Gliese 581 Research Articles

Discovery of the Binarity of Gliese 229B, and Constraints on the System's Properties

We present two epochs of radial velocities of the first imaged T dwarf Gliese 229 B obtained with Keck/NIRSPEC. The two radial velocities are discrepant with one another and with the radial velocity of the host star, at ≈11σ significance. This points to the existence of a previously postulated, but as-yet undetected, massive companion to Gl 229 B; we denote the two components as Gl 229 Ba and Gl 229 Bb. We compute the joint likelihood of the radial velocities to constrain the period and mass of the secondary companion. Our radial velocities are consistent with an orbital period between a few days and ≈60 days, and a secondary mass of at least ≈15 M Jup and up to nearly half the total system mass of Gl 229 B. With a significant fraction of the system mass in a faint companion, the strong tension between Gl 229 B’s dynamical mass and the predictions of evolutionary models is resolved.

A Dynamical Mass of 70 ± 5 M Jup for Gliese 229B, the First T Dwarf

Abstract We combine Keck/HIRES radial velocities, imaging with HiCIAO/Subaru and the Hubble Space Telescope, and absolute astrometry from Hipparcos and Gaia to measure a dynamical mass of 70 ± 5 for the brown dwarf companion to Gl 229. Gl 229B was the first imaged brown dwarf to show clear signs of methane in its atmosphere. Cooling models have been used to estimate a mass in the range of 20–55 , much lower than our measured value. We argue that our high dynamical mass is unlikely to be due to perturbations from additional unseen companions or to Gl 229B itself being a binary, and we find no evidence of a previously claimed radial velocity planet around Gl 229A. Future Gaia data releases will confirm the reliability of the absolute astrometry, though the data pass all quality checks in both Hipparcos and Gaia. Our dynamical mass implies a very old age for Gl 229, in some tension with kinematic and activity age indicators, and/or shortcomings in brown dwarf cooling models. Gl 229B joins a small but growing list of T dwarfs with masses approaching the minimum mass for core hydrogen ignition.

Gliese 581 planets aren't real

Gliese 581 planets aren't real

QUENCHING OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND METHANE IN THE ATMOSPHERES OF COOL BROWN DWARFS AND HOT JUPITERS

We explore CO-CH4 quench kinetics in the atmospheres of substellar objects using updated time-scale arguments, as suggested by a thermochemical kinetics and diffusion model that transitions from the thermochemical-equilibrium regime in the deep atmosphere to a quench-chemical regime at higher altitudes. More specifically, we examine CO quench chemistry on the T dwarf Gliese 229B and CH4 quench chemistry on the hot-Jupiter HD 189733b. We describe a method for correctly calculating reverse rate coefficients for chemical reactions, discuss the predominant pathways for CO-CH4 interconversion as indicated by the model, and demonstrate that a simple time-scale approach can be used to accurately describe the behavior of quenched species when updated reaction kinetics and mixing-length-scale assumptions are used. Proper treatment of quench kinetics has important implications for estimates of molecular abundances and/or vertical mixing rates in the atmospheres of substellar objects. Our model results indicate significantly higher Kzz values than previously estimated near the CO quench level on Gliese 229B, whereas current model-data comparisons using CH4 permit a wide range of Kzz values on HD 189733b. We also use updated reaction kinetics to revise previous estimates of the Jovian water abundance, based upon the observed abundance and chemical behavior of carbon monoxide. The CO chemical/observational constraint, along with Galileo entry probe data, suggests a water abundance of approximately 0.51-2.6x solar (for a solar value of H2O/H2=9.61E-04) in Jupiter's troposphere, assuming vertical mixing from the deep atmosphere is the only source of tropospheric CO.

Modeling giant planets and brown dwarfs

AbstractWe present new results in modeling the interiors of Giant Planets (GP) and Brown Dwarfs (BD). In general models of the interior rely on equation of state data for planetary materials which have considerable uncertainties in the high-pressure domain. Our calculations are based on ab initio equation of state (EOS) data for hydrogen, helium, hydrogen-helium mixtures and water as the representative of all heavier elements or ices using finite-temperature density functional theory molecular dynamics (FT-DFT-MD) simulations. We compare results for the BD Gliese 229B calculated with Saumon-Chabrier-Van Horn EOS (SCVH95) and our EOS data.

