Related papers: Variability of Brown Dwarfs
Recent monitoring programs of ultra cool field M and L dwarfs (low mass stars or brown dwarfs) have uncovered low amplitude photometric I-band variations which may be associated with an inhomogeneous distribution of photospheric…
Beyond the main sequence solar type stars undergo extensive mass loss, providing an environment where planet and brown dwarf companions interact with the surrounding material. To examine the interaction of substellar mass objects embedded…
The spectra of brown dwarfs are key to exploring the chemistry and physics that take place in their atmospheres. Late-T dwarf spectra are particularly diagnostic due to their relatively cloud-free atmospheres and deep molecular bands. With…
We fit archival near-infrared spectra of 305 brown dwarfs with atmosphere models from the Sonora and Phoenix groups. Using the parameters of the best-fit models as estimates for the physical properties of the brown dwarfs in our sample, we…
We use three field L and T dwarfs which were discovered to be wide companions to known stars by the Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) to derive a preliminary brown dwarf companion frequency. Observed L and T dwarfs indicate that brown…
By comparing near-infrared spectra with atmosphere models, we infer the effective temperature, surface gravity, projected rotational velocity, and radial velocity for 21 very-low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. The unique sample consists of…
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…
Growing observations of brown dwarfs have provided evidence for strong atmospheric circulation on these objects. Directly imaged planets share similar observations, and can be viewed as low-gravity versions of brown dwarfs. Vigorous…
Recent studies revealed viewing-angle-dependent color and spectral trends in brown dwarfs, as well as long-term photometric variability (~100 hr). The origins of these trends are yet unexplained. Here, we propose that these seemingly…
The very recent discovery of planets orbiting very low mass stars sheds light on these exotic objects. Planetary systems around low-mass stars and brown dwarfs are very different from our solar system: the planets are expected to be much…
We present an analysis of brown dwarf model spectra in the mid-infrared spectral region (5 - 20 microns), in anticipation of data obtained with the Space Infrared Telescope Facility. The mid-infrared spectra of brown dwarfs are in several…
Brown dwarfs occupy the important region in the mass range between stars and planets. Their existence, ambigious until only recently, and their properties give insight into stellar and planetary formation. We present statistical results of…
Sun-like stars are known to host a paucity of brown dwarf companions at close separations. Direct imaging surveys of intermediate-mass stars have suggested that the brown dwarf desert may be fundamentally a feature in the mass ratio.…
In order to understand the atmospheres as well as the formation mechanism of giant planets formed outside our solar system, the next decade will require an investment in studies of isolated young brown dwarfs. In this white paper we…
Recent studies have shown that close-in brown dwarfs in the mass range 35-55 M$_{\rm Jup}$ are almost depleted as companions to stars, suggesting that objects with masses above and below this gap might have different formation mechanisms.…
I present the results of a multiyear survey of very low mass stars and brown dwarfs, at high spectral resolution. The spectra were gathered with the HIRES echelle at the Keck Observatory. Some of these objects are stellar and others are…
Using the Gemini infrared camera on the 3-meter Shane telescope at Lick Observatory, we have searched for broad-band J and K' photometric variability for a sample of 15 L and T-type brown dwarfs, including 7 suspected spectral binaries.…
The atmospheres of brown dwarfs have been long observed to exhibit a multitude of non-equilibrium chemical signatures and spectral variability across the L, T and Y spectral types. We aim to investigate the link between the large-scale 3D…
We present opacity sampling model atmospheres, synthetic spectra and colors for brown dwarfs and very low mass stars in two limiting case of dust grain formation: 1) inefficient gravitational settling i.e. the dust is distributed according…
The orbital elements of extreme mass ratio binaries will be modified by interactions with surrounding circumstellar disks. For brown dwarf companions to Solar-type stars the resulting orbital migration is sufficient to drive short period…