Time-resolved JWST Retrieval Analysis of the Coldest Brown Dwarf: Temperature and Chemical Variations in WISE 0855-07

Abstract

WISE J0855-07 is the coldest known brown dwarf (estimated Teff~250 K), offering a rare opportunity to probe atmospheric physics in the temperature and mass regime that overlaps directly with exoplanets. At these temperatures, modest perturbations to the thermal structure and chemical abundances can produce measurable changes in the emergent mid-infrared spectrum, making time-resolved spectroscopy a powerful way to test whether the atmosphere is longitudinally and temporally homogeneous. Using James Webb Space Telescope NIRSpec/G395M time-series spectra spanning ~3 to 5.2 μm over 11 hr, we analyze every third spectrum from the dataset with a series of time-resolved atmospheric retrievals using the Brewster retrieval framework. Using this approach, we model epoch-to-epoch changes in the atmospheric state that drive the observed variability, including the thermal structure and key molecular abundances. From the time-series retrievals, we find that the primary source of the observed spectral variability is driven by the variations in the thermal structure, which range from ~1 to <100 K from epoch to epoch, particularly between the pressures of ~0.4 and 10 bar. In addition, changes in the abundances of CO, and possibly PH3 and CO2, further modulate the spectrum within specific molecular features. These measurements provide a retrieval-based view of atmospheric variability in an ultracold, planet-like object, directly constraining how thermal and chemical structure evolve on observable timescales.

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