arXiv subjects

Emily C. Martin

Publications and source records attributed to Emily C. Martin.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer: A dedicated single-mode fiber injection unit for high resolution exoplanet spectroscopy

The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC) is a purpose-built instrument to demonstrate new technological and instrumental concepts initially developed for the exoplanet direct imaging field. Located downstream of the current Keck II adaptive optic system, KPIC contains a fiber injection unit (FIU) capable of combining the high-contrast imaging capability of the adaptive optics system with the high dispersion spectroscopy capability of the current Keck high resolution infrared spectrograph (NIRSPEC). Deployed at Keck in September 2018, this instrument has already been used to acquire high resolution spectra ($R > 30,000$) of multiple targets of interest. In the near term, it will be used to spectrally characterize known directly imaged exoplanets and low-mass brown dwarf companions visible in the northern hemisphere with a spectral resolution high enough to enable spin and planetary radial velocity measurements as well as Doppler imaging of atmospheric weather phenomena. Here we present the design of the FIU, the unique calibration procedures needed to operate a single-mode fiber instrument and the system performance.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2021

Detection and Bulk Properties of the HR 8799 Planets with High Resolution Spectroscopy

Using the Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC), we obtained high-resolution (R$\sim$35,000) $K$-band spectra of the four planets orbiting HR 8799. We clearly detected \water{} and CO in the atmospheres of HR 8799 c, d, and e, and tentatively detected a combination of CO and \water{} in b. These are the most challenging directly imaged exoplanets that have been observed at high spectral resolution to date when considering both their angular separations and flux ratios. We developed a forward modeling framework that allows us to jointly fit the spectra of the planets and the diffracted starlight simultaneously in a likelihood-based approach and obtained posterior probabilities on their effective temperatures, surface gravities, radial velocities, and spins. We measured $v\sin(i)$ values of $10.1^{+2.8}_{-2.7}$~km/s for HR 8799 d and $15.0^{+2.3}_{-2.6}$~km/s for HR 8799 e, and placed an upper limit of $< 14$~km/s of HR 8799 c. Under two different assumptions of their obliquities, we found tentative evidence that rotation velocity is anti-correlated with companion mass, which could indicate that magnetic braking with a circumplanetary disk at early times is less efficient at spinning down lower mass planets.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2020

The Planet as Exoplanet Analog Spectrograph (PEAS): Design and First-Light

Exoplanets are abundant in our galaxy and yet characterizing them remains a technical challenge. Solar System planets provide an opportunity to test the practical limitations of exoplanet observations with high signal-to-noise data that we cannot access for exoplanets. However, data on Solar System planets differ from exoplanets in that Solar System planets are spatially resolved while exoplanets are unresolved point-sources. We present a novel instrument designed to observe Solar System planets as though they are exoplanets, the Planet as Exoplanet Analog Spectrograph (PEAS). PEAS consists of a dedicated 0.5-m telescope and off-the-shelf optics, located at Lick Observatory. PEAS uses an integrating sphere to disk-integrate light from the Solar System planets, producing spatially mixed light more similar to the spectra we can obtain from exoplanets. This paper describes the general system design and early results of the PEAS instrument.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2020

The Field Substellar Mass Function Based on the Full-sky 20-pc Census of 525 L, T, and Y Dwarfs

We present final Spitzer trigonometric parallaxes for 361 L, T, and Y dwarfs. We combine these with prior studies to build a list of 525 known L, T, and Y dwarfs within 20 pc of the Sun, 38 of which are presented here for the first time. Using published photometry and spectroscopy as well as our own follow-up, we present an array of color-magnitude and color-color diagrams to further characterize census members, and we provide polynomial fits to the bulk trends. Using these characterizations, we assign each object a $T_{\rm eff}$ value and judge sample completeness over bins of $T_{\rm eff}$ and spectral type. Except for types $\ge$ T8 and $T_{\rm eff} <$ 600K, our census is statistically complete to the 20-pc limit. We compare our measured space densities to simulated density distributions and find that the best fit is a power law ($dN/dM \propto M^{-α}$) with $α= 0.6{\pm}0.1$. We find that the evolutionary models of Saumon & Marley correctly predict the observed magnitude of the space density spike seen at 1200K $< T_{\rm eff} <$ 1350K, believed to be caused by an increase in the cooling timescale across the L/T transition. Defining the low-mass terminus using this sample requires a more statistically robust and complete sample of dwarfs $\ge$Y0.5 and with $T_{\rm eff} <$ 400K. We conclude that such frigid objects must exist in substantial numbers, despite the fact that few have so far been identified, and we discuss possible reasons why they have largely eluded detection.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

