JWST Resolves CIA Features in White Dwarfs

Abstract

Infrared-faint white dwarfs are cool white dwarfs exhibiting significant infrared flux deficits, most often attributed to collision-induced absorption (CIA) from H$_2$-He in mixed hydrogen-helium atmospheres. We present James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) near- and mid-infrared spectra of three such objects using NIRSpec (0.6-5.3 $\mu$m) and MIRI (5-14 $\mu$m): LHS 3250, WD J1922+0233, and LHS 1126. Surprisingly, for LHS 3250, we detect no H$_2$-He CIA absorption at 2.4 $\mu$m, instead observing an unexpected small flux bump at this wavelength. WD J1922+0233 exhibits the anticipated strong absorption feature centered at 2.4 $\mu$m, but with an unexpected narrow emission-like feature inside this absorption band. LHS 1126 shows no CIA features and follows a $\lambda^{-2}$ power law in the mid-infrared. LHS 1126's lack of CIA features suggests a very low hydrogen abundance, with its infrared flux depletion likely caused by He-He-He CIA. For LHS 3250 and WD J1922+0233, the absence of a 1.2 $\mu$m CIA feature in both stars argues against ultracool temperatures, supporting recent suggestions that infrared-faint white dwarfs are warmer and more massive than previously thought. This conclusion is further solidified by Keck near-infrared spectroscopy of seven additional objects. We explore possible explanations for the unexpected emission-like features in both stars, and temperature inversions above the photosphere emerge as a promising hypothesis. Such inversions may be common among the infrared-faint population, and since they significantly affect the infrared spectral energy distribution, this would impact their photometric fits. Further JWST observations are needed to confirm the prevalence of this phenomenon and guide the development of improved atmospheric models.