_odot for the secondary.
There are a number of faint compact infrared excess sources in the central stellar cluster of the Milky Way. Their nature and origin is unclear. In addition to several isolated objects of this kind we find a small but dense cluster of co-moving sourc
es (IRS13N) about 3 west of SgrA* just 0.5 north of the bright IRS13E cluster of WR and O-type stars. Based on their color and brightness, there are two main possibilities: (1) they may be dust embedded stars older than few Myr, or (2) extremely young, dusty stars with ages less than 1Myr. We present fist H- and Ks-band identifications or proper motions of the IRS13N members, the high velocity dusty S-cluster object (DSO), and other infrared excess sources in the central field. We also present results of NIR H- and Ks-band ESO-SINFONI integral field spectroscopy of ISR13N. We show that within the uncertainties, the proper motions of the IRS13N sources in Ks- and L-band are identical. This indicates that the bright L-band IRS13N sources are indeed dust enshrouded stars rather than core-less dust clouds. The proper motions show that the IRS13N sources are not strongly gravitationally bound to each other implying that they have been formed recently. We also present a first H- and Ks-band identification as well as proper motions and HKsL-colors of a fast moving DSO which was recently found in the cluster of high speed S-stars that surround the super-massive black hole Sagittarius A* (SgrA*). Most of the compact L-band excess emission sources have a compact H- or Ks-band counterpart and therefore are likely stars with dust shells or disks. Our new results and orbital analysis from our previous work favor the hypothesis that the infrared excess IRS13N members and other dusty sources close to SgrA* are very young dusty stars and that star formation at the GC is a continuously ongoing process.
Context: The Galactic Center IRS 13E cluster is located ~3.2 from SgrA*. It is an extremely dense stellar association containing several Wolf-Rayet and O-type stars, at least four of which show a common velocity. Only half an arcsecond north from IRS
13E there is a complex of extremely red sources, so-called IRS 13N. Their nature is still unclear. Based on the analysis of their colors, there are two main possibilities: (1) dust embedded sources older than few Myr, or (2) extremely young objects with ages less than 1Myr. Aims: We present the first proper motion measurements of IRS 13N members, and additionally give proper motions of four of IRS 13E stars resolved in the L-band. Methods: The L-band (3.8 micron) observations have been carried out using the NACO adaptive optics system at the ESO VLT. Proper motions have been obtained by linear fitting of the stellar positions extracted by StarFinder as a function of time, weighted by positional uncertainties. Results: We show that six of seven resolved northern sources show a common proper motion, thus revealing a new comoving group of stars in the central half parsec of the Milky Way. The common proper motions of IRS 13E and IRS 13N clusters are significantly (>5sigma) different. We also performed a fitting of the positional data for those stars onto Keplerian orbits, assuming SgrA* as the center of the orbit. Our results favor the very young stars hypothesis.
Context: L-band (3.8 micron) images of the Galactic Center show a large number of thin filaments in the mini-spiral, located west of the mini-cavity and along the inner edge of the Northern Arm. One possible mechanism that could produce such structur
es is the interaction of a central wind with the mini-spiral. Additionally, we identify similar features that appear to be associated with stars. Aims: We present the first proper motion measurements of the thin dust filaments observed in the central parsec around SgrA* and investigate possible mechanisms that could be responsible for the observed motions. Methods: The observations have been carried out using the NACO adaptive optics system at the ESO VLT. The images have been transformed to a common coordinate system and features of interest were extracted. Then a cross-correlation technique could be performed in order to determine the offsets between the features with respect to their position in the reference epoch. Results: We derive the proper motions of a number of filaments and 2 cometary shaped dusty sources close (in projection) to SgrA*. We show that the shape and the motion of the filaments does not agree with a purely Keplerian motion of the gas in the potential of the supermassive black hole at the position of SgrA*. Therefore, additional mechanisms must be responsible for their formation and motion. We argue that the properties of the filaments are probably related to an outflow from the disk of young mass-losing stars around SgrA*. In part, the outflow may originate from the black hole itself. We also present some evidence and theoretical considerations that the outflow may be collimated.
