Engineering topics

Stone, Jordan M.

Publications and source records attributed to Stone, Jordan M..

5 records

DOE OSTI2020

High-contrast Thermal Infrared Spectroscopy with ALES: The 3–4 μm Spectrum of κ Andromedae b

We present the first L-band (2.8–4.1 μm) spectroscopy of κ Andromedae b, a ~20 M Jup companion orbiting at 1" projected separation from its B9-type stellar host. We combine our Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) Arizona Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy (ALES) integral field spectrograph data with measurements from other instruments to analyze the atmosphere and physical characteristics of κ And b. We report a discrepancy of ~20% (2σ) in the L' flux of κ And b when comparing to previously published values. We add an additional L' constraint using an unpublished imaging data set collected in 2013 using the LBT Interferometer/LMIRCam, the instrument in which the ALES module has been built. The LMIRCam measurement is consistent with the ALES measurement, both suggesting a fainter L-band scaling than previous studies. The data, assuming the flux scaling measured by ALES and LMIRCam imaging, are well fit by an L3-type brown dwarf. Atmospheric model fits to measurements spanning 0.9–4.8 μm reveal some tension with the predictions of evolutionary models, but the proper choice of cloud parameters can provide some relief. In particular, models with clouds extending to very low pressures composed of grains ≤1 μm appear to be necessary. If the brighter L' photometry is accurate, there is a hint that subsolar metallicity may be required.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2019

High Spatial Resolution Thermal Infrared Spectroscopy with ALES: Resolved Spectra of the Benchmark Brown Dwarf Binary HD 130948BC

We present 2.9–4.1 μm integral field spectroscopy of the L4+L4 brown dwarf binary HD 130948BC, obtained with the Arizona Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy (ALES) mode of the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer. The HD 130948 system is a hierarchical triple system, in which the G2V primary is joined by two co-orbiting brown dwarfs. By combining the age of the system with the dynamical masses and luminosities of the substellar companions, we can test evolutionary models of cool brown dwarfs and extrasolar giant planets. Previous near-infrared studies suggest a disagreement between HD 130948BC luminosities and those derived from evolutionary models. We obtained spatially resolved, low-resolution (R ∼ 20) L-band spectra of HD 130948B and C to extend the wavelength coverage into the thermal infrared. Jointly using JHK photometry and ALES L-band spectra for HD 130948BC, we derive atmospheric parameters that are consistent with parameters derived from evolutionary models. We leverage the consistency of these atmospheric quantities to favor a younger age (0.50 ± 0.07 Gyr) of the system compared to the older age (0.79{sub −0.15}{sup +0.22} Gyr) determined with gyrochronology in order to address the luminosity discrepancy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

L-band spectroscopy with magellan-AO/Clio2: first results on young low-mass companions

L-band spectroscopy is a powerful probe of cool low-gravity atmospheres: the P, Q, and R branch fundamental transitions of methane near 3.3 μm provide a sensitive probe of carbon chemistry; cloud thickness modifies the spectral slope across the band; and H{sub 3}{sup +} opacity can be used to detect aurorae. Many directly imaged gas-giant companions to nearby young stars exhibit L-band fluxes distinct from the field population of brown dwarfs at the same effective temperature. Here we describe commissioning the L-band spectroscopic mode of Clio2, the 1–5 μm instrument behind the Magellan adaptive-optics system. We use this system to measure L-band spectra of directly imaged companions. Our spectra are generally consistent with the parameters derived from previous near-infrared spectra for these late M to early L type objects. Therefore, deviations from the field sequence are constrained to occur below 1500 K. This range includes the L–T transition for field objects and suggests that observed discrepancies are due to differences in cloud structure and CO/CH{sub 4} chemistry.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

Far infrared variability of Sagittarius A*: 25.5 hr of monitoring with Herschel

Variable emission from Sgr A*, the luminous counterpart to the super-massive black hole at the center of our Galaxy, arises from the innermost portions of the accretion flow. Better characterization of the variability is important for constraining models of the low-luminosity accretion mode powering Sgr A*, and could further our ability to use variable emission as a probe of the strong gravitational potential in the vicinity of the 4×10{sup 6}M{sub ⊙} black hole. We use the Herschel Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) to monitor Sgr A* at wavelengths that are difficult or impossible to observe from the ground. We find highly significant variations at 0.25, 0.35, and 0.5 mm, with temporal structure that is highly correlated across these wavelengths. While the variations correspond to <1% changes in the total intensity in the Herschel beam containing Sgr A*, comparison to independent, simultaneous observations at 0.85 mm strongly supports the reality of the variations. The lowest point in the light curves, ∼0.5 Jy below the time-averaged flux density, places a lower bound on the emission of Sgr A* at 0.25 mm, the first such constraint on the THz portion of the spectral energy distribution. The variability on few hour timescales in the SPIRE light curves is similar to that seen in historical 1.3 mm data, where the longest time series is available, but the distribution of variations in the sub-mm do not show a tail of large-amplitude variations seen at 1.3 mm. Simultaneous X-ray photometry from XMM-Newton shows no significant variation within our observing period, which may explain the lack of very large submillimeter variations in our data if X-ray and submillimeter flares are correlated.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

Variable accretion processes in the young binary-star system UY Aur

We present new K-band spectroscopy of the UY Aur binary star system. Our data are the first to show H{sub 2} emission in the spectrum of UY Aur A and the first to spectrally resolve the Brγ line in the spectrum of UY Aur B. We see an increase in the strength of the Brγ line in UY Aur A and a decrease in Brγ and H{sub 2} line luminosity for UY Aur B compared to previous studies. Converting Brγ line luminosity to accretion rate, we infer that the accretion rate onto UY Aur A has increased by 2 × 10{sup –9} M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} per year since a rate of zero was observed in 1994. The Brγ line strength for UY Aur B has decreased by a factor of 0.54 since 1994, but the K-band flux has increased by 0.9 mag since 1998. The veiling of UY Aur B has also increased significantly. These data evince a much more luminous disk around UY Aur B. If the lower Brγ luminosity observed in the spectrum of UY Aur B indicates an intrinsically smaller accretion rate onto the star, then UY Aur A now accretes at a higher rate than UY Aur B. However, extinction at small radii or mass pile-up in the circumstellar disk could explain decreased Brγ emission around UY Aur B even when the disk luminosity implies an increased accretion rate. In addition to our scientific results for the UY Aur system, we discuss a dedicated pipeline we have developed for the reduction of echelle-mode data from the ARIES spectrograph.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