COol Companions on Ultrawide orbiTS (COCONUTS). I. A High-gravity T4 Benchmark around an Old White Dwarf and a Re-examination of the Surface-gravity Dependence of the L/T Transition

Zhoujian Zhang, Michael C. Liu, J. J. Hermes, Eugene A. Magnier, Mark S. Marley, Pier Emmanuel Tremblay, Michael A. Tucker, Aaron Do, Anna V. Payne, Benjamin J. Shappee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present the first discovery from the COol Companions ON Ultrawide orbiTS (COCONUTS) program, a large-scale survey for wide-orbit planetary and substellar companions. We have discovered a comoving system COCONUTS-1, composed of a hydrogen-dominated white dwarf (PSO J058.9855+45.4184; d = 31.5 pc) and a T4 companion (PSO J058.9869+45.4296) at a 40.″6 (1280 au) projected separation. We derive physical properties for COCONUTS-1B from (1) its near-infrared spectrum using cloudless Sonora atmospheric models, and (2) its luminosity and the white dwarf's age (Gyr) using Sonora evolutionary models. The two methods give consistent temperatures and radii, but atmospheric models infer a lower surface gravity and therefore an unphysically young age. Assuming evolutionary model parameters (K,dex), we find that cloudless model atmospheres have brighter Y- A nd J-band fluxes than the data, suggesting that condensate clouds have not fully dispersed around 1300 K. The W2 flux (4.6 μm) of COCONUTS-1B is fainter than models, suggesting non-equilibrium mixing of CO. To investigate the gravity dependence of the L/T transition, we compile all 60 known L6-T6 benchmarks and derive a homogeneous set of temperatures, surface gravities, and masses. As is well known, young, low-gravity late-L dwarfs have significantly fainter, redder near-infrared photometry and ≈200-300 K cooler temperatures than old, high-gravity objects. Our sample now reveals such gravity dependence becomes weaker for T dwarfs, with young objects having comparable near-infrared photometry and ≈100 K cooler temperatures compared to old objects. Finally, we find that young objects have a larger amplitude J-band brightening than old objects, and also brighten at H band as they cross the L/T transition.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number171
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume891
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 10 2020
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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