Related papers: Spectral Classification Beyond M
We present a method for measuring the physical parameters of the coldest T-type brown dwarfs using low resolution near infrared spectra. By comparing H_2O- and H_2-sensitive spectral ratios between empirical data and theoretical atmosphere…
The last few years has seen a dramatic increase in the number of exoplanets known and in the range of methods for characterising their atmospheric properties. At the same time, new discoveries of increasingly cooler brown dwarfs have pushed…
The sensitivity available to near-infrared surveys has recently allowed us to probe the galaxy population at $z\approx 7$ and beyond. The existing {\em Hubble} Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) and the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for…
Recent discoveries of variable brown dwarfs have provided us with a new window into their three-dimensional cloud structure. The highest variables are found at the L/T transition, where the cloud cover is thought to break up, but…
Variations and spatial distributions of bright and dark material on dwarf planet Ceres play a key role in understanding the processes that have led to its present surface composition. We define limits for bright and dark material in order…
We present 10 - 19 um moderate resolution spectra of ten M dwarfs, one L dwarf, and two T dwarf systems obtained with the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. The IRS allows us to examine molecular spectroscopic…
The optical and infrared colors of L and T dwarfs are sensitive to cloud sedimentation and chemical equilibrium processes in their atmospheres. The i'-z' vs. J-K color-color diagram provides a window into diverse atmospheric processes…
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 ($\leq$ 1 AU), leading to…
In this paper, we calculate new line lists and opacities for the 12 bands of the A$^6\Sigma^{+}$ -- X$^6\Sigma^{+}$ transitions of the CrH molecule. Identified in objects of the new L dwarf spectroscopic class (many of which are brown…
Mid-infrared data, including Spitzer warm-IRAC [3.6] and [4.5] photometry, is critical for understanding the cold population of brown dwarfs now being found, objects which have more in common with planets than stars. As effective…
We report direct observational evidence for a latitudinal dependence of dust cloud opacity in ultracool dwarfs, indicating that equatorial latitudes are cloudier than polar latitudes. These results are based on a strong positive correlation…
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 used HST/WFC3 observations of a sample of 26 nearby ($\le$20 pc) mid to late T dwarfs to search for cooler companions and measure the multiplicity statistics of brown dwarfs. Tightly-separated companions were searched for using a…
Ultracool stellar atmospheres show absorption by alkali resonance lines severely broadened by collisions with neutral perturbers. In the coolest and densest atmospheres, such as those of T dwarfs, Na I and K I broadened by molecular…
The temperatures and colors of stellar models are much less secure than predicted luminosities; consequently, it is important to ensure that the models which are used to interpret data for stellar populations satisfy existing observational…
We present Spitzer IRAC photometry of twelve very late-type T dwarfs; nine have [3.6], [4.5], [5.8] and [8.0] photometry and three have [3.6] and [4.5] photometry only. We investigate trends with type and color for the planning and…
While there have been multiple observational programs aimed at detecting linear polarization of optical radiation emitted by ultracool dwarfs, there has been comparatively less rigorous theoretical analysis of the problem. The general…
We present a spectroscopic classification system for M-dwarfs and M-subdwarfs based on quantitative measures of TiO and CaH features in the region 6200 - 7400 Angstroms. Our sample of cool stars covers the range from solar metallicity stars…
Context. M subdwarfs are metal poor and cool stars. They are important probes of the old galactic populations. However, they remain elusive due to their low luminosity. Observational and modeling efforts are required to fully understand…
Lithium is an important element for the understanding of ultracool dwarfs because it is lost to fusion at masses above $\sim 68\, M_{\rm J}$. Hence, the presence or absence of atomic Li has served as an indicator of the nearby H-burning…