Ross 19B: An Extremely Cold Companion Discovered via the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 Citizen Science Project

Through the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 citizen science project, we have identified a wide-separation (∼10', ∼9900 au projected) substellar companion to the nearby (∼17.5 pc), mid-M dwarf Ross 19. We have developed a new formalism for determining chance alignment probabilities based on the BANYAN Σ tool, and find a 100% probability that this is a physically associated pair. Through a detailed examination of Ross 19A, we find that the system is metal-poor ([Fe/H]=−0.40±0.12) with an age of 7.2+3.8−3.6 Gyr. Combining new and existing photometry and astrometry, we find that Ross 19B is one of the coldest known wide-separation companions, with a spectral type on the T/Y boundary, an effective temperature of 500+115−100 K, and a mass in the range 15-40 MJup. This new, extremely cold benchmark companion is a compelling target for detailed characterization with future spectroscopic observations using facilities such as the Hubble Space Telescope or James Webb Space Telescope.
http://arxiv.org/abs/2108.05321