HUNTING THE COOLEST DWARFS: METHODS AND EARLY RESULTS

We present the methods and first results of a survey of nearby high proper motion main-sequence stars to probe for cool companions with the Gemini camera at Lick Observatory. This survey uses a sample of old (age > 2 Gyr) stars as targets to probe for companions down to temperatures of 500 K. Multi-epoch observations allow us to discriminate comoving companions from background objects. So far, our survey has successfully rediscovered the wide T8.5 companion to GJ 1263 and has discovered a companion to the nearby M0V star GJ 660.1. The companion to GJ 660.1 (GJ 660.1B) is ∼4 mag fainter than its host star in the J-band and is located at a projected separation of ∼120 AU. Known trigonometric parallax and Two Micron All Sky Survey magnitudes for the GJ 660.1 system indicate a spectral type for the companion of M9 ± 2.