SPECTROSCOPIC DETECTION OF CARBON MONOXIDE IN TWO LATE-TYPE T DWARFS

M band spectra of two late-type T dwarfs, 2MASS J09373487+2931409, and Gliese 570D, confirm evidence from photometry that photospheric CO is present at abundance levels far in excess of those predicted from chemical equilibrium. These new and unambiguous detections of CO, together with an earlier spectroscopic detection of CO in Gliese 229B and existing M band photometry of a large selection of T dwarfs, suggest that vertical mixing in the photosphere drives the CO abundance out of chemical equilibrium and is a common, and likely universal feature of mid-to-late type T dwarfs. The M band spectra allow determinations of the time scale of vertical mixing in the atmosphere of each object, the first such measurements of this important parameter in late T dwarfs. A detailed analysis of the spectral energy distribution of 2MASS J09373487+2931409 results in the following values for metallicity, temperature, surface gravity, and luminosity: [M/H]~-0.3, T_eff=925-975K, log g=5.20-5.47, log L/L_sun=-5.308 +/- 0.027. The age is 3-10 Gyr and the mass is in the range 45-69 M_Jup.

The Classification of T Dwarfs

The discovery of many cool brown dwarfs similar to Gliese 229B has led to the definition of a new spectral class, the T dwarfs, whose 1–2.5 μm spectra exhibit signatures of CH4 absorption. Two classification schemes have been proposed for these objects by Burgasser et al. and Geballe et al. We discuss and compare these schemes, and describe a joint classification scheme currently in development that closely follows the guidelines of the MK process. We also address future work toward establishing gravity classes, classifying at other wavelengths, and identifying those features that may signify the end of the T spectral class.

The Limiting Effects of Dust in Brown Dwarf Model Atmospheres

We present opacity sampling model atmospheres, synthetic spectra, and colors for brown dwarfs and very low mass stars in the following two limiting cases of dust grain formation: (1) Inefficient gravitational settling (i.e., the dust is distributed according to the chemical equilibrium predictions) and (2) efficient gravitational settling (i.e., the dust forms and depletes refractory elements from the gas, but their opacity does not affect the thermal structure). The models include the formation of over 600 gas-phase species and 1000 liquids and crystals and the opacities of 30 different types of grains including corundum (Al2O3), the magnesium aluminum spinel MgAl2O4, iron, enstatite (MgSiO3), forsterite (Mg2SiO4), amorphous carbon, SiC, and a number of calcium silicates. The models extend from the beginning of the grain formation regime well into the condensation regime of water ice (Teff = 3000-100 K) and encompass the range of log g = 2.5-6.0 at solar metallicity. We find that silicate dust grains can form abundantly in the outer atmospheric layers of red and brown dwarfs with a spectral type later than M8. The greenhouse effects of dust opacities provide a natural explanation for the peculiarly red spectroscopic distribution of the latest M dwarfs and young brown dwarfs. The grainless (cond) models, on the other hand, correspond closely to methane brown dwarfs such as Gliese 229B. We also discover that the λλ5891, 5897 Na I D and λλ7687, 7701 K I resonance doublets play a critical role in T dwarfs, in which their red wings define the pseudocontinuum from the I to the Z bandpass.

