Related papers: A Patchy Cloud Model for the L to T Dwarf Transiti…
The re-emergence of the 0.99 $\mu$m FeH feature in brown dwarfs of early- to mid-T spectral type has been suggested as evidence for cloud disruption where flux from deep, hot regions below the Fe cloud deck can emerge. The same mechanism…
We present new L' (3.75 um) photometry of six L and T dwarfs, and M' (4.70 um) photometry of ten L and T dwarfs, observed at Gemini Observatory, and new 3.55, 4.49, 5.73 and 7.87 um photometry of nine L and T dwarfs, obtained with the…
The atmosphere of a brown dwarf or extrasolar giant planet controls the spectrum of radiation emitted by the object and regulates its cooling over time. While the study of these atmospheres has been informed by decades of experience…
Brown Dwarf atmosphere are a chemically extremely rich, one example being the formation of clouds driven by the phase-non-equilibrium of the atmospheric gas. Cloud formation modelling is an integral part of any atmosphere simulation used to…
Since the discovery of the first L dwarf 19 years ago and the discovery of the first T dwarf 7 years after that, we have amassed a large list of these objects, now numbering almost six hundred. Despite making headway in understanding the…
Light scattering by atmospheric dust particles is responsible for the polarization observed in some L dwarfs. Whether this polarization arises from an inhomogeneous distribution of dust across the disk or an oblate shape induced by rotation…
Recent photometric studies have revealed that surface spots that produce flux variations are present on virtually all L and T dwarfs. Their likely magnetic or dusty nature has been a much-debated problem, the resolution to which has been…
We present infrared spectra of brown dwarfs with spectral types from mid-L to T. The 0.9-2.5 $\mu$m spectra of three dwarfs found by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey contain absorption bands of both methane and carbon monoxide and bridge the…
The primary goal of the Ariel space telescope is to conduct the biggest spectroscopic survey of transiting exoplanets to characterize their atmospheres and weather. We propose to extend the Ariel survey to another domain of alien…
We report the discovery of 87 new T dwarfs uncovered with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and three brown dwarfs with extremely red near-infrared colors that exhibit characteristics of both L and T dwarfs. Two of the new T…
Time-resolved observations of brown dwarfs' rotational modulations provide powerful insights into the properties of condensate clouds in ultra-cool atmospheres. Multi-wavelength light curves reveal cloud vertical structures, condensate…
In this paper, we review the current theory of very low mass stars model atmospheres including the coolest known M~dwarfs, M~subdwarfs, and brown dwarfs, i.e. T$_{eff} \leq 5,000 $K and $-2.0 \le [M/H] \le +0.0$. We discuss ongoing efforts…
Brown dwarf spectra are rich in information revealing of the chemical and physical processes operating in their atmospheres. We apply a recently developed atmospheric retrieval tool to an ensemble of late T-dwarf (600-800K) near infrared…
We present new high contrast imaging of 8 L/T transition brown dwarfs using the NIRC2 camera on the Keck II telescope. One of our targets, the T3.5 dwarf 2MASS J08381155 + 1511155, was resolved into a hierarchal triple with projected…
Over the past few years monitoring programs have shown ultra cool dwarfs (UCDs) to be photometrically variable. Of the 60 sources monitored in the field and some 120 monitored in clusters, about 40% show variability in both cases. For mid…
The recent discovery of photometric variations in L dwarfs has opened a discussion on the cause of the variations. We argue against the existence of magnetic spots in these atmospheres and favor the idea that non-uniform condensate coverage…
Over a large range of equilibrium temperatures, clouds shape the transmission spectrum of hot Jupiter atmospheres, yet their composition remains unknown. Recent observations show that the Kepler lightcurves of some hot Jupiters are…
Variability monitoring provides an unparalleled insight into the atmospheric processes of brown dwarfs and directly imaged exo-planets. Inhomogeneous clouds, aurorae and magnetic spots have all been postulated as potential drivers of…
We present the results of a Keck/NIRSPEC follow-up survey of thirteen late-type T dwarfs (T6-T9), twelve of which have unusually red or blue J-H colors. Previous work suggests that J-H color outliers may represent the high-gravity,…
We present JHK photometry and spectroscopy for a sample of newly identified L and T dwarfs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and known dwarfs from the SDSS and the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). Spectral classification has been…