Related papers: T Dwarfs and the Substellar Mass Function. I. Mont…
We present analysis of Hubble Space Telescope images of 82 nearby field late-M and L dwarfs. We resolve 13 of these systems into double M/L dwarf systems and identify an additional possible binary. Combined with previous observations of 20…
Recent observations point to the presence of structured dust grains in the discs surrounding young brown dwarfs, thus implying that the first stages of planet formation take place also in the sub-stellar regime. Here, we investigate the…
The dwarf galaxies comparable to the LMC and SMC, with stellar masses $7.5 <{\rm log}(M_{\ast}/M_{\odot})<9.5$, are found in a diversity of environments and have long quenching timescales. We need to understand how this phenomenon is…
The empirical binary properties of brown dwarfs (BDs) differ from those of normal stars suggesting BDs form a separate population. Recent work by Thies & Kroupa revealed a discontinuity of the initial mass function (IMF) in the…
We explore the spectral and atmospheric properties of brown dwarfs cooler than the latest known T dwarfs. Our focus is on the yet-to-be-discovered free-floating brown dwarfs in the \teff range from $\sim$800 K to $\sim$130 K and with masses…
The Leo T dwarf galaxy, the faintest and least massive galaxy known to have recent star formation ($\leq 1~Gyr$), exhibits a high dynamical mass-to-light ratio based on its stellar velocity dispersion ($7.07^{+1.29}_{-1.12}~\mathrm{km\…
We present new evolution sequences for very low mass stars, brown dwarfs and giant planets and use them to explore a variety of influences on the evolution of these objects. We compare our results with previous work and discuss the causes…
We have compiled L' and M' photometry of 63 single and binary M, L,and T dwarfs obtained at UKIRT using the MKO filter set. This compilation includes new L' data for 8 L dwarfs and 13 T dwarfs and new M' data for 7 L dwarfs, 5 T dwarfs, and…
We use recent microlensing observations toward the central bulge of the Galaxy to probe the overall stellar plus brown dwarf initial mass function (IMF) in these regions well within the brown dwarf domain. We find that the IMF is consistent…
Aims : We want to investigate whether brown dwarfs (BDs) form like stars or are ejected embryos. We study the presence of disks around BDs in the Taurus cloud, and discuss implications for substellar formation models. Methods : We use…
We present a combined analysis of the low-mass Initial Mass Function (IMF) for seven star forming regions. We first demonstrate that the ratios of stars to brown dwarfs are consistent with a single underlying IMF. Assuming the underlying…
We study the connection between the observed star formation rate-stellar mass (SFR-$M_*$) relation and the evolution of the stellar mass function (SMF) by means of a subhalo abundance matching technique coupled to merger trees extracted…
In this paper, we review the current theory of very low mass stars model atmospheres including the coolest known M~dwarfs, M~subdwarfs, and brown dwarfs, i.e. T$_{eff} \leq 5,000 $K and $-2.0 \le [M/H] \le +0.0$. We discuss ongoing efforts…
We report on a new measurement of the luminosity function (LF) and mass function (MF) of field low-mass dwarfs using Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) photometry. The final catalog is composed of ~15 million low-mass stars (0.1 Msun < M < 0.8…
Recent surveys have identified sub-stellar objects down to planetary masses in nearby star-forming regions. Reliable determination of the disk frequency in young brown dwarfs is of paramount importance to understanding their origin. Here we…
We present the results of a Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS imaging survey of 22 T-type field brown dwarfs. Five are resolved as binary systems with angular separations of 0"05-0"35, and companionship is established on the basis of component…
We present evidence which indicates the luminosity functions of star forming regions, open star clusters and the field dips between spectral types M7-M8. We attribute this to a sharp local drop in the luminosity-mass relation and speculate…
Recent observations of nearby star forming regions have offered evidence that young brown dwarfs undergo a period of mass accretion analogous to the T Tauri phase observed in young stars. Brown dwarf analogs to stellar protostars, however,…
We have obtained images of the Trapezium Cluster (140" x 140"; 0.3 pc x 0.3 pc) with the Hubble Space Telescope Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). Combining these data with new ground-based K-band spectra (R=800)…
It has been shown recently that the dynamical V-band mass-to-light ratios of compact stellar systems with masses from 10^6 to 10^8 Solar masses are not consistent with the predictions from simple stellar population (SSP) models. Top-heavy…