Prospects for Characterizing the Haziest Sub-Neptune Exoplanets with High Resolution Spectroscopy

Observations to characterize planets larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune have led to largely inconclusive interpretations at low spectral resolution due to hazes or clouds that obscure molecular features in their spectra. However, here we show that high-resolution spectroscopy (R $\sim$ 25,000 to 100,000) enables one to probe the regions in these atmospheres above the clouds where the cores of the strongest spectral lines are formed. We present models of transmission spectra for a suite of GJ1214b-like planets with thick photochemical hazes covering 1 - 5 $μ$m at a range of resolutions relevant to current and future ground-based spectrographs. Furthermore, we compare the utility of the cross-correlation function that is typically used with a more formal likelihood-based approach, finding that only the likelihood based method is sensitive to the presence of haze opacity. We calculate the signal-to-noise of these spectra, including telluric contamination, required to robustly detect a host of molecules such as CO, CO$_{2}$, H$_{2}$O, and CH$_{4}$, and photochemical products like HCN, as a function of wavelength range and spectral resolution. Spectra in M band require the lowest S/N$_{res}$ to detect multiple molecules simultaneously. CH$_{4}$ is only observable for the coolest models ($T_{\rm{eff}} =$ 412 K) and only in the L band. We quantitatively assess how these requirements compare to what is achievable with current and future instruments, demonstrating that characterization of small cool worlds with ground-based high resolution spectroscopy is well within reach.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2018

Preliminary Trigonometric Parallaxes of 184 Late-T and Y Dwarfs and an Analysis of the Field Substellar Mass Function into the "Planetary" Mass Regime

We present preliminary trigonometric parallaxes of 184 late-T and Y dwarfs using observations from Spitzer (143), USNO (18), NTT (14), and UKIRT (9). To complete the 20-pc census of $\ge$T6 dwarfs, we combine these measurements with previously published trigonometric parallaxes for an additional 44 objects and spectrophotometric distance estimates for another 7. For these 235 objects, we estimate temperatures, sift into five 150K-wide $T_{\rm eff}$ bins covering the range 300-1050K, determine the completeness limit for each, and compute space densities. To anchor the high-mass end of the brown dwarf mass spectrum, we compile a list of early- to mid-L dwarfs within 20 pc. We run simulations using various functional forms of the mass function passed through two different sets of evolutionary code to compute predicted distributions in $T_{\rm eff}$. The best fit of these predictions to our L, T, and Y observations is a simple power-law model with $α\approx 0.6$ (where $dN/dM \propto M^{-α}$), meaning that the slope of the field substellar mass function is in rough agreement with that found for brown dwarfs in nearby star forming regions and young clusters. Furthermore, we find that published versions of the log-normal form do not predict the steady rise seen in the space densities from 1050K to 350K. We also find that the low-mass cutoff to formation, if one exists, is lower than $\sim$5 $M_{Jup}$, which corroborates findings in young, nearby moving groups and implies that extremely low-mass objects have been forming over the lifetime of the Milky Way.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2018

Probing Late-type T dwarf J-H Color Outliers for Signs of Age

We present the results of a Keck/NIRSPEC follow-up survey of thirteen late-type T dwarfs (T6-T9), twelve of which have unusually red or blue J-H colors. Previous work suggests that J-H color outliers may represent the high-gravity, low-metallicity (old) and low-gravity, solar-metallicity (young) extremes of the late-type T dwarf population. We use medium-resolution Y- and H-band spectroscopy to probe regions of T dwarf atmospheres that are more sensitive to gravity and metallicity variations than the J band. We find that the spectral morphologies of our sample are largely homogeneous, with peak-normalized, Y- and H-band morphologies consistent with spectral standards. However, three objects stand out as potentially old, with overluminous Y-band spectra compared to their respective spectral standards, and a fourth object stands out as potentially young, with an underluminous Y band. Of these four objects, three have been previously identified as potential metallicity/gravity outliers, including the one object in our sample with a normal J-H color. We fit publicly available atmospheric model grids to our spectra and find that the best-fit physical parameters vary depending on the model used. As we continue to probe the characteristics of the late-T population, differences in synthetic spectra of ~10-20% in the blue wing of the Y band and ~45% at 1.65 microns, for the same physical parameters, must be reconciled. Further development and public availability of nonsolar metallicity models is also recommended. Future progress toward deciphering the impacts of gravity, metallicity, and variability in the late-type T dwarf population will also require high signal-to-noise, multiwavelength and multi-epoch photometry and spectroscopy.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2018