A Coronagraphic Survey for Companions of Stars within 8 Parsecs

We present the technique and results of a survey of stars within 8 pc of the Sun with declinations δ > -35° (J2000.00). The survey, designed to find without color bias faint companions, consists of optical coronagraphic images of the 1' field of view centered on each star and infrared direct images with a 32'' field of view. The images were obtained through the optical Gunn r and z filters and the infrared J and K filters. The survey achieves sensitivities up to 4 absolute magnitudes fainter than the prototype brown dwarf, Gliese 229B. However, this sensitivity varies with the seeing conditions, the intrinsic brightness of the star observed, and the angular distance from the star. As a result, we tabulate sensitivity limits for each star in the survey. We used the criterion of common proper motion to distinguish companions and to determine their luminosities. In addition to the brown dwarf Gl 229B, we have identified six new stellar companions of the sample stars. Since the survey began, accurate trigonometric parallax measurements for most of the stars have become available. As a result, some of the stars we originally included should no longer be included in the 8 pc sample. In addition, the 8 pc sample is incomplete at the faint end of the main sequence, complicating our calculation of the binary fraction of brown dwarfs. We assess the sensitivity of the survey to stellar companions and to brown dwarf companions of different masses and ages.

Molecular Abundances in the Atmosphere of the T Dwarf Gl 229B

We present new, high resolution, infrared spectra of the T dwarf Gliese 229B in the J, H, and K bandpasses. We analyze each of these as well as previously published spectra to determine its metallicity and the abundances of NH3 and CO in terms of the surface gravity of Gl 229B, which remains poorly constrained. The metallicity increases with increasing gravity and is below the solar value unless Gl 229B is a high-gravity brown dwarf with log g(cgs) ~ 5.5. The NH3 abundance is determined from both the H and the K band spectra which probe two different levels in the atmosphere. We find that the abundance from the K band data is well below that expected from chemical equilibrium, which we interpret as strong evidence for dynamical transport of NH3 in the atmosphere. This is consistent with the previous detection of CO and provides additional constraints on the dynamics of the atmosphere of this T dwarf.

Equilibrium Chemistry in a Brown Dwarf's Atmosphere: Cesium in Gliese 229B.

The distribution of Cs in Gliese 229B's atmosphere reveals how equilibrium chemistry establishes the atmospheric composition. The rapid kinetics of cesium chemistry keeps the Cs abundance in thermochemical equilibrium and renders Cs a sensitive measure of chemical processes in brown dwarf atmospheres. Observations of Gliese 229B indicate a subsolar bulk abundance of Cs, the depletion of alkali metals in the upper atmosphere from condensation, and a partitioning of heavy elements different from that of the Sun.

Discovery of a Brown Dwarf Companion to Gliese 570ABC: A 2MASS T Dwarf Significantly Cooler than Gliese 229B.

We report the discovery of a widely separated (258&farcs;3+/-0&farcs;4) T dwarf companion to the Gl 570ABC system. This new component, Gl 570D, was initially identified from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey. Its near-infrared spectrum shows the 1.6 and 2.2 µm CH4 absorption bands characteristic of T dwarfs, while its common proper motion with the Gl 570ABC system confirms companionship. Gl 570D (MJ=16.47+/-0.07) is nearly a full magnitude dimmer than the only other known T dwarf companion, Gl 229B, and estimates of L=&parl0;2.8+/-0.3&parr0;x10-6 L middle dot in circle and Teff=750+/-50 K make it significantly cooler and less luminous than any other known brown dwarf companion. Using evolutionary models by Burrows et al. and an adopted age of 2-10 Gyr, we derive a mass estimate of 50+/-20 MJup for this object.

The Near‐Infrared and Optical Spectra of Methane Dwarfs and Brown Dwarfs

We identify the pressure-broadened red wings of the saturated potassium resonance lines at 7700 A as the source of anomalous absorption seen in the near-infrared spectra of Gliese 229B and, by extension, of methane dwarfs in general. In broad outline, this conclusion is supported by the 1999 work of Tsuji et al. The WFPC2 I-band measurement of Gliese 229B is also consistent with this hypothesis. Furthermore, a combination of the blue wings of this K I resonance doublet, the red wings of the Na D lines at 5890 A, and, perhaps, the Li I line at 6708 A can explain in a natural way the observed WFPC2 R-band flux of Gliese 229B. Hence, we conclude that the neutral alkali metals play a central role in the near-infrared and optical spectra of methane dwarfs and that their lines have the potential to provide crucial diagnostics of brown dwarf properties. We speculate on the systematics of the near-infrared and optical spectra of methane dwarfs, for a given mass and composition, that stems from the progressive burial with decreasing Teff of the alkali metal atoms to larger pressures and depths. Moreover, we surmise that those extrasolar giant planets (EGPs) that achieve Teffvalues in the 800-1300 K range because of stellar insolation will show signatures of the neutral alkali metals in their albedo and reflection spectra. We estimate that, predominantly because of absorption by Na D lines, the geometric albedo of the EGP τ Boo b at λ = 0.48 μm is less than 0.1, which is consistent with the new (and low) upper limit of 0.3 recently obtained by Charbonneau et al. in 1999.

