Characterizing the Time Variability of 2M1207 A + b with JWST NIRSpec/PRISM

Abstract We present JWST NIRSpec/PRISM integral field unit time-resolved observations of 2M1207 A and b (TWA 27), an ∼10 Myr binary system consisting of an ∼2500 K substellar primary hosting an ∼1300 K companion. Our data provide 20 time-resolved spectra over an observation spanning 12.56 hr. We provide an empirical characterization for the spectra of both objects across time. For 2M1207 A, nonlinear trend models are statistically favored within the ranges 0.6–2.3 μ m and 3.8–5.3 μ m. However, most of the periods constrained from sinusoidal models exceed the observing window, setting a lower limit of 12.56 hr. We find the data at H α and beyond 4.35 μ m show a moderate time correlation, as well as a pair of light curves at 0.73–0.80 μ m and 3.36–3.38 μ m. For 2M1207 b, light curves integrated across 0.86–1.77 μ m and 3.29–4.34 μ m support linear trend models. Following the interpretation of Z. Zhang et al., we model the 2M1207 b data with two 1D atmospheric components, both with silicate and iron condensates. The model of time variability due to changes in the cloud filling factor shows broad consistency with the variability amplitudes derived from our data. Our amplitudes, however, disagree with the models at ≈0.86–1 μ m. While an additional model component such as rainout chemistry may be considered here, our analysis is limited by low signal-to-noise ratio. Our results demonstrate the capability of JWST to simultaneously monitor the spectral variability of a planetary-mass companion and host at low contrast.