Cloud atlas: Rotational modulations in the L/T transition brown dwarf companion HN peg B

Yifan Zhou; Dániel Apai; Stanimir Metchev; Ben W.P. Lew; Glenn Schneider; Mark S. Marley; Theodora Karalidi; Elena Manjavacas; Luigi R. Bedin; Nicolas B. Cowan; Paulo A. Miles-Páez; Patrick J. Lowrance; Jacqueline Radigan; Adam J. Burgasser

Cloud atlas: Rotational modulations in the L/T transition brown dwarf companion HN peg B

Yifan Zhou, Dániel Apai, Stanimir Metchev, Ben W.P. Lew, Glenn Schneider, Mark S. Marley, Theodora Karalidi, Elena Manjavacas, Luigi R. Bedin, Nicolas B. Cowan, Paulo A. Miles-Páez, Patrick J. Lowrance, Jacqueline Radigan, Adam J. Burgasser

Steward Observatory

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Time-resolved observations of brown dwarfs' rotational modulations provide powerful insights into the properties of condensate clouds in ultra-cool atmospheres. Multi-wavelength light curves reveal cloud vertical structures, condensate particle sizes, and cloud morphology, which directly constrain condensate cloud and atmospheric circulation models. We report results from Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 near-infrared G141 taken in six consecutive orbits observations of HN Peg B, an L/T transition brown dwarf companion to a G0V type star. The best-fit sine wave to the 1.1 − 1.7µm broadband light curve has the amplitude of 1.206 ± 0.025% and period of 15.4 ± 0.5 hr. The modulation amplitude has no detectable wavelength dependence except in the 1.4 µm water absorption band, indicating that the characteristic condensate particle sizes are large (> 1µm). We detect significantly (4.4σ) lower modulation amplitude in the 1.4µm water absorption band, and find that HN Peg B's spectral modulation resembles those of early T type brown dwarfs. We also describe a new empirical interpolation method to remove spectral contamination from the bright host star. This method may be applied in other high-contrast time-resolved observations with WFC3.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Unknown Journal
State	Published - Jan 29 2018

Keywords

Brown dwarfs
Methods: observational
Stars: atmospheres

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

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Cloud atlas : Rotational modulations in the L/T transition brown dwarf companion HN peg B. / Zhou, Yifan; Apai, Dániel; Metchev, Stanimir; Lew, Ben W.P.; Schneider, Glenn; Marley, Mark S.; Karalidi, Theodora; Manjavacas, Elena; Bedin, Luigi R.; Cowan, Nicolas B.; Miles-Páez, Paulo A.; Lowrance, Patrick J.; Radigan, Jacqueline; Burgasser, Adam J.

In: Unknown Journal, 29.01.2018.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Zhou, Yifan ; Apai, Dániel ; Metchev, Stanimir ; Lew, Ben W.P. ; Schneider, Glenn ; Marley, Mark S. ; Karalidi, Theodora ; Manjavacas, Elena ; Bedin, Luigi R. ; Cowan, Nicolas B. ; Miles-Páez, Paulo A. ; Lowrance, Patrick J. ; Radigan, Jacqueline ; Burgasser, Adam J. / Cloud atlas : Rotational modulations in the L/T transition brown dwarf companion HN peg B. In: Unknown Journal. 2018.

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title = "Cloud atlas: Rotational modulations in the L/T transition brown dwarf companion HN peg B",

abstract = "Time-resolved observations of brown dwarfs' rotational modulations provide powerful insights into the properties of condensate clouds in ultra-cool atmospheres. Multi-wavelength light curves reveal cloud vertical structures, condensate particle sizes, and cloud morphology, which directly constrain condensate cloud and atmospheric circulation models. We report results from Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 near-infrared G141 taken in six consecutive orbits observations of HN Peg B, an L/T transition brown dwarf companion to a G0V type star. The best-fit sine wave to the 1.1 − 1.7µm broadband light curve has the amplitude of 1.206 ± 0.025% and period of 15.4 ± 0.5 hr. The modulation amplitude has no detectable wavelength dependence except in the 1.4 µm water absorption band, indicating that the characteristic condensate particle sizes are large (> 1µm). We detect significantly (4.4σ) lower modulation amplitude in the 1.4µm water absorption band, and find that HN Peg B's spectral modulation resembles those of early T type brown dwarfs. We also describe a new empirical interpolation method to remove spectral contamination from the bright host star. This method may be applied in other high-contrast time-resolved observations with WFC3.",

