Related papers: Distinguishing Binary from Single L/T Transition D…
L and T dwarfs emit most of their radiation in the near infrared and their spectral energy distributions are dominated by strong molecular absorption bands. These highly structured energy distributions lead to JHK magnitudes that are…
One of the mechanisms suggested for the L to T dwarf spectral type transition is the appearance of relatively cloud-free regions across the disk of brown dwarfs as they cool. The existence of partly cloudy regions has been supported by…
I review the optical and near-infrared spectral characteristics of the extremely cool dwarfs grouped under the new classification of type L. These include both very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, and we discuss the likely temperature…
We present a technique to identify spectrophotometrically variable L7-T3 brown dwarfs with single-epoch, low-resolution, near-infrared SpeX spectra. We calculated spectral indices on known variable brown dwarfs and used them to select 11…
Multiplicity is a key statistic for understanding the formation of very low mass (VLM) stars and brown dwarfs. Currently, the separation distribution of VLM binaries remains poorly constrained at small separations (<1 AU), leading to…
We discuss the behaviour of the JHKL'M' colors of L and T dwarfs, based on photometric and spectroscopic data obtained at the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope in Hawaii. We have measured the first accurate M' photometry for L and T dwarfs.…
We present Keck near-infrared imaging of three binary L dwarf systems, all of which are likely to be sub-stellar. Two are lithium dwarfs, and a third exhibits an L7 spectral type, making it the coolest binary known to date. All have…
The determination of the brown dwarf binary fraction may contribute to the understanding of the substellar formation mechanisms. Unresolved brown dwarf binaries may be revealed through their peculiar spectra or the discrepancy between…
We present a homogeneous sample of 1361 L and T dwarfs brighter than J = 17.5 (of which 998 are new), from an effective area of 3070 deg2, classified by the photo-type method to an accuracy of one spectral sub-type using izYJHKW1W2…
We aim to provide a detailed characterization of near-infrared spectra for young LT brown dwarfs, including robust spectral typing, calibrating spectral indices, identifying possible binaries, and selecting suitable spectral standards. We…
The multiplicity properties of brown dwarfs are critical empirical constraints for formation theories, while multiples themselves provide unique opportunities to test evolutionary and atmospheric models and examine empirical trends. Studies…
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…
[abbreviated] We report resolved near-infrared spectroscopic monitoring of the nearby L dwarf/T dwarf binary WISE J104915.57-531906.1AB (Luhman 16AB), as part of a broader campaign to characterize the spectral energy distribution and…
We present the discovery and spectroscopic follow-up of a nearby late-type L dwarf (2M0614+3950), and two extremely wide very-low-mass binary systems (2M0525-7425AB and 2M1348-1344AB), resulting from our search for common proper motion…
Aims. We present a method, named photo-type, to identify and accurately classify L and T dwarfs onto the standard spectral classification system using photometry alone. This enables the creation of large and deep homogeneous samples of…
We present astrometric measurements of eleven nearby ultracool brown dwarfs of spectral types Y and late-T, based on imaging observations from a variety of space-based and ground-based telescopes. These measurements have been used to…
The binary brown dwarf WISE J104915.57$-$531906.1 (also Luhman 16AB), composed of a late L and early T dwarf, is a prototypical L/T transition flux reversal binary located at only 2 pc distance. Luhman 16B is a known variable whose light…
The NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has discovered almost all the known members of the new class of Y-type brown dwarfs. Most of these Y dwarfs have been identified as isolated objects in the field. It is known that binaries…
We present the peculiar near-infrared spectrum of the newly discovered brown dwarf 2MASS J05185995-2828372, identified in the Two Micron All-Sky Survey. Features characteristic of both L and T dwarfs are present, namely strong carbon…
Brown dwarfs at the L-T transition likely experience an inhomogeneous clearing of the clouds in their atmospheres. The resulting surface of thin and thick cloudy patches has been put forward to explain the observed variability, J-band…