# # Program information file # PROGRAM_ID 2022A031 PROGRAM_TITLE Benchmark Brown Dwarf Systems PROGRAM_INV1 Jackie Faherty PROGRAM_INV2 Austin Rothermich PROGRAM_INV3 Dan Caselden PROGRAM_INV4 Emily Calamari PROGRAM_INV5 Adam Schneider PROGRAM_SCICAT stellar PROGRAM_ABSTRACT_BEG Very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs [VLMs and BDs; M < 0.10] are among the most populous constituents of the Galaxy yet their origins remain controversial. Whether they form in a manner similar to higher mass stars or require additional or completely different processes is currently under debate. Moreover, fundamental physical parameters such as metallicity and age are extremely difficult to measure for individual low-mass stars due to the lack of calibrators. One of the keys to overcoming both of these scientific hurdles lies in studies of wide low-mass companions to well studied primary stars. Through a volunteer project, our team has been searching for previously missed proper motion objects in the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer [WISE] data. Upon verifying sources, our advanced volunteer also examine Gaia data for widely separated co-moving counterparts. Using this method we have identified 53 such systems containing a main-sequence high mass primary and a very low-mass/substellar secondary. We propose 5 nights with SpeX at IRTF to confirm and characterize these high probability co-moving companions, creating a statistically significant sample for generating field calibrators and testing the limits of star formation models. PROGRAM_ABSTRACT_END