arXiv subjects

Ehsan Gharib-Nezhad

Publications and source records attributed to Ehsan Gharib-Nezhad.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The Sonora Substellar Atmosphere Models. VII. Flame Skimmer: Cloud-free Atmospheric and Evolutionary Models for the Coldest Substellar Objects

JWST has provided unprecedented access to ultra-cool brown dwarfs and has pushed the boundaries of directly imaging temperate giant planets. As we continue to push toward detecting sub-Saturn and Neptune-like planets, it is crucial to develop atmospheric and evolutionary models that better capture the complexity and diversity of planetary atmospheres similar to the gas and ice giants in our Solar System. We present Sonora Flame Skimmer, the next suite of cloud-free 1D atmospheric and evolutionary models in chemical equilibrium and disequilibrium probing colder temperatures (down to 50 K), smaller objects (down to log(g) = 2), and a wide range of metallicities (10x sub-solar to 100x super-solar) and C/O ratios (solar to 2.5x solar). Beyond expanding the physical parameter space of previous Sonora models, we update the opacities and evolutionary model framework from Sonora Bobcat, as well as the chemical treatment of volatiles (H$_2$O, CH$_4$, NH$_3$) and carbon species such as CO$_2$ from Sonora Elf Owl. For the evolution of these substellar objects, we find that high-metallicity atmospheres lead to slower cooling compared to solar metallicity, while the strength of vertical mixing ($K_{\rm zz}$) has a negligible impact on the evolutionary tracks. At the highest metallicity explored here (100$\times$ solar), the deuterium-burning and hydrogen-burning minimum masses fall to 5.39 and 45.03 $M_{\rm J}$, respectively. All the models presented here, including the atmospheric structure, chemical profiles, spectra, synthetic photometry, and evolutionary models, are publicly available.

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arXiv2025

Diversity of Cold Worlds: A Near Complete Spectral Energy Distribution for 2MASS J04151954-0935066 using JWST

We present the a near complete spectral energy distribution (SED) for an extrasolar world: the T8 brown dwarf 2MASS~J04151954$-$0935066. Spanning from optical to mid-infrared (0.7--20.4 micron) wavelengths, the SED for this substellar atmosphere is constructed from new JWST NIRSpec G395H ($R\sim$2700) and Magellan FIRE echelle ($R\sim$8000) near-infrared spectra, along with MIRI mid-infrared photometry complemented by spectra from Keck I, IRTF, Magellan, AKARI, Spitzer and photometry from various surveys and missions. The NIRSpec G395H spectrum reveals strong molecular absorptions from NH$_{3}$, CH$_{4}$, H$_{2}$S, CO$_{2}$ and H$_{2}$O at approximately 3.00, 3.35, 3.95, 4.25, and 5.00 micron respectively, along with the presence of a CO absorption feature detected mainly at $\sim$ 4.6 micron. We detect no absorption of near-infrared K I doublets in the $R\sim8000$ FIRE spectra. In the mid-infrared IRS spectrum, we tentatively identify a new CO$_{2}$ feature at 14--16 micron. The comprehensive SED allows us to empirically constrain bolometric luminosity, effective temperature, mass and radius. Additionally, we demonstrate that the NIRSpec G395H resolution, the highest allowable by JWST, enables a precise radial velocity measurement of $47.1\pm1.8$ km s$^{-1}$ for the object, in agreement with previous measurements.

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arXiv2025

The Diversity of Cold Worlds: a blended-light binary straddling the T/Y transition in brown dwarfs

We present the first brown dwarf spectral binary characterized with JWST: WISE J014656.66+423410.0, the coldest blended-light brown dwarf binary straddling the T/Y transition. We obtained a moderate resolution (R$\sim$2700) G395H spectrum of this unresolved binary with JWST/NIRSpec and we fit it to late-T and Y dwarf spectra from JWST/NIRSpec, and model spectra of comparable temperatures, both as individual spectra and pairs mimicking an unresolved binary system. We find that this tightly-separated binary is likely composed of two unequal-brightness sources with a magnitude difference of $0.50\pm0.08$ mag in IRAC [4.5] and a secondary $1.01\pm0.13$ mag redder than the primary in [3.6]-[4.5]. Despite the large color difference between the best fit primary and secondary, their temperature difference is only $92\pm23$\,K, a feature reminiscing of the L/T transition. Carbon disequilibrium chemistry strongly shapes the mid-infrared spectra of these sources, as a complex function of metallicity and surface gravity. While a larger library of JWST/NIRSpec spectra is needed to conclusively examine the peculiarities of blended-light sources, this spectral binary is a crucial pathfinder to both understand the spectral features of planetary-mass atmospheres and detect binarity in unresolved, moderate-resolution spectra of the coldest brown dwarfs.

