Related papers: Testing Gravity Using Dwarf Stars
The lowest-mass stars, brown dwarfs and giant exoplanets span a minimum in the mass-radius relationship that probes the fundamental physics of extreme states of matter, magnetism, and fusion. This White Paper outlines scientific…
We numerically construct compact stars in the scalar-tensor theory of gravity with non-minimal derivative coupling of a scalar field to the curvature and nonzero cosmological constant. There are two free parameters in this model of gravity:…
With the precision now afforded by modern space-based photometric observations from the retired K2 and current TESS missions, the effects of general relativity (GR) may be detectable in the light curves of pulsating white dwarfs (WDs).…
After decades of brown dwarf discovery and follow-up, we can now infer the functional form of the mass distribution within 20 parsecs, which serves as a constraint on star formation theory at the lowest masses. Unlike objects on the main…
Precise and reliable measurements of the masses and radii of neutron stars with a variety of masses would provide valuable guidance for improving models of the properties of cold matter with densities above the saturation density of nuclear…
Mass estimates of white dwarfs via electromagnetic methods, often differ from those obtained through gravitational redshift measurements, in some cases with discrepancies ranging in $5-15\%$ across independent datasets. Although many of the…
Astrophysical objects below the stellar mass limit but well above the mass of Jupiter eluded discovery for nearly three decades after Kumar first proposed their existence, and for two decades after Tarter proposed the name "brown dwarfs."…
The measurement of the size of gravitationally bounded structures is an important test of gravity theories. For a given radius different theories can in fact predict a different gravitational stability mass (GSM) necessary to ensure the…
We derive the empirical formulas for the neutron star mass and gravitational redshift as a function of the central density and specific combination of the nuclear saturation parameters, which are applicable to the stellar models constructed…
Neutrons stars are unique laboratories to discriminate between the various proposed equations of state of matter at and above nuclear density. One sub-class of neutron stars - those inside quiescent low-mass X-ray binaries (qLMXBs) -…
We have used the VLA to conduct a deep search for 3.6 cm radio emission from nearby very low mass stars and brown dwarfs. The Gudel-Benz relation is used to predict radio luminosities for some very low mass stars and candidate brown dwarfs…
This talk reviews the constraints imposed by binary-pulsar data on gravity theories, focusing on ``tensor-scalar'' ones which are the best motivated alternatives to general relativity. We recall that binary-pulsar tests are qualitatively…
Since the discovery of the first bona-fide brown dwarfs and extra-solar planets in 1995, the field of low mass stars and substellar objects has considerably progressed, both from theoretical and observational viewpoints.Recent developments…
We use star counts from 13 deep HST fields imaged with the {\it Wide Field Camera - 2} in order to constrain the amount of dark matter in the Galaxy that can be in the form of low-mass main sequence stars or white-dwarfs. Based on the…
Red Dwarfs (RDs) are the most common, low-mass stars (<=0.5 M_sun) in the Solar neighbourhood, and probably in the Universe as well. Most (likely all) young RDs are magnetically active, and therefore it is impossible to measure their radial…
Brown dwarfs that gain mass through binary interactions may be pushed above the boundary that divides brown dwarfs from low-mass stars: the hydrogen burning limit (HBL). Some of these objects will make their way to the main sequence and may…
The gravitational wave (GW) detection of a binary neutron star inspiral made by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo paves the unprecedented way for multi-messenger observations. The propagation speed of this GW can be scrutinized by…
Within the framework of $f(R)=R+\alpha R^2$ gravity, we study realistic models of neutron stars, using equations of state compatible with the LIGO constraints. i.e. APR4, MPA1, SLy, and WW1. By numerically solving modified…
Spectra of molecular hydrogen (H$_2$) are employed to search for a possible proton-to-electron mass ratio ($\mu$) dependence on gravity. The Lyman transitions of H$_2$, observed with the Hubble Space Telescope towards white dwarf stars that…
The mass domain where massive extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs lay is still poorly understood. Indeed, not even a clear dividing line between massive planets and brown dwarfs has been established yet. This is partly due to the paucity of…