The Discovery of a Second Field Methane Brown Dwarf from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Commissioning Data

We report the discovery of a second field methane brown dwarf from the commissioning data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The object, SDSS J134646.45-003150.4 (hereafter SDSS 1346-00), was selected because of its very red color and stellar appearance. Its spectrum between 0.8 and 2.5 µm is dominated by strong absorption bands of H2O and CH4 and closely mimics those of Gliese 229B and SDSS 162414.37+002915.6 (hereafter SDSS 1624+00), two other known methane brown dwarfs. SDSS 1346-00 is approximately 1.5 mag fainter than Gliese 229B, suggesting that it lies about 11 pc from the Sun. The ratio of flux at 2.1 µm to that at 1.27 µm is larger for SDSS 1346-00 than for Gliese 229B and SDSS 1624+00, which suggests that SDSS 1346-00 has a slightly higher effective temperature than the others. Based on a search area of 130 deg2 and a detection limit of z*=19.8, we estimate a space density of 0.05 pc-3 for methane brown dwarfs with Teff approximately 1000 K in the 40 pc3 volume of our search. This estimate is based on small-sample statistics and should be treated with appropriate caution.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of the Cool Brown Dwarf, SDSS 1624+00

Using the Subaru Telescope, we have obtained multiple near-infrared spectra of the cool brown dwarf, SDSS 1624 + 00 (J162414.37+002915.8), in search of spectral variability in an 80 minute time span. We have found the suspected variability of water vapor absorption throughout the observations, which requires a confirmation with a longer time baseline. After coadding the spectra, we have obtained a high-quality spectrum covering from 1.05 to 1.8 μm. There are three kinds of spectral indicators, the water vapor bands, methane band and KI lines at 1.243 and 1.252 μm, which can be used to study the temperature and the presence of dust. We compare the spectra of SDSS 1624+00 and Gliese 229B, while paying special attention to these indicators. The shallower water vapor absorption of SDSS 1624+00 indicates that it is warmer and/or dustier. The shallower methane absorption suggests that SDSS 1624+00 is warmer. We interpret the deeper KI lines in SDSS 1624+00 as being the result of its higher temperature. With the help of model spectra, we conclude that SDSS 1624+00 is warmer and dustier than Gliese 229B. For the first time in a cool brown dwarf, a finite flux is seen at the bottom of the water vapor band between 1.34 and 1.42 μm, which means that the 1.4 μm band of water can be completely observed from the ground.

The Atmospheres of Substellar-Mass Objects

Between the masses of the Jovian planets and the stars, a new population of exotic substellar-mass objects (SMOs) is now being discovered in profusion, that are challenging our notions of what a planet, brown dwarf, or star can be. I focus on some exotic and distinctive aspects of the compositions of SMO atmospheres. In particular, I review the formation of silicate, water, and ammonia clouds, the role of rainout in altering the abundance of the alkali metals, and the suppression by atomic potassium of the optical fluxes of a methane dwarf such as Gliese 229B. Furthermore, I discuss the order in which various molecular, atomic, and condensed species might dominate or influence SMO atmospheres, with an eye to anchoring new spectral classes from Teff ~ 2000 K to ~ 100 K.

