The Collapse of the Wien Tail in the Coldest Brown Dwarf? Hubble Space Telescope Near-Infrared Photometry of WISE J085510.83-071442.5

TL;DR

This study presents near-infrared photometry of the coldest known brown dwarf, WISE 0855-0714, revealing unusual colors that suggest a collapse of flux on the Wien tail, challenging existing models.

Contribution

First secure near-infrared detection of WISE 0855-0714, providing new photometric data that reveal discrepancies with current atmospheric models for extremely cold brown dwarfs.

Findings

WISE 0855-0714 is undetected at F105W, detected in F125W and F160W bands.

Colors are extremely red compared to other Y dwarfs.

Observed colors cannot be simultaneously explained by existing models.

Abstract

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) near-infrared photometry of the coldest known brown dwarf, WISE J085510.83$-$071442.5 (WISE 0855$-$0714). WISE 0855$-$0714 was observed with the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) aboard HST using the F105W, F125W, and F160W filters, which approximate the $Y$, $J$, and $H$ near-infrared bands. WISE 0855$-$0714 is undetected at F105W with a corresponding 2$\sigma$ magnitude limit of $\sim$26.9. We marginally detect WISE 0855$-$0714 in the F125W images (S/N $\sim$4), with a measured magnitude of 26.41 $\pm$ 0.27, more than a magnitude fainter than the $J-$band magnitude reported by Faherty and coworkers. WISE J0855$-$0714 is clearly detected in the F160W band, with a magnitude of 23.90 $\pm$ 0.02, the first secure detection of WISE 0855$-$0714 in the near-infrared. Based on these data, we find that WISE 0855$-$0714 has extremely red F105W$-$F125W and F125W$-$F160W colors relative to other known Y dwarfs. We find that when compared to the models of Saumon et al. and Morley et al., the F105W$-$F125W and F125W$-$F160W colors of WISE 0855$-$0714 cannot be accounted for simultaneously. These colors likely indicate that we are seeing the collapse of flux on the Wien tail for this extremely cold object.