We report the discovery of a faint L6?± 1 companion to the previously known M9 dwarf, 2MASS J01303563–4445411, based on our near-infrared imaging and spectroscopic observations with the 3 m Infrared Telescope Facility SpeX imager/spectrometer. The visual binary is separated by 328?± 005 on the sky at a spectrophotometric distance of 40?± 14?pc. The projected physical separation is 130?± 50?AU, making it one of the widest very low mass (VLM) field multiples containing a brown dwarf companion. 2MASS J0130–4445 is only one of ten wide VLM pairs and only one of six in the field. The secondary is considerably fainter (ΔK≈ 2.35?mag) and redder (Δ (J – Ks ) ≈ 0.81 dex), consistent with component near-infrared types of M9.0?± 0.5 and L6?± 1 based on our resolved spectroscopy. The component types suggest a secondary mass well below the hydrogen-burning limit and an age-dependent mass ratio of 0.6-0.9. The system's space motion and spectroscopic indicators suggest an age of 2-4?Gyr while the model-dependent masses and binding energies suggest that this system is unlikely to have formed via dynamical ejection. The age, composition, and separation of the 2MASS J01303563–4445411 system make it useful for tests of VLM formation theories and of condensate cloud formation in L dwarfs.
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