Y dwarf Trigonometric Parallaxes from the Spitzer Space Telescope

Y dwarfs provide a unique opportunity to study free-floating objects with masses $<$30 M$_{Jup}$ and atmospheric temperatures approaching those of known Jupiter-like exoplanets. Obtaining distances to these objects is an essential step towards characterizing their absolute physical properties. Using Spitzer/IRAC [4.5] images taken over baselines of $\sim$2-7 years, we measure astrometric distances for 22 late-T and early Y dwarfs, including updated parallaxes for 18 objects and new parallax measurements for 4 objects. These parallaxes will make it possible to explore the physical parameter space occupied by the coldest brown dwarfs. We also present the discovery of 6 new late-T dwarfs, updated spectra of two T dwarfs, and the reclassification of a new Y dwarf, WISE J033605.04$-$014351.0, based on Keck/NIRSPEC $J$-band spectroscopy. Assuming that effective temperatures are inversely proportional to absolute magnitude, we examine trends in the evolution of the spectral energy distributions of brown dwarfs with decreasing effective temperature. Surprisingly, the Y dwarf class encompasses a large range in absolute magnitude in the near- to mid-infrared photometric bandpasses, demonstrating a larger range of effective temperatures than previously assumed. This sample will be ideal for obtaining mid-infrared spectra with the James Webb Space Telescope because their known distances will make it easier to measure absolute physical properties.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2018

An overview of the NIRSPEC upgrade for the Keck II telescope

NIRSPEC is a 1-5 micron echelle spectrograph in use on the Keck II Telescope since 1999. The spectrograph is capable of both moderate (R~2,000) and high (R~25,000) resolution observations and has been a workhorse instrument across many astronomical fields, from planetary science to extragalactic observations. In the latter half of 2018, we will upgrade NIRSPEC to improve the sensitivity and stability of the instrument and increase its lifetime. The major components of the upgrade include replacing the spectrometer and slit-viewing camera detectors with Teledyne H2RG arrays and replacing all transputer-based electronics. We present detailed design, testing, and analysis of the upgraded instrument, including the finalized optomechanical design of the new 1-5 micron slit-viewing camera, final alignment and assembly of the science array, electronics systems, and updated software design.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2018

Ionized Gas Motions and the Structure of Feedback Near a Forming Globular Cluster in NGC 5253

We observed Brackett $α$ 4.05$μ$m emission towards the supernebula in NGC 5253 with NIRSPEC on Keck II in adaptive optics mode, NIRSPAO, to probe feedback from its exciting embedded super star cluster (SSC). NIRSPEC's Slit-Viewing Camera was simultaneously used to image the K-band continuum at $\sim$$0.1''$ resolution. We register the IR continuum with HST imaging, and find that the visible clusters are offset from the K-band peak, which coincides with the Br $α$ peak of the supernebula and its associated molecular cloud. The spectra of the supernebula exhibit Br $α$ emission with a strong, narrow core. The linewidths are 65-76 km s$^{-1}$, FWHM, comparable to those around individual ultra-compact HII regions within our Galaxy. A weak, broad (FWHM$\simeq$150-175 km s$^{-1}$) component is detected on the base of the line, which could trace a population of sources with high-velocity winds. The core velocity of Br $α$ emission shifts by +13 km s$^{-1}$ from NE to SW across the supernebula, possibly indicating a bipolar outflow from an embedded object, or linked to a foreground redshifted gas filament. The results can be explained if the supernebula comprises thousands of ionized wind regions around individual massive stars, stalled in their expansion due to critical radiative cooling and unable to merge to drive a coherent cluster wind. Based on the absence of an outflow with large mass loss, we conclude that feedback is currently ineffective at dispersing gas, and the SSC retains enriched material out of which it may continue to form stars.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2018

