The Enigmatic Brown Dwarf WISEA J153429.75-104303.3 (a.k.a. “The Accident”)

Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Marocco, F.; Caselden, Dan; Meisner, Aaron M.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Schneider, Adam C.; Kuchner, Marc J.; Casewell, Sarah L.; Gelino, Christopher R.; Cushing, Michael C.; Eisenhardt, Peter; Wright, E. L.; Schurr, Steven D.

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ac0437

Cited by 16 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…No currently available theoretical atmosphere model reproduces the optical-to-infrared spectrum of WISE1810. Finally, we conclude that the density of metal-poor brown dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood might be higher than expected due to the revised distance of WISE1810 and the recent Y-type 'accident' reported by Kirkpatrick et al (2021b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

“…WISE1810 has the same H − K and H − W2 colours and bolometric luminosity as T8-T9 solar-metallicity dwarfs. WISE1810 is bluer in W1 − W2, pointing towards a low metallicity as discussed in Schneider et al (2020) and Kirkpatrick et al (2021b) and it is redder in the J − H and J − W1 colours. In addition to these peculiarities, we found that it is bluer in the z − J colour, which may also be attributed to a low metallicity.…”

Section: Bolometric Luminositymentioning

confidence: 59%

“…The right panel of Figure 9 also includes the metal-depleted object WISEA J153429.75−104303.3 (Meisner et al 2020b) with an estimated temperature typical of Y dwarfs and located at a trigonometric distance of 16.3 pc (Kirkpatrick et al 2021b). We determined this object's luminosity following the same method as for WISE1810, with the exception that "the Accident" (nicknamed by Kirkpatrick et al 2021b) has no spectrum: we integrated over its photometric SED and obtained log L/L sol = −6.57 +0.15 −0.16 dex. This is likely a lower limit on the bolometric luminosity because the photometric SED does not cover H-and K-band fluxes.…”

Section: Bolometric Luminositymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their photometry appears equally peculiar with distinctive blue W1 − W2 colours (Schneider et al 2020;Meisner et al 2020a;Goodman 2021). Kirkpatrick et al (2021b) reported an even fainter enigmatic metal-poor candidate potentially classified as a Y-type dwarf (Cushing et al 2011;Kirkpatrick et al 2012) and nicknamed "the Accident". Schneider et al (2020) announced WISE1810055−1010023 (hereafter WISE1810) as one of the first extremely metal-poor ultra-cool subdwarfs confirmed as a brown dwarf based on its infrared spectrum.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Physical properties and trigonometric distance of the peculiar dwarf WISE J181005.5−101002.3

Lodieu

Osorio

Martín

et al. 2022

A&A

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Aims. Our goal is to characterise the physical properties of the metal-poor brown dwarf population. In particular, we focus on the recently discovered peculiar dwarf WISE1810055−1010023. Methods. We collected optical iz and near-infrared J-band imaging on multiple occasions over 1.5 years to derive accurate trigonometric parallax and proper motion of the metal-depleted ultra-cool dwarf candidate WISE J1810055−1010023. We also acquired low-resolution optical spectroscopy (0.6−1.0 µm) and new infrared (0.9−1.3 µm) spectra of WISE J1810055−1010023 that were combined with our photometry, other existing data from the literature and our trigonometric distance to determine the object's luminosity from the integration of the observed spectral energy distribution covering from 0.6 through 16 µm. We compared the full optical and infrared spectrum with state-of-the-art atmosphere models to further constrain its effective temperature, surface gravity and metallicity. Results. WISE J1810055−1010023 is detected in the iz bands with AB magnitudes of i = 23.871±0.104 and z = 20.147±0.083 mag in the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (PanSTARRS) system. It does not show any obvious photometric variability beyond 0.1−0.2 mag in any of the z-and J-band filters. The very red z − J ≈ 2.9 mag colour is compatible with an ultra-cool dwarf nature. Fitting for parallax and proper motion, we measure a trigonometric parallax of 112.5 +8.1 −8.0 mas for WISE J1810055−1010023, placing the object at only 8.9 +0.7 −0.6 pc, about three times closer than previously thought. We employed Monte Carlo methods to estimate the error on the parallax and proper motion. The object's luminosity was determined at log L/L = −5.78 ± 0.11 dex. From the comparison to atmospheric models, we infer a likely metallicity of [Fe/H] ≈ −1.5 and an effective temperature cooler than 1000 K. The estimated luminosity and temperature of this object are below the known substellar limit. Despite its apparent low metallicity, we derive space motions that are more typical of the old disc than the halo of the Milky Way. We confirm that WISE J1810055−1010023 has an ultra-cool temperature and belongs to a new class of objects with no known spectral counterparts among field L-and T-type dwarfs. Conclusions. WISE J1810055−1010023 is a very special substellar object and represents a new addition to the 10 pc sample. The optical to near-infrared spectra show strong features due to water vapour and H 2 collision induced absorption. Our trigonometric distance has strong implications on the density of metal-poor brown dwarfs in the solar vicinity, which may be higher than that of metal-poor stars.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

Section: Bolometric Luminositymentioning

confidence: 59%

Section: Bolometric Luminositymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Physical properties and trigonometric distance of the peculiar dwarf WISE J181005.5−101002.3