Properties of Hypothetical Planetary Systems around the Brown Dwarf Gliese 229B

ABSTRACTUp to now, the occurrence of planetary systems around brown dwarfs has not been studied in detail. However, there is no reason to exclude the occurrence of planets around brown dwarfs. Moreover, their smaller mass with respect to normal stars makes more prominent the effects due to the presence of planets, allowing in principle the identification of planets with smaller masses (i.e., Earth‐like planets). In this paper we present a feasibility study of the detection of planetary companions around the brown dwarf Gliese 229B (M = 0.025–0.055 M⊙) using near‐infrared high‐resolution spectroscopy to measure radial velocity variations. Issues concerning the intrinsic stability of brown dwarfs as well as instrument requirements are considered.

Warm Dust in the Cool Brown Dwarf Gliese 229B and Spectroscopic Diagnosis of Dusty Photospheres

Dust should be formed in the photosphere of cool brown dwarfs, but it is not clear in what form the dust exists. We propose a model in which a rather warm dust layer exists deep in the photosphere. At relatively high temperature there, dust grains are in detailed balance with the gas and the homogeneous dust-gas mixture works as an efficient source of opacity. The warm dust layer, which can be optically thick in the optical region, effectively blocks the optical radiation and emits like a blackbody of rather high temperature. The dust layer, however, can be optically thin in the infrared and has little effect on the infrared radiation. In the cool upper region, dust grows too large to be sustained with the gas and segregates from the gaseous atmosphere. Dust no longer works as an opacity source, and volatile molecules such as CH4 and H2O take the role. Also, nonrefractory elements such as alkali metals remain in gaseous form, and the neutral atoms contribute significantly to block the optical radiation (e.g., K I doublet). We show that such a hybrid model can be constructed without any ad hoc assumption except that the transition from the dust-gas detailed balance regime to the dust-gas segregation phase takes place at a certain transition temperature Ttr. By a sudden increase of opacity due to dust at Ttr, an outer convective zone appears, followed by intermediate radiative and inner deep convective zones. The emergent spectrum is also a hybrid of the dust- and gas-dominated cases and offers a natural explanation of the observed spectrum of Gliese 229B through the optical to the infrared.

Alkali Element Chemistry in Cool Dwarf Atmospheres

The equilibrium thermochemistry of the alkali elements in cool dwarf atmospheres is investigated as part of a comprehensive set of chemical equilibrium calculations. The abundances of all important gases and the condensation temperatures of all initial condensates for Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs are calculated as a function of pressure and temperature. Also discussed is the chemistry of refractory elements such as Al, Ca, Cr, Fe, Mg, Si, Ti, and V. The calculation of the alkali element and refractory element chemistry can help to constrain pressure and temperature conditions in dwarf atmospheres. A relative temperature scale is developed and compared to recent observations of the alkali elements in late-type dwarfs and brown dwarfs, such as the DENIS objects and Gliese 229B. The calculations show (1) Atomic Li gas abundances are expected to be lower than the bulk Li abundance because LiOH gas (at high total pressure) or LiCl gas (at low total pressure) form in very cool objects. Observations of only monatomic Li are therefore not a good test for the substellar nature of very cool objects. (2) The observations of atomic Cs in Gliese 229B can be understood by considering the distribution of Cs between atomic Cs and CsCl gases. (3) Liquid condensates, which may form solutions with complex compositions, form at higher pressures, and need to be considered in further atmospheric structure and opacity modeling.

Disequilibrium Chemistry in a Brown Dwarf's Atmosphere: Carbon Monoxide in Gliese 229B

The distribution of CO in Gliese 229B’s atmosphere reveals how disequilibrium processes establish the atmospheric composition. The CO abundance derived from its spectral signature exceeds the equilibrium value by several orders of magnitude. Our investigation of the source for CO considers disequilibrium mechanisms common to planetary atmospheres and concludes that the CO abundance is sensitive to atmospheric dynamics. Convection is not required to explain the observed abundance; instead, the vertical transport rate at »6 bars may be similar to that in planetary stratospheres. Subject headings: convection — planets and satellites: general — stars: atmospheres — stars: individual (Gliese 229B) — stars: low-mass, brown dwarfs