A Large Sample of JWST/NIRSpec Brown Dwarfs: New Distant Discoveries

Abstract Brown dwarfs are essential probes of stellar and planetary formation, yet their low luminosities pose challenges for detection at large Galactic distances. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), with its unprecedented near-infrared sensitivity, enables the discovery and characterization of distant substellar objects, including those in the Milky Way’s thick disk and halo. We conducted a systematic search using over 40,000 publicly available JWST/NIRSpec PRISM/CLEAR spectra and identified 68 brown dwarfs through spectral template matching and visual inspection. Among them, 12 are newly identified candidates, including eight T dwarfs and four M/L dwarfs, most at distances exceeding 1 kpc. Remarkably, two sources—JWST J001418.22−302223.2 and JWST J033240.07−274907.8—are found at distances greater than 5 kpc, making them the most distant brown dwarfs within the Milky Way. Spectral fits were performed using a nested sampling Monte Carlo algorithm with three model grids: Sonora Elf Owl, LOWZ, and SAND. The analysis reveals that cloud-free models are unable to reproduce L/T transition spectra, whereas the SAND model provides a more accurate representation of cloud effects in metal-poor environments. With the newly identified distant brown dwarfs, we also investigated the vertical metallicity gradient of brown dwarfs. Overall, the metallicities do not show an evident trend with Galactic height ∣ Z ∣, due to the limited sample size and the uncertainties in metallicity measurements.