Isolated Planetary-Mass Object SIMP 0136 (NIRSpec Light Curves)

Extended Description

Infographic titled “Isolated Planetary-Mass Object SIMP 0136, Change in Brightness as Object Rotates, NIRSpec Time-Series Spectroscopy.”

The graphic has two parts. On the left are light curves showing the change in brightness of three sets of near-infrared wavelengths over time. On the right is a cross-section of the object’s atmosphere, showing the altitude that each set of wavelengths originates and their relationship to cloud layers or temperature.

Key

Below the title is a key that applies to both the light curve and the diagram.

• Solid red line: “Light from deep iron cloud layer”
• Solid yellow line: “Light from high silicate cloud layer”
• Solid blue line: “Light related to temperature high above the clouds”

Light Curves

The left two-thirds of the infographic consists of a graph showing changes in brightness over time.

Axes

The y-axis is labeled “Relative Brightness: near-infrared emitted light,” with an arrow labeled “brighter” pointing upward, and an arrow labeled “dimmer” pointing downward. There are no units or tick marks.

The x-axis is labeled “Time on July 23, 2023, Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)”. The x-axis is labeled in equal increments of 30 minutes, starting at 7:00 PM at the origin on the left and ending at 10:15 PM on the right.

Illustration of Rotating Object

Just above the x-axis is a horizontal line segment that runs from 7:30 PM to 9:50 PM and is labeled “one complete rotation = 2.4 hours.”

Above the line segment are illustrations of a reddish-orange object with horizontal banding of red, orange, and yellow. The illustrations are placed above the beginning of the rotation period line segment at 7:30 pm, above the middle at about 8:40 PM, and above the end of the segment at 9:50 PM. Each includes a vertical rotation axis with an arrow showing that the object is rotating west to east. The faces visible at 7:30 and at 9:50 are the same. The face in the middle illustration shows the opposite side of the object, with a large dark red spot at the upper right that is not visible in the other two views.

Light Curves

There are three light curves, one in red, one in yellow, and one in blue. Each curve has a different shape, with peaks and valleys of different heights and depths occurring at different times during the observation as the object rotates. The curves overlap each other in places. In all three cases, the brightness pattern begins to repeat after 2.4 hours, which is one full rotation.

Diagram

The right one-third of the graphic is a rectangular cross-section of the object’s atmosphere. The diagram shows two levels of clouds and three sets of colored arrows, which match the colors of the three light curves. Along the left side, the diagram is labeled “Level of the Atmosphere: atmospheric pressure in bars,” with tick marks at 10 bars (about one-fifth of the way up from the bottom), 1 bar (middle), and 0.1 bars (at the top). A horizontal dashed line across the lower part of the diagram at 10 bars is labeled “Iron Clouds.” Below this line is a layer of patchy, orange-colored, pillow-like, clouds. A dashed line across the middle at 1 bar is labeled “Silicate Clouds.” Above and below this line are scattered, yellow-green, pillow-shaped clouds. The region between the iron clouds and silicate clouds is cloud-free with a hazy orange-green background, as is the region above the silicate clouds. Near the top, the atmosphere has a blue to gray tinge.

There are three sets of arrows representing the light that is emitted by the planet and detected by the telescope. Each set includes thick segments representing brighter light and thin segments representing dimmer light. Each set of arrows begins at a different level, but all extend up to the top. From left to right: 

• Blue: Two short, blue arrows rise up from the upper part of the atmosphere, beginning about one-fifth of the way down from the 0.1 bar mark at the top. The arrow at the left is thick, and passes through a brighter blue background. The arrow at the right is thin, and passes through a darker gray portion of the upper atmosphere.
• Red: Two long, red arrows rise up from the iron clouds below 10 bars along the deep part of the atmosphere. The arrow on the left is thick all the way up. It does not pass through any other clouds. The arrow on the right is thick until it hits a silicate cloud at 1 bar. It then becomes thin and remains thin all the way to the top.
• Yellow: Two medium-length yellow arrows rise up from the silicate cloud layer below the 1 bar mark. The arrow on the left is thick all the way up. It begins in a region with no clouds and does not encounter any clouds. The arrow on the right begins in a silicate cloud. It is thick until it hits another cloud. It then becomes thin and remains thin all the way to the top.

Image Alt Text

Infographic titled “Isolated Planetary-Mass Object SIMP 0136, Change in Brightness as Object Rotates, NIRSpec Time-Series Spectroscopy” with a graph of brightness versus time on the left and an atmospheric cross-section on the right.