Searching for Exoplanets Using a Microresonator Astrocomb

Detection of weak radial velocity shifts of host stars induced by orbiting planets is an important technique for discovering and characterizing planets beyond our solar system. Optical frequency combs enable calibration of stellar radial velocity shifts at levels required for detection of Earth analogs. A new chip-based device, the Kerr soliton microcomb, has properties ideal for ubiquitous application outside the lab and even in future space-borne instruments. Moreover, microcomb spectra are ideally suited for astronomical spectrograph calibration and eliminate filtering steps required by conventional mode-locked-laser frequency combs. Here, for the calibration of astronomical spectrographs, we demonstrate an atomic/molecular line-referenced, near-infrared soliton microcomb. Efforts to search for the known exoplanet HD 187123b were conducted at the Keck-II telescope as a first in-the-field demonstration of microcombs.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Surface Gravities for 228 M, L, and T Dwarfs in the NIRSPEC Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey

We combine 131 new medium-resolution (R~2000) J-band spectra of M, L, and T dwarfs from the Keck NIRSPEC Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey (BDSS) with 97 previously published BDSS spectra to study surface-gravity-sensitive indices for 228 low-mass stars and brown dwarfs spanning spectral types M5-T9. Specifically, we use an established set of spectral indices to determine surface gravity classifications for all M6-L7 objects in our sample by measuring equivalent widths (EW) of the K I lines at 1.1692, 1.1778, 1.2529 um, and the 1.2 um FeHJ absorption index. Our results are consistent with previous surface gravity measurements, showing a distinct double peak - at ~L5 and T5 - in K I EW as a function of spectral type. We analyze K I EWs of 73 objects of known ages and find a linear trend between log(Age) and EW. From this relationship, we assign age ranges to the very low gravity, intermediate gravity, and field gravity designations for spectral types M6-L0. Interestingly, the ages probed by these designations remain broad, change with spectral type, and depend on the gravity sensitive index used. Gravity designations are useful indicators of the possibility of youth, but current datasets cannot be used to provide a precise age estimate.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2016

The AllWISE Motion Survey, Part 2

We use the AllWISE Data Release to continue our search for WISE-detected motions. In this paper, we publish another 27,846 motion objects, bringing the total number to 48,000 when objects found during our original AllWISE motion survey are included. We use this list, along with the lists of confirmed WISE-based motion objects from the recent papers by Luhman and by Schneider et al. and candidate motion objects from the recent paper by Gagne et al. to search for widely separated, common-proper-motion systems. We identify 1,039 such candidate systems. All 48,000 objects are further analyzed using color-color and color-mag plots to provide possible characterizations prior to spectroscopic follow-up. We present spectra of 172 of these, supplemented with new spectra of 23 comparison objects from the literature, and provide classifications and physical interpretations of interesting sources. Highlights include: (1) the identification of three G/K dwarfs that can be used as standard candles to study clumpiness and grain size in nearby molecular clouds because these objects are currently moving behind the clouds, (2) the confirmation/discovery of several M, L, and T dwarfs and one white dwarf whose spectrophotometric distance estimates place them 5-20 pc from the Sun, (3) the suggestion that the Na 'D' line be used as a diagnostic tool for interpreting and classifying metal-poor late-M and L dwarfs, (4) the recognition of a triple system including a carbon dwarf and late-M subdwarf, for which model fits of the late-M subdwarf (giving [Fe/H] ~ -1.0) provide a measured metallicity for the carbon star, and (5) a possible 24-pc-distant K5 dwarf + peculiar red L5 system with an apparent physical separation of 0.1 pc.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

DECal: A Spectrophotometric Calibration System For DECam

DECal is a new calibration system for the CTIO 4 m Blanco telescope. It is currently being installed as part of the Dark Energy Survey and will provide both broadband flat fields and narrowband (about 1 nm bandwidth) spectrophotometric calibration for the new Dark Energy Camera (DECam). Both of these systems share a new Lambertian flat field screen. The broadband flat field system uses LEDs to illuminate each photometric filter. The spectrophotometric calibration system consists of a monochromator-based tunable light source that is projected onto the flat field screen using a custom line-to-spot fiber bundle and an engineered diffuser. Several calibrated photodiodes positioned along the beam monitor the telescope throughput as a function of wavelength. This system will measure the wavelength-dependent instrumental response function of the total telescope+instrument system in the range 300 < lambda < 1100nm. The spectrophotometric calibration will be performed regularly (roughly once per month) to determine the spectral response of the DECam system and to monitor changes in instrumental throughput during the five year Dark Energy Survey project.

astro-ph.IM↗