Lodieu

Osorio

Martín

et al. 2022

A&A

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“…Five objects were identified as members of this population: CWISEP J015613.24+325526.6 (CWISEP 0156 +3255 for short), CWISEP J050521.29−591311.7 (CWISEP 0505−5913 for short), CWISEP J070055.19+783834.0 (CWISEP 0700+7838 for short), CWISEP J090536.35 +740009.1 (CWISEP 0905+7400 for short), and WISEA J153429.75−104303.3 (WISEA 1534−1043 for short). WISEA 1534−1043 was highlighted as especially unusual in a later paper by Kirkpatrick et al (2021b), which explored a variety of possible scenarios for explaining this object, concluding that it is likely metal-poor, and perhaps the first Y-type subdwarf. This work provides new near-infrared photometry for the three sources with the reddest J − [4.5] color among these five candidates, suggesting they may be the colder sources: CWISEP 0156+3255, CWISEP 0505−5913, and WISEA 1534−1043.…”

Section: Target Selection For New Near-infrared Photometrymentioning

confidence: 98%

Exploring the Extremes: Characterizing a New Population of Old and Cold Brown Dwarfs

Meisner

Leggett

Logsdon

et al. 2023

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Mapping out the populations of thick disk and halo brown dwarfs is important for understanding the metallicity dependence of low-temperature atmospheres and the substellar mass function. Recently, a new population of cold and metal-poor brown dwarfs has been discovered, with T eff ≲ 1400 K and metallicity ≲−1 dex. This population includes what may be the first known “extreme T-type subdwarfs” and possibly the first Y-type subdwarf, WISEA J153429.75−104303.3. We have conducted a Gemini YJHK/Ks photometric follow-up campaign targeting potentially metal-poor T and Y dwarfs, utilizing the GNIRS and Flamingos-2 instruments. We present 14 near-infrared photometric detections of eight unique targets: six T subdwarf candidates, one moderately metal-poor Y dwarf candidate, and one Y subdwarf candidate. We have obtained the first-ever ground-based detection of the highly anomalous object WISEA J153429.75−104303.3. The F110W − J color of WISEA J153429.75−104303.3 is significantly bluer than that of other late T and Y dwarfs, indicating that WISEA J153429.75−104303.3 has an unusual spectrum in the 0.9–1.4 μm wavelength range which encompasses the J-band peak. Our J-band detection of WISEA J153429.75−104303.3 and corresponding model comparisons suggest a subsolar metallicity and temperature of 400–550 K for this object. JWST spectroscopic follow-up at near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelengths would allow us to better understand the spectral peculiarities of WISEA J153429.75−104303.3, assess its physical properties, and conclusively determine whether or not it is the first Y-type subdwarf.

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Ammonia-methane ratios from H-band near-infrared spectra of late-T and Y dwarfs

Martín

Zhang

Esparza

et al. 2021

A&A

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Aims. Our goals are to investigate the relative absorption strengths of ammonia and methane using low-resolution H-band (1.5−1.7 microns) spectra obtained in the laboratory and compared with observational spectra of late-T and Y dwarfs, and to estimate what can be expected from the wide-angle low-resolution near-infrared spectroscopic survey that will be provided by the upcoming Euclid space mission. Methods. Gas cells containing ammonia and methane at atmospheric pressure were custom-made in our chemical laboratory. Low-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy of these gas cells was collected in our optical laboratory. It is compared with simulated spectra using the high-resolution transmission molecular absorption database (HITRAN) for temperatures of 300 K and 500 K, and with near-infrared spectra of late-T dwarfs, Y dwarfs, Jupiter, and Saturn. We selected for this investigation the spectral region between 1.5 and 1.7 microns (H band) because it is covered by the Euclid red grism, it is particularly sensitive to the relative proportions of ammonia and methane opacity, and it is free from strong contributions of other abundant molecules, such as water vapor. Results. The laboratory spectra showed that the ammonia and methane features present in the simulations that used the HITRAN database are incomplete. Using our laboratory spectra, we propose a modified version of the NH3-H spectral ratio with expanded integration limits that increases the amplitude of variation in the index with respect to spectral type. Combinations of our laboratory spectra were used to find the best fits to the observed spectra with the relative absorption ratio of ammonia to methane as a free parameter. A relationship was found between the Teff and the ratio of ammonia to methane from spectral classes T5 to Y2 (1100 K–350 K), in fairly good qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions for high-gravity objects and temperatures from 1100 K to 500 K. The ammonia-to-methane ratios in late-T and Y dwarfs are similar to that of Jupiter, suggesting a similar chemical composition. Simulations of the spectroscopic performance of Euclid suggest that it will yield Teff values and ratios of ammonia to methane for over 103 late-T dwarfs in the entire wide survey.

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The Enigmatic Brown Dwarf WISEA J153429.75-104303.3 (a.k.a. “The Accident”)

Cited by 16 publications

References 39 publications

Physical properties and trigonometric distance of the peculiar dwarf WISE J181005.5−101002.3

Physical properties and trigonometric distance of the peculiar dwarf WISE J181005.5−101002.3

Exploring the Extremes: Characterizing a New Population of Old and Cold Brown Dwarfs

Ammonia-methane ratios from H-band near-infrared spectra of late-T and Y dwarfs

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