WEATHER ON OTHER WORLDS. I. DETECTION OF PERIODIC VARIABILITY IN THE L3 DWARF DENIS-P J1058.7-1548 WITH PRECISE MULTI-WAVELENGTH PHOTOMETRY
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3800 (United States)
- University of Arizona Department of Astronomy, 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)
- Departamento de Fisica y Astronomia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaiso, Av. Gran Bretana 1111, Casilla 5030, Valparaiso (Chile)
- NASA Ames Research Center, MS-245-3, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States)
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada)
- University of California San Diego, Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0424, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)
- Departement de Physique and Observatoire du Mont Megantic, Universite de Montreal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7 (Canada)
- NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, California Institute of Technology, M/C 100-22, 770 South Wilson Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)
Photometric monitoring from warm Spitzer reveals that the L3 dwarf DENIS-P J1058.7-1548 varies sinusoidally in brightness with a period of 4.25{sup +0.26}{sub -0.16} hr and an amplitude of 0.388% {+-} 0.043% (peak-to-valley) in the 3.6 {mu}m band, confirming the reality of a 4.31 {+-} 0.31 hr periodicity detected in J-band photometry from the SOAR telescope. The J-band variations are a factor of 2.17 {+-} 0.35 larger in amplitude than those at 3.6 {mu}m, while 4.5 {mu}m Spitzer observations yield a 4.5 {mu}m/3.6 {mu}m amplitude ratio of only 0.23 {+-} 0.15, consistent with zero 4.5 {mu}m variability. This wide range in amplitudes indicates rotationally modulated variability due to magnetic phenomena and/or inhomogeneous cloud cover. Weak H{alpha} emission indicates some magnetic activity, but it is difficult to explain the observed amplitudes by magnetic phenomena unless they are combined with cloud inhomogeneities (which might have a magnetic cause). However, inhomogeneous cloud cover alone can explain all our observations, and our data align with theory in requiring that the regions with the thickest clouds also have the lowest effective temperature. Combined with published vsin (i) results, our rotation period yields a 95% confidence lower limit of R{sub *} {>=} 0.111 R{sub Sun }, suggesting upper limits of 320 Myr and 0.055 M{sub Sun} on the age and mass. These limits should be regarded cautiously because of {approx}3{sigma} inconsistencies with other data; however, a lower limit of 45 Degree-Sign on the inclination is more secure. DENIS-P J1058.7-1548 is only the first of nearly two dozen low-amplitude variables discovered and analyzed by the Weather on Other Worlds project.
- OSTI ID:
- 22126890
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 767, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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