A new model for brown dwarf spectra including accurate unified line shape theory for the Na I and K I resonance line profiles

Abstract

We present the first brown dwarf atmosphere models based on theoretical calculations of absorption profiles of sodium and potassium perturbed by helium and molecular hydrogen. The synthetic spectra have been compared to previous calculations with Lorentz profiles and the classic van der Waals approximation, and to the observed spectrum of the T dwarf SDSS 1624. The new profiles provide increased opacities in the optical spectra of methane brown dwarfs. However, the potassium and sodium far wings alone cannot explain the missing opacity in the 0.85 to 1.1 μm range.