Ultracool Dwarfs Observed with the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph. I. An Accurate Look at the L-to-T Transition at $\sim$300 Myr from Optical through Mid-infrared Spectrophotometry

Abstract

We present $Spitzer$ IRS 5--14 $\mu$m spectra and 16 $\mu$m and 22 $\mu$m photometry of the T2.5 companion to the $\sim$300 Myr-old G0V star HN Peg. We incorporate previous 0.8--5 $\mu$m observations to obtain the most comprehensive spectral energy distribution of an intermediate-gravity L/T-transition dwarf which, together with an accurate Gaia EDR3 parallax of the primary, enable us to derive precise fundamental parameters. We find that young ($\approx$0.1--0.3 Gyr) early-T dwarfs on average have $\approx$140 K lower effective temperatures, $\approx$20% larger radii, and similar bolometric luminosities compared to $\gtrsim$1 Gyr-old field dwarfs with similar spectral types. Our accurate infrared spectrophotometry offers new detail at wavelengths where the dominant carbon-bearing molecules have their strongest transitions: at 3.4 $\mu$m for methane and at 4.6 $\mu$m for carbon monoxide. We assess the performance of various widely available photospheric models and find that models with condensates and/or clouds better reproduce the full SED of this moderately young early-T dwarf. However, cloud-free models incorporating a more general convective instability treatment reproduce at least the low-resolution near-IR spectrum similarly well. Our analysis of $R\approx 2300$ $J$-band spectra shows that the near-infrared potassium absorption lines in HN Peg B have similar strengths to those seen in both younger and older T2-T3 dwarfs. We conclude that while alkali lines are well-established as surface gravity indicators for L-type or warmer stars, they are insensitive to surface gravity in early-T dwarfs

Accepted for publication in ApJ

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• Ultracool Dwarfs Observed with the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph -- III. Dust Grains in Young L Dwarf Atmospheres Are Heavier
• A 1.46-2.48 $\mu$m Spectroscopic Atlas of a T6 Dwarf (1060 K) Atmosphere with IGRINS: First Detections of H${}_2$S and H${}_2$, and Verification of H${}_2$O, CH${}_4$, and NH${}_3$ Line Lists
• Diversity of Cold Worlds: A Near Complete Spectral Energy Distribution for 2MASS J04151954-0935066 using JWST
• Silicate Clouds, SiO, and Molecular Trends across the L-T Sequence: A JWST/MIRI LRS Spectral Library of Brown Dwarfs