Spectroscopic distances of nearby ultracool dwarfs

Abstract

We present updated results of spectroscopic follow-up observations of a sample of 45 M dwarf candidates identified by Phan-Bao et al. (2003, A&A, 401, 959) based on the DENIS photometry and proper motion measurements. Forty one of these are nearby late-M dwarfs (d < 30 pc) with spectral types ranging from M5.0 to M8.5 computed from the spectral indices. One contaminant is probably an F-G main sequence star reddened by intervening dust and three stars that were not observed have previous classifications as M dwarfs in the literature. In this paper, we identify three M7.5, five M8.0, one M8.5 dwarf and confirm two new M8.0 dwarf members of the 25 pc volume. © ESO 2006.