Abstract

We present a study of age-related spectral signatures observed in 25 young low-mass objects that we have previously determined as possible kinematic members of five young moving groups: the Local Association (Pleiades moving group, age = 20-150 Myr), the Ursa Major group (Sirius supercluster, age = 300 Myr), the Hyades supercluster (age = 600 Myr), IC 2391 supercluster (age = 35-55 Myr) and the Castor moving group (age = 200 Myr). In this paper we characterize the spectral properties of observed high- or low-resolution spectra of our kinematic members by fitting theoretical spectral distributions. We study signatures of youth, such as lithium i 6708A, H alpha emission and other age-sensitive spectroscopic signatures in order to confirm the kinematic memberships through age constraints. We find that 21 (84 per cent) targets show spectroscopic signatures of youth in agreement with the age ranges of the moving group to which membership is implied. For two further objects, age-related constraints remain difficult to determine from our analysis. In addition, we confirm two moving group kinematic candidates as brown dwarfs.