keywords = "Brown dwarfs, Methods: observational, Stars: atmospheres",

author = "Yifan Zhou and D{\'a}niel Apai and Stanimir Metchev and Lew, {Ben W.P.} and Glenn Schneider and Marley, {Mark S.} and Theodora Karalidi and Elena Manjavacas and Bedin, {Luigi R.} and Cowan, {Nicolas B.} and Miles-P{\'a}ez, {Paulo A.} and Lowrance, {Patrick J.} and Jacqueline Radigan and Burgasser, {Adam J.}",

year = "2018",

month = jan,

day = "29",

language = "English (US)",

journal = "Nuclear Physics A",

issn = "0375-9474",

publisher = "Elsevier",

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T2 - Rotational modulations in the L/T transition brown dwarf companion HN peg B

AU - Zhou, Yifan

AU - Apai, Dániel

AU - Metchev, Stanimir

AU - Lew, Ben W.P.

AU - Schneider, Glenn

AU - Marley, Mark S.

AU - Karalidi, Theodora

AU - Manjavacas, Elena

AU - Bedin, Luigi R.

AU - Cowan, Nicolas B.

AU - Miles-Páez, Paulo A.

AU - Lowrance, Patrick J.

AU - Radigan, Jacqueline

AU - Burgasser, Adam J.

PY - 2018/1/29

Y1 - 2018/1/29

N2 - Time-resolved observations of brown dwarfs' rotational modulations provide powerful insights into the properties of condensate clouds in ultra-cool atmospheres. Multi-wavelength light curves reveal cloud vertical structures, condensate particle sizes, and cloud morphology, which directly constrain condensate cloud and atmospheric circulation models. We report results from Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 near-infrared G141 taken in six consecutive orbits observations of HN Peg B, an L/T transition brown dwarf companion to a G0V type star. The best-fit sine wave to the 1.1 − 1.7µm broadband light curve has the amplitude of 1.206 ± 0.025% and period of 15.4 ± 0.5 hr. The modulation amplitude has no detectable wavelength dependence except in the 1.4 µm water absorption band, indicating that the characteristic condensate particle sizes are large (> 1µm). We detect significantly (4.4σ) lower modulation amplitude in the 1.4µm water absorption band, and find that HN Peg B's spectral modulation resembles those of early T type brown dwarfs. We also describe a new empirical interpolation method to remove spectral contamination from the bright host star. This method may be applied in other high-contrast time-resolved observations with WFC3.

AB - Time-resolved observations of brown dwarfs' rotational modulations provide powerful insights into the properties of condensate clouds in ultra-cool atmospheres. Multi-wavelength light curves reveal cloud vertical structures, condensate particle sizes, and cloud morphology, which directly constrain condensate cloud and atmospheric circulation models. We report results from Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 near-infrared G141 taken in six consecutive orbits observations of HN Peg B, an L/T transition brown dwarf companion to a G0V type star. The best-fit sine wave to the 1.1 − 1.7µm broadband light curve has the amplitude of 1.206 ± 0.025% and period of 15.4 ± 0.5 hr. The modulation amplitude has no detectable wavelength dependence except in the 1.4 µm water absorption band, indicating that the characteristic condensate particle sizes are large (> 1µm). We detect significantly (4.4σ) lower modulation amplitude in the 1.4µm water absorption band, and find that HN Peg B's spectral modulation resembles those of early T type brown dwarfs. We also describe a new empirical interpolation method to remove spectral contamination from the bright host star. This method may be applied in other high-contrast time-resolved observations with WFC3.

KW - Brown dwarfs

KW - Methods: observational

KW - Stars: atmospheres

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