INDICATIONS OF WATER CLOUDS IN THE COLDEST KNOWN BROWN DWARF
- Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015 (United States)
- School of Physics, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia)
- Steward Observatory, Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)
We present a deep near-infrared image of the newly discovered brown dwarf WISE J085510.83-071442.5 (W0855) using the FourStar imager at Las Campanas Observatory. Our detection of J3 = 24.8{sub −0.35}{sup +0.53} (J {sub MKO} = 25.0{sub −0.35}{sup +0.53}) at 2.6σ—or equivalently an upper limit of J3 > 23.8 (J {sub MKO} > 24.0) at 5σ makes W0855 the reddest brown dwarf ever categorized (J {sub MKO} – W2 = 10.984{sub −0.35}{sup +0.53} at 2.6σ—or equivalently an upper limit of J {sub MKO} – W2 > 9.984 at 5σ) and refines its position on color-magnitude diagrams. Comparing the new photometry with chemical equilibrium model atmosphere predictions, we demonstrate that W0855 is 2.7σ from models using a cloudless atmosphere and well reproduced by partly cloudy models (50%) containing sulfide and water ice clouds. Non-equilibrium chemistry or non-solar metallicity may change predictions, however using currently available model approaches, this is the first candidate outside our own solar system to have direct evidence for water clouds.
- OSTI ID:
- 22364981
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 793, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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