A JWST/MIRI view of
Context. κ And b is a substellar companion with a mass near the planet–brown dwarf boundary orbiting a B9IV star at ~50–100 au. Estimates of its age and mass vary, which has fueled a decade-long debate. Additionally, the atmospheric parameters (Teff 1650–2050 K and log(g) 3.5–5.5 dex) remain poorly constrained. The differences in atmospheric models and inhomogeneous datasets contribute to the varied interpretations. Aims. We aim to refine the characterization of κ And b by using mid-infrared data to capture its full bolometric emission. Combined with near-infrared (NIR) measurements, we aim to constrain Teff, log(g), and the radius to narrow down the uncertainties in age and mass. Methods. We obtained JWST/MIRI coronagraphic data in the <ns0:monospace>F1065C</ns0:monospace>, <ns0:monospace>F1140C</ns0:monospace>, and <ns0:monospace>F1550C</ns0:monospace> filters and recalibrated existing NIR photometry using an updated ATLAS stellar model. We used MIRI color–magnitude diagrams to probe the likelihood of species (e.g., CH4, NH3, and silicates). We compared the H and <ns0:monospace>F1140C</ns0:monospace> colors and magnitudes of the companion to isochrones to constrain the age and mass. We then modeled its spectral energy distribution with atmospheric models to refine the estimates of Teff, radius, and log(g) and to constrain age and mass using evolutionary models. Results. Cloudy atmosphere models fit the spectral energy distribution of κ And b best. This is consistent with its L0/L2 spectral type and its position near silicate-atmosphere field objects in the MIRI color–magnitude diagram. We derived an age of 47 ± 7 Myr and a mass of 17.3 ± 1.8 MJup by weight-mean combining the models. Atmospheric modeling yielded Teff = 1791 ± 68 K and a radius of 1.42 ± 0.06 RJup. This improves the precision by ~30% over previous estimates. log(g) was constrained to 4.35 ± 0.07 dex, which is an improvement in the precision by ~70% relative to the most precise literature value of 4.75 ± 0.25 dex. Conclusions. Our new mass estimate places κ And b slightly above the planet–brown dwarf boundary determined by the deuterium-burning limit. Our age estimate is ~75% more precise than previous values and aligns the object with the Columba association (42 Myr). The derived Teff suggests silicate clouds, but this needs to be confirmed spectroscopically. MIRI data were crucial to refine the radius and temperature, which led to stronger constraints on the age and mass (both dependent on the model) and improved the overall characterization of κ And b.
Authors
- P. Tremblin
- C. Danielski
- E. Serabyn
- E. Choquet
- N. Godoy
- M. E. Ressler
- P. O. Lagage
- B. Charnay
- M. Mâlin
- A. Boccaletti
Publication Details
- Journal
- Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)
- Published
- 2025-09-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202554652/pdf
- Primary Topic
- Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00