Near-infrared Spectra of the Inflated Post-common Envelope Brown Dwarf NLTT 5306 B

Abstract

NLTT 5306 is a post-common envelope binary made up of a white dwarf host and brown dwarf companion that has shown evidence of inflation and active mass donation despite not filling its Roche lobe. Two proposed mechanisms for the brown dwarf’s inflation are magnetic interactions and a high-metallicity, cloudy atmosphere. We present moderate-resolution (R ≲ 2000) J-band Keck/NIRSPEC observations of this system. These phase-resolved data allow us to constrain differences between atmospheric parameters of the day- and nightside of the brown dwarf. Our day- and nightside effective temperature measurements are consistent, in agreement with the brightness temperatures measurements from Casewell et al. The dayside favors a slightly lower surface gravity, perhaps stemming from the material streaming between the two objects. Finally, our data show a preference for low-metallicity models. This would be expected from the system’s old age, but provides direct evidence that a high-metallicity, cloudy brown dwarf atmosphere is not responsible for the witnessed inflation. These results strengthen the case for magnetic interactions leading to inflation of NLTT 5306 B.