  We use new and published near-IR spectra, with synthetic spectra, to derive
physical properties of three of the latest-type T dwarfs. A new R~1700 spectrum
of the T7.5 dwarf HD 3651B, with existing data, allows a detailed comparison to
the well-studied and very similar dwarf, Gl 570D. We find that HD 3651B has
both higher gravity and metallicity than Gl 570D, with Teff=820-830K, log g=
5.4-5.5, [m/H]= +0.2 and Kzz=10^4cm^2/s. Its age is 8-12 Gyr and its implied
mass is 60-70 M_Jup. We perform a similar analyis of the T8 and T7.5 dwarfs
2MASS J09393548-2448279 and 2MASS J11145133-2618235 using published data,
comparing them to the well-studied T8, 2MASS J04151954-0935066. We find that
the two dwarfs have the same Teff as the reference dwarf, and similar
gravities, but lower metallicities. The parameters are Teff=725-775K and [m/H]=
-0.3; log g=5.3-5.45 for 2MASS J09393548-2448279 and log g=5.0-5.3 for 2MASS
J11145133- 261823. The age and mass are ~10Gyr and 60M_Jup for 2MASS
J09393548-2448279, and ~5 Gyr and 40M_Jup for 2MASS J11145133-261823. A serious
limitation is the incompleteness of the line lists of CH4 and NH3 at lambda
<1.7um. Spectra of Saturn and Jupiter, and of laboratory CH4 and NH3 gas,
suggest that NH3 features in the Y- and J-bands may be useful as indicators of
the next cooler spectral type, and not features in the H- and K-bands as
previously thought. However large uncertainties remain, as the abundance of NH3
is likely to be significantly below the chemical equilibrium value, and
inclusion of laboratory NH3 opacities predicts band shapes that are discrepant
with existing data. It is possible that the T spectral class will have to be
extended to low temperatures around 400K, when water clouds condense in the
atmosphere [abridged].
