Fundamental properties of T dwarfs from model fits to FIRE spectra

Abstract

We fit a sample of 49 R=6000 NIR (0.9 - 2.5 micron) T dwarf spectra obtained with Magellan's FIRE spectrograph with two different atmospheric model sets to compare the derived physical parameters such as Teff, log g, cloud opacity, and rotational velocity between the models, as well as their reliability. Many of our T dwarfs have distance measurements, which allows us to calculate their radii during the fitting, which can be compared to evolutionary models to determine age, mass and potentially the presence of unseen companions. We present our spectral sample and model fits, and comment on the measured fundamental properties of these T dwarfs. Our analysis allows us to identify global deviations between models and observed spectra, and hence provides important feedback for the next generation of substellar atmospheric models.