Rotation and Abundances of the Benchmark Brown Dwarf HD 33632 Ab from Keck/KPIC High-resolution Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study measures the rotation speed and atmospheric composition of the brown dwarf HD 33632 Ab using high-resolution spectroscopy, revealing its chemical properties and comparing its spin to other low-mass objects to understand formation and evolution.

Contribution

First detailed rotational velocity and molecular abundance measurements of HD 33632 Ab, a benchmark brown dwarf at the L/T transition, using advanced forward-modeling techniques.

Findings

Projected rotational velocity of 53 km/s with small uncertainty.

Chemical abundances and C/O ratio consistent with host star.

No methane detected despite expectations for L/T transition objects.

Abstract

We present the projected rotational velocity and molecular abundances for HD 33632 Ab obtained via Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer high-resolution spectroscopy. HD 33632 Ab is a nearby benchmark brown dwarf companion at a separation of $\sim$20 au that straddles the L/T transition. Using a forward-modeling framework with on-axis host star spectra, self-consistent substellar atmospheric and retrieval models for HD 33632 Ab, we derive a projected rotational velocity of 53 $\pm$ 3 km/s and carbon/water mass fractions of log CO = $-$2.3 $\pm$ 0.3 and log H$_2$O = $-$2.7 $\pm$ 0.2. The inferred carbon-to-oxygen ratio (C/O = 0.58 $\pm$ 0.14), molecular abundances, and metallicity ([C/H] = 0.0 $\pm$ 0.2 dex) of HD 33632 Ab are consistent with its host star. Although detectable methane opacities are expected in L/T transition objects, we did not recover methane in our KPIC spectra, partly due to the high $v\sin{i}$ and to disequilibrium chemistry at the pressures we are sensitive to. We parameterize the spin as the ratio of rotation over break-up velocity, and compare HD 33632 Ab to a compilation of >200 very low-mass objects (M$\lesssim$0.1 M$_{\odot}$) that have spin measurements in the literature. There appears to be no clear trend for the isolated field low-mass objects versus mass, but a tentative trend is identified for low-mass companions and directly imaged exoplanets, similar to previous findings. A larger sample of close-in gas giant exoplanets and brown dwarfs will critically examine our understanding of their formation and evolution through rotation and chemical abundance measurements.