Related papers: Formation of Carbon Dwarfs
Cosmological numerical simulations of galaxy evolution show that accretion of metal-poor gas from the cosmic web drives the star formation in galaxy disks. Unfortunately, the observational support for this theoretical prediction is still…
[ABRIDGED] We have determined carbon abundances for 51 dwarf stars and manganese abundances for 95 dwarf stars in two distinct and well defined stellar populations - the Galactic thin and thick disks. As these two populations have different…
The photospheres of some white dwarfs are "polluted" by accretion of material from their surrounding planetary debris. White dwarfs with dust disks are often heavily polluted and high-resolution spectroscopic observations of these systems…
We study the response of the structure of an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star to the accretion of a brown dwarf or planet in its interior. In particular, we examine the case in which the brown dwarf spirals-in, and the accreted matter is…
A number of cool white dwarfs with metal traces, of spectral types DAZ, DBZ, and DZ have been found to exhibit infrared excess radiation due to circumstellar dust. The origin of this dust is possibly a tidally disrupted asteroid that formed…
Using Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC) high-resolution ($R$~35000) spectroscopy from 2.29-2.49 $\mu$m, we present uniform atmospheric retrievals for eight young substellar companions with masses of ~10-30 $M_\textrm{Jup}$,…
We numerically investigate abundance properties of the Galactic globular clusters (GCs) by adopting a new ``external pollution'' scenario. In this framework, GCs are assumed to originate in forming low-mass dwarfs embedded in dark matter…
Carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen (CNO) are key elements in stellar formation and evolution, and their abundances should also have a significant impact on planetary formation and evolution. We present a detailed spectroscopic analysis of 74…
The chemical compositions of 26 metal-poor stars that exhibit strong CH and/or C2 molecular bands are determined based on high-resolution spectroscopy. We define carbon-enhanced stars taking account of the carbon abundance ratio ([C/Fe])…
Cool M dwarfs outnumber sun-like G stars by ten to one in the solar neighborhood. Due to their proximity, small size, and low mass, M-dwarf stars are becoming attractive