The Missing Link: Early Methane (“T”) Dwarfs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey | Zendy

S. K. Leggett | Zendy; T. R. Geballe | Zendy; Xiaohui Fan | Zendy; Donald P. Schneider | Zendy; James E. Gunn | Zendy; Robert H. Lupton | Zendy; G. R. Knapp | Zendy; Michael A. Strauss | Zendy; Alex McDaniel | Zendy; D. A. Golimowski | Zendy; Todd J. Henry | Zendy; Eric W. Peng | Zendy; Z. Tsvetanov | Zendy; Alan Uomoto | Zendy; Wei Zheng | Zendy; Gary J. Hill | Zendy; L. W. Ramsey | Zendy; Scott F. Anderson | Zendy; James A. Annis | Zendy; Neta A. Bahcall | Zendy; J. Brinkmann | Zendy; Bing Chen | Zendy; István Csabai | Zendy; M. Fukugita | Zendy; G. S. Hennessy | Zendy; Robert B. Hindsley | Zendy; Željko Ivezić | Zendy; D. Q. Lamb | Zendy; Jeffrey A. Munn | Zendy; Jeffrey R. Pier | Zendy; David J. Schlegel | Zendy; J. A. Smith | Zendy; Chris Stoughton | Zendy; A. Thakar | Zendy; Donald G. York | Zendy

AI Assistant Blog Pricing

Home ZAIA Blog

Open Access

The Missing Link: Early Methane (“T”) Dwarfs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Author(s) -

S. K. Leggett,

T. R. Geballe,

Xiaohui Fan,

Donald P. Schneider,

James E. Gunn,

Robert H. Lupton,

G. R. Knapp,

Michael A. Strauss,

Alex McDaniel,

D. A. Golimowski,

Todd J. Henry,

Eric W. Peng,

Z. Tsvetanov,

Alan Uomoto,

Wei Zheng,

Gary J. Hill,

L. W. Ramsey,

Scott F. Anderson,

James A. Annis,

Neta A. Bahcall,

J. Brinkmann,

Bing Chen,

István Csabai,

M. Fukugita,

G. S. Hennessy,

Robert B. Hindsley,

Željko Ivezić,

D. Q. Lamb,

Jeffrey A. Munn,

Jeffrey R. Pier,

David J. Schlegel,

J. A. Smith,

Chris Stoughton,

A. Thakar,

Donald G. York

Publication year - 2000

Publication title -

the astrophysical journal

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 2.376

H-Index - 489

eISSN - 1538-4357

pISSN - 0004-637X

DOI - 10.1086/312728

Subject(s) - brown dwarf , sky , methane , astrophysics , physics , stellar classification , stars , main sequence , spectral line , absorption (acoustics) , astronomy , chemistry , organic chemistry , acoustics

We report the discovery of three cool brown dwarfs that fall in the effective temperature gap between the latest L dwarfs currently known, with no methane absorption bands in the 1-2.5 µm range, and the previously known methane (T) dwarfs, whose spectra are dominated by methane and water. The newly discovered objects were detected as very red objects in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging data and have JHK colors between the red L dwarfs and the blue Gl 229B-like T dwarfs. They show both CO and CH(4) absorption in their near-infrared spectra in addition to H(2)O, with weaker CH(4) absorption features in the H and K bands than those in all other methane dwarfs reported to date. Due to the presence of CH(4) in these bands, we propose that these objects are early T dwarfs. The three form part of the brown dwarf spectral sequence and fill in the large gap in the overall spectral sequence from the hottest main-sequence stars to the coolest methane dwarfs currently known.

The content you want is available to Zendy users.

Already have an account? Click here to sign in.

Having issues? You can contact us here

Accelerating Research