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arXiv2024

Protosolar D-to-H abundance and one part-per-billion PH$_{3}$ in the coldest brown dwarf

The coldest Y spectral type brown dwarfs are similar in mass and temperature to cool and warm ($\sim$200 -- 400 K) giant exoplanets. We can therefore use their atmospheres as proxies for planetary atmospheres, testing our understanding of physics and chemistry for these complex, cool worlds. At these cold temperatures, their atmospheres are cold enough for water clouds to form, and chemical timescales increase, increasing the likelihood of disequilibrium chemistry compared to warmer classes of planets. JWST observations are revolutionizing the characterization of these worlds with high signal-to-noise, moderate resolution near- and mid-infrared spectra. The spectra have been used to measure the abundances of prominent species like water, methane, and ammonia; species that trace chemical reactions like carbon monoxide; and even isotopologues of carbon monoxide and ammonia. Here, we present atmospheric retrieval results using both published fixed-slit (GTO program 1230) and new averaged time series observations (GO program 2327) of the coldest known Y dwarf, WISE 0855-0714 (using NIRSpec G395M spectra), which has an effective temperature of $\sim$ 264 K. We present a detection of deuterium in an atmosphere outside of the solar system via a relative measurement of deuterated methane (CH$_{3}$D) and standard methane. From this, we infer the D/H ratio of a substellar object outside the solar system for the first time. We also present a well-constrained part-per-billion abundance of phosphine (PH$_{3}$). We discuss our interpretation of these results and the implications for brown dwarf and giant exoplanet formation and evolution.

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arXiv2024

Methane Emission From a Cool Brown Dwarf

Beyond our solar system, aurorae have been inferred from radio observations of isolated brown dwarfs (e.g. Hallinan et al. 2006; Kao et al. 2023). Within our solar system, giant planets have auroral emission with signatures across the electromagnetic spectrum including infrared emission of H3+ and methane. Isolated brown dwarfs with auroral signatures in the radio have been searched for corresponding infrared features but have only had null detections (e.g. Gibbs et al. 2022). CWISEP J193518.59-154620.3. (W1935 for short) is an isolated brown dwarf with a temperature of ~482 K. Here we report JWST observations of strong methane emission from W1935 at 3.326 microns. Atmospheric modeling leads us to conclude that a temperature inversion of ~300 K centered at 1-10 millibar replicates the feature. This represents an atmospheric temperature inversion for a Jupiter-like atmosphere without irradiation from a host star. A plausible explanation for the strong inversion is heating by auroral processes, although other internal and/or external dynamical processes cannot be ruled out. The best fit model rules out the contribution of H3+ emission which is prominent in solar system gas giants however this is consistent with rapid destruction of H3+ at the higher pressure where the W1935 emission originates (e.g. Helling et al. 2019).

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arXiv2024

The Sonora Substellar Atmosphere Models. III. Diamondback: Atmospheric Properties, Spectra, and Evolution for Warm Cloudy Substellar Objects

We present a new grid of cloudy atmosphere and evolution models for substellar objects. These models include the effect of refractory cloud species, including silicate clouds, on the spectra and evolution. We include effective temperatures from 900 to 2400 K and surface gravities from log g=3.5-5.5, appropriate for a broad range of objects with masses between 1 and 84 Jupiter masses. Model pressure-temperature structures are calculated assuming radiative-convective and chemical equilibrium. We consider the effect of both clouds and metallicity on the atmospheric structure, resulting spectra, and thermal evolution of substellar worlds. We parameterize clouds using the Ackerman & Marley (2001) cloud model, including cloud parameter fsed values from 1-8; we include three metallicities (-0.5, 0.0, and +0.5). Refractory clouds and metallicity both alter the evolution of substellar objects, changing the inferred temperature at a given age by up to 100-200 K. We compare to the observed photometry of brown dwarfs, finding broad agreement with the measured photometry. We publish the spectra, evolution, and other data products online with open access.

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arXiv2024

The Sonora Substellar Atmosphere Models. IV. Elf Owl: Atmospheric Mixing and Chemical Disequilibrium with Varying Metallicity and C/O Ratios

Disequilibrium chemistry due to vertical mixing in the atmospheres of many brown dwarfs and giant exoplanets is well-established. Atmosphere models for these objects typically parameterize mixing with the highly uncertain $K_{\rm zz}$ diffusion parameter. The role of mixing in altering the abundances of C-N-O-bearing molecules has mostly been explored for solar composition atmospheres. However, atmospheric metallicity and the C/O ratio also impact atmospheric chemistry. Therefore, we present the \texttt{Sonora Elf Owl} grid of self-consistent cloud-free 1D radiative-convective equilibrium model atmospheres for JWST observations, which includes a variation of $K_{\rm zz}$ across several orders of magnitude and also encompasses sub-solar to super-solar metallicities and C/O ratios. We find that the impact of $K_{\rm zz}$ on the $T(P)$ profile and spectra is a strong function of both $T_{\rm eff}$ and metallicity. For metal-poor objects $K_{\rm zz}$ has large impacts on the atmosphere at significantly higher $T_{\rm eff}$ compared to metal-rich atmospheres where the impact of $K_{\rm zz}$ is seen to occur at lower $T_{\rm eff}$. We identify significant spectral degeneracies between varying $K_{\rm zz}$ and metallicity in multiple wavelength windows, in particular at 3-5 $μ$m. We use the \texttt{Sonora Elf Owl} atmospheric grid to fit the observed spectra of a sample of 9 early to late T- type objects from $T_{\rm eff}=550-1150$ K. We find evidence for very inefficient vertical mixing in these objects with inferred $K_{\rm zz}$ values lying in the range between $\sim$ 10$^1$-10$^4$ cm$^2$s$^{-1}$. Using self-consistent models, we find that this slow vertical mixing is due to the observations probing mixing in the deep detached radiative zone in these atmospheres.

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arXiv2022

The SPHINX M-dwarf Spectral Grid. I. Benchmarking New Model Atmospheres to Derive Fundamental M-Dwarf Properties

About 70-80% of stars in our solar and galactic neighborhood are M dwarfs. They span a range of low masses and temperatures relative to solar-type stars, facilitating molecule formation throughout their atmospheres. Standard stellar atmosphere models primarily designed for FGK stars face challenges when characterizing broadband molecular features in spectra of cool stars. Here, we introduce SPHINX--a new 1-D self-consistent radiative-convective thermochemical equilibrium chemistry model grid of atmospheres and spectra for M dwarfs in low-resolution (R~250). We incorporate the latest pre-computed absorption cross-sections with pressure-broadening for key molecules dominant in late-K, early/main-sequence-M stars. We then validate our grid models by acquiring fundamental properties (Teff, log(g), [M/H], radius, and C/O) for 10 benchmark M+G binary stars with known host metallicities and 10 M dwarfs with interferometrically measured angular diameters. Incorporating a Gaussian-process inference tool Starfish, we account for correlated and systematic noise in low-resolution (spectral stitching of SpeX, SNIFS, and STIS) observations and derive robust estimates of fundamental M dwarf atmospheric parameters. Additionally, we assess the influence of photospheric heterogeneity on acquired [M/H] and find that it could explain some deviations from observations. We also probe whether the model-assumed convective mixing-length parameter influences inferred radii, effective temperature, and [M/H] and again find that may explain discrepancies between interferometry observations and model-derived stellar parameters for cooler M dwarfs. Mainly, we show the unique strength in leveraging broadband molecular absorption features occurring in low-resolution M dwarf spectra and demonstrate the ability to improve constraints on fundamental properties of exoplanet hosts and late brown dwarf companions.

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arXiv2021

A unique hot Jupiter spectral sequence with evidence for compositional diversity

The emergent spectra of close-in, giant exoplanets ("hot Jupiters") are expected to be distinct from those of self-luminous objects with similar effective temperatures because hot Jupiters are primarily heated from above by their host stars rather than internally from the release of energy from their formation. Theoretical models predict a continuum of dayside spectra for hot Jupiters as a function of irradiation level, with the coolest planets having absorption features in their spectra, intermediate-temperature planets having emission features due to thermal inversions, and the hottest planets having blackbody-like spectra due to molecular dissociation and continuum opacity from the H- ion. Absorption and emission features have been detected in the spectra of a number of individual hot Jupiters, and population-level trends have been observed in photometric measurements. However, there has been no unified, population-level study of the thermal emission spectra of hot Jupiters such as has been done for cooler brown dwarfs and transmission spectra of hot Jupiters. Here we show that hot Jupiter secondary eclipse spectra centered around a water absorption band at 1.4 microns follow a common trend in water feature strength with temperature. The observed trend is broadly consistent with model predictions for how the thermal structures of solar-composition planets vary with irradiation level. Nevertheless, the ensemble of planets exhibits some degree of scatter around the mean trend for solar composition planets. The spread can be accounted for if the planets have modest variations in metallicity and/or elemental abundance ratios, which is expected from planet formation models. (abridged abstract)

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arXiv2021

Decomposing the Iron Cross-Correlation Signal of the Ultra-Hot Jupiter WASP-76b in Transmission using 3D Monte-Carlo Radiative Transfer

Ultra-hot Jupiters are tidally locked gas giants with dayside temperatures high enough to dissociate hydrogen and other molecules. Their atmospheres are vastly non-uniform in terms of chemistry, temperature and dynamics, and this makes their high-resolution transmission spectra and cross-correlation signal difficult to interpret. In this work, we use the SPARC/MITgcm global circulation model to simulate the atmosphere of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-76b under different conditions, such as atmospheric drag and the absence of TiO and VO. We then employ a 3D Monte-Carlo radiative transfer code, HIRES-MCRT, to self-consistently model high-resolution transmission spectra with iron (Fe I) lines at different phases during the transit. To untangle the structure of the resulting cross-correlation map, we decompose the limb of the planet into four sectors, and we analyse each of their contributions separately. Our experiments demonstrate that the cross-correlation signal of an ultra-hot Jupiter is primarily driven by its temperature structure, rotation and dynamics, while being less sensitive to the precise distribution of iron across the atmosphere. We also show that the previously published iron signal of WASP-76b can be reproduced by a model featuring iron condensation on the leading limb. Alternatively, the signal may be explained by a substantial temperature asymmetry between the trailing and leading limb, where iron condensation is not strictly required to match the data. Finally, we compute the $K_{p}-V_{sys}$ maps of the simulated WASP-76b atmospheres, and we show that rotation and dynamics can lead to multiple peaks that are displaced from zero in the planetary rest frame.

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arXiv2021

Following the Lithium: Tracing Li-bearing Molecules Across Age, Mass, and Gravity in Brown Dwarfs

Lithium is an important element for the understanding of ultracool dwarfs because it is lost to fusion at masses above $\sim 68\, M_{\rm J}$. Hence, the presence or absence of atomic Li has served as an indicator of the nearby H-burning boundary at about $75\,M_{\rm J}$ between brown-dwarfs and very low-mass stars. Historically the "Lithium test", a search for the presence and strength of the Li line at 670.8 nm, has been a marker if an object has a substellar mass with stellar-like spectral energy distribution (e.g., a late-type M dwarf). While the Li test could in principle also be used to distinguish masses of later-type L-T dwarfs, Li is predominantly no longer found as an atomic gas, but rather a molecular species such as LiH, LiF, LiOH, and LiCl in their cooler atmospheres. L- and T-type brown dwarfs are also quite faint at 670 nm and thus challenging targets for high resolution spectroscopy. But only recently have experimental molecular line lists become available for the molecular Li species, allowing molecular Li mass discrimination. In this study, we generated the latest opacity of each of these Li-bearing molecules and performed thermochemical equilibrium atmospheric composition calculation of the abundance of these molecules. Finally, we computed thermal emission spectra for a series of radiative-convective equilibrium models of cloudy and cloudless brown dwarf atmospheres (with $T_{\rm eff}=$ 500--2400~K, and $\log g$=4.0, 4.5, 5.0) to understand where the presence or absence of atmospheric lithium-bearing species is most easily detected as a function of brown dwarf mass and age. After atomic Li, the best spectral signatures were found to be LiF at $10.5-12.5$~\micron and LiCl at $14.5-18.5$ $\micron$. LiH also shows a narrow feature at $\sim 9.38$ $\micron$.

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arXiv2021

EXOPLINES: Molecular Absorption Cross-Section Database for Brown Dwarf and Giant Exoplanet Atmospheres

Stellar, substellar, and planetary atmosphere models are all highly sensitive to the input opacities. Generational differences between various state-of-the-art stellar/planetary models are primarily because of incomplete and outdated atomic/molecular line-lists. Here we present a database of pre-computed absorption cross-sections for all isotopologues of key atmospheric molecules relevant to late-type stellar, brown dwarf, and planetary atmospheres: MgH, AlH, CaH, TiH, CrH, FeH, SiO, TiO, VO, and H2O. The pressure and temperature ranges of the computed opacities are between 10$^{-6}$--3000~bar and 75--4000~K, and their spectral ranges are 0.25--330~$μ$m for many cases where possible. For cases with no pressure-broadening data, we use collision theory to bridge the gap. We also probe the effect of absorption cross-sections calculated from different line lists in the context of Ultra-Hot Jupiter and M-dwarf atmospheres. Using 1-D self-consistent radiative-convective thermochemical equilibrium models, we report significant variations in the theoretical spectra and thermal profiles of substellar atmospheres. With a 2000 K representative Ultra-Hot Jupiter, we report variations of up to 320 and 80 ppm in transmission and thermal emission spectra, respectively. For a 3000 K M-dwarf, we find differences of up to 125$\%$ in the spectra. We find that the most significant differences arise due to the choice of TiO line-lists, primarily below 1$μ$m. In sum, we present (1) a database of pre-computed molecular absorption cross-sections, and (2) quantify biases that arise when characterizing substellar/exoplanet atmospheres due to line list differences, therefore highlighting the importance of correct and complete opacities for eventual applications to high precision spectroscopy and photometry.

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arXiv2019

H2-Induced Pressure Broadening and Pressure Shift in the P-Branch of the v3 Band of CH4 from 300 to 700 K

For accurate modelling of observations of exoplanet atmospheres, quantification of the pressure broadening of infrared absorption lines for and by a variety of gases at elevated temperatures is needed. High-resolution high-temperature H2-pressure-broadened spectra are recorded for the CH4 v3-band P-branch. Measured linewidths for 116 transitions between 2840 and 3000 cm^{-1} with temperature and pressures ranging between 300 and 700 K, and 10 and 933 Torr, respectively, were used to find rotation- and tetrahedral-symmetry-dependent coefficients for pressure and temperature broadening and pressure-induced lineshifts. The new pressure-broadening data will be useful in radiative-transfer models for retrieving the properties of observed expolanet atmospheres.

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arXiv2019

The Need for Laboratory Measurements and Ab Initio Studies to Aid Understanding of Exoplanetary Atmospheres

We are now on a clear trajectory for improvements in exoplanet observations that will revolutionize our ability to characterize their atmospheric structure, composition, and circulation, from gas giants to rocky planets. However, exoplanet atmospheric models capable of interpreting the upcoming observations are often limited by insufficiencies in the laboratory and theoretical data that serve as critical inputs to atmospheric physical and chemical tools. Here we provide an up-to-date and condensed description of areas where laboratory and/or ab initio investigations could fill critical gaps in our ability to model exoplanet atmospheric opacities, clouds, and chemistry, building off a larger 2016 white paper, and endorsed by the NAS Exoplanet Science Strategy report. Now is the ideal time for progress in these areas, but this progress requires better access to, understanding of, and training in the production of spectroscopic data as well as a better insight into chemical reaction kinetics both thermal and radiation-induced at a broad range of temperatures. Given that most published efforts have emphasized relatively Earth-like conditions, we can expect significant and enlightening discoveries as emphasis moves to the exotic atmospheres of exoplanets.

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arXiv2019

The Influence of H2O Pressure Broadening in High Metallicity Exoplanet Atmospheres

Planet formation models suggest broad compositional diversity in the sub-Neptune/super-Earth regime, with a high likelihood for large atmospheric metal content (> 100 x Solar). With this comes the prevalence of numerous plausible bulk atmospheric constituents including N2, CO2, H2O, CO, and CH4. Given this compositional diversity there is a critical need to investigate the influence of the background gas on the broadening of the molecular absorption cross-sections and the subsequent influence on observed spectra. This broadening can become significant and the common H2/He or "air" broadening assumptions are no longer appropriate. In this work we investigate the role of water self-broadening on the emission and transmission spectra as well as on the vertical energy balance in representative sub-Neptune/super-Earth atmospheres. We find that the choice of the broadener species can result in a 10 -- 100 parts-per-million difference in the observed transmission and emission spectra and can significantly alter the 1-dimensional vertical temperature structure of the atmosphere. Choosing the correct background broadener is critical to the proper modeling and interpretation of transit spectra observations in high metallicity regimes, especially in the era of higher precision telescopes such as JWST.

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