The First JWST Spectral Energy Distribution of a Y Dwarf

July 2023 • 2023ApJ...951L..48B

Authors • Beiler, Samuel A. • Cushing, Michael C. • Kirkpatrick, J. Davy • Schneider, Adam C. • Mukherjee, Sagnick • Marley, Mark S.

Abstract • We present the first JWST spectral energy distribution of a Y dwarf. This spectral energy distribution of the Y0 dwarf WISE J035934.06-540154.6 consists of low-resolution (λ/Δλ ~100) spectroscopy from 1-12 μm and three photometric points at 15, 18, and 21 μm. The spectrum exhibits numerous fundamental, overtone, and combination rotational-vibrational bands of H₂O, CH₄, CO, CO₂, and NH₃, including the previously unidentified ν ₃ band of NH₃ at 3 μm. Using a Rayleigh-Jeans tail to account for the flux emerging at wavelengths greater than 21 μm, we measure a bolometric luminosity of 1.523 ± 0.090 × 10²⁰ W. We determine a semiempirical effective temperature estimate of ${467}_{-18}^{+16}$ K using the bolometric luminosity and evolutionary models to estimate a radius. Finally, we compare the spectrum and photometry to a grid of atmospheric models and find reasonably good agreement with a model having T _eff = 450 K, log g = 3.25 [cm s^-2], and [M/H] = -0.3. However, the low surface gravity implies an extremely low mass of 1 M _Jup and a very young age of 20 Myr, the latter of which is inconsistent with simulations of volume-limited samples of cool brown dwarfs.

Links

• SIMBAD http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbo.pl?bibcode=2023ApJ...951L..48B
• PDF https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ace32c/pdf
• PREPRINT http://arxiv.org/abs/2306.11807
• DATA https://archive.stsci.edu/mastbibref.php?bibcode=2023ApJ...951L..48B
• DATA https://doi.org/10.17909/96qb-wh63
• ELECTR https://doi.org/10.3847%2F2041-8213%2Face32c