Fire Spectroscopy of Five Late-type T Dwarfs Discovered with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer

July 2011 • 2011ApJ...735..116B

Authors • Burgasser, Adam J. • Cushing, Michael C. • Kirkpatrick, J. Davy • Gelino, Christopher R. • Griffith, Roger L. • Looper, Dagny L. • Tinney, Christopher • Simcoe, Robert A. • Bochanski, John J. • Skrutskie, Michael F. • Mainzer, A. • Thompson, Maggie A. • Marsh, Kenneth A. • Bauer, James M. • Wright, Edward L.

Abstract • We present the discovery of five late-type T dwarfs identified with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Low-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy obtained with the Magellan Folded-port InfraRed Echellette reveal strong H₂O and CH₄ absorption in all five sources, and spectral indices and comparison to spectral templates indicate classifications ranging from T5.5 to T8.5:. The spectrum of the latest-type source, WISE J1812+2721, is an excellent match to that of the T8.5 companion brown dwarf Wolf 940B. WISE-based spectrophotometric distance estimates place these T dwarfs at 12-13 pc from the Sun, assuming they are single. Preliminary fits of the spectral data to the atmosphere models of Saumon & Marley indicate effective temperatures ranging from 600 K to 930 K, both cloudy and cloud-free atmospheres, and a broad range of ages and masses. In particular, two sources show evidence of both low surface gravity and cloudy atmospheres, tentatively supporting a trend noted in other young brown dwarfs and exoplanets. In contrast, the high proper motion T dwarf WISE J2018-7423 exhibits a suppressed K-band peak and blue spectrophotometric J - K colors indicative of an old, massive brown dwarf; however, it lacks the broadened Y-band peak seen in metal-poor counterparts. These results illustrate the broad diversity of low-temperature brown dwarfs that will be uncovered with WISE.

This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.

Links

• SIMBAD http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbo.pl?bibcode=2011ApJ...735..116B
• PDF https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/735/2/116/pdf
• PDF https://stacks.iop.org/0004-637X/735/116/pdf
• PREPRINT http://arxiv.org/abs/1104.2537
• DATA https://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/bibdata/2011/B/2011ApJ...735..116B.html
• ELECTR https://doi.org/10.1088%2F0004-637X%2F735%2F2%2F116
• SPIRES http://inspirehep.net/search?p=find+eprint+arXiv:1104.2537