2004ApJ...607..511T -
Astrophys. J., 607, 511-529 (2004/May-3)
Dust in the photospheric environment. II. Effect on the near-infrared spectra of L and T dwarfs.
TSUJI T., NAKAJIMA T. and YANAGISAWA K.
Abstract (from CDS):
We report an attempt to interpret the spectra of L and T dwarfs with the use of the unified cloudy model (UCM). For this purpose, we extend the grid of the UCMs to cases of logg=4.5 and 5.5. The dust column density relative to the gas column density in the observable photosphere is larger at higher gravities, and molecular line intensity is generally smaller at higher gravities. The overall spectral energy distributions (SEDs) are fJ<fH<fKin middle and late L dwarfs, fJ<fH>fKin early T dwarfs (L/T transition objects), and finally fJ>fH>fKin middle and late T dwarfs, where fJ,fH, and fKare the peak fluxes at J, H, and K bands, respectively, in fνunits. This tendency is the opposite of what is expected for the temperature effect, but it can be accounted for as the effect of thin dust clouds formed deep in the photosphere together with the effect of the gaseous opacities, including H2(collision-induced absorption), H2O, CH4, and K I. Although the UCMs are semiempirical models based on a simple assumption that thin dust clouds form in the region of Tcr≲T≲Tcond(Tcr~1800 K is only an empirical parameter, while Tcond~2000 K is fixed by the thermodynamical data), the major observations, including the overall SEDs and the strengths of the major spectral features, are consistently accounted for throughout L and T dwarfs. In view of the formidable complexities of the cloud formation, we hope that our UCM can be of some use as a guide for future modeling of ultracool dwarfs and for interpretation of observed data of L and T dwarfs.
Abstract Copyright:
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Journal keyword(s):
Molecular Processes - Stars: Atmospheres - Stars: Fundamental Parameters - Stars: Late-Type - Stars: Low-Mass, Brown Dwarfs
Simbad objects:
10
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