DISCOVERY OF A LOW-MASS COMPANION TO THE SOLAR-TYPE STAR TYC 2534-698-1

Brown dwarfs and low-mass stellar companions are interesting objects to study since they occupy the mass region between deuterium and hydrogen burning. We report here the serendipitous discovery of a low-mass companion in an eccentric orbit around a solar-type main-sequence star. The stellar primary, TYC 2534-698-1, is a G2V star that was monitored both spectroscopically and photometrically over the course of several months. Radial velocity observations indicate a minimum mass of 0.037 M and an orbital period of ∼103 days for the companion. Photometry outside of the transit window shows the star to be stable to within ∼ 6 millimags. The semimajor axis of the orbit places the companion in the “brown dwarf desert ” and we discuss potential follow-up observations that could constrain the mass of the companion. Key words: planetary systems – stars: low-mass, brown dwarf