Program: GS-2014B-Q-17

We request telescope time to obtain near-IR data for the two lowest- luminosity Y dwarfs known, WISE 0350-56 and WISE 0535-75, with T_eff ~ 300K. These are the first non-solar system objects predicted to have significant water clouds, which may herald a new spectral class. This is a new regime where atmospheres become similar to those of the solar system planets, and where only limited testing of models has been possible. Combining the proposed FLAMINGOS-2 1-1.7 micron spectrum and H-band photometry with existing 1 micron, 3-5 micron and 12 micron photometry, and trigonometric parallaxes, will enable our group to carry out an in-depth study of this new frontier of brown dwarf / exoplanet science, a region where water clouds form, and the atmosphere is a balmy 80 degrees Fahrenheit.