The Sonora Brown Dwarf Atmosphere and Evolution Models. I. Model Description and Application to Cloudless Atmospheres in Rainout Chemical Equilibrium
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: We present a new generation of substellar atmosphere and evolution models, appropriate for application to studies of L-, T-, and Y-type brown dwarfs and self-luminous extrasolar planets. The models describe the expected temperature-pressure profiles and emergent spectra of atmospheres in radiative-convective equilibrium with effective temperatures and gravities within the ranges 200 ≤ T eff ≤ 2400 K and 2.5 ≤ log g ≤ 5.5 . These ranges encompass masses from about 0.5 to 85 Jupiter masses for a set of metallicities ([M/H] = − 0.5 to + 0.5), C/O ratios (from 0.5 to 1.5 times that of solar), and ages. These models expand the diversity of model atmospheres currently available, notably to cooler effective temperatures and greater ranges in C/O. Notable improvements from past such models include updated opacities and atmospheric chemistry. Here we describe our modeling approach and present our initial tranche of models for cloudless, chemical equilibrium atmospheres. We compare the modeled spectra, photometry, and evolution to various data sets.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
Institutions: University of Arizona, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Space Science Institute, Dordt University, Ames Research Center, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, The University of Texas at Austin, University of California, Santa Cruz, Leiden Observatory, New Mexico State University, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Leicester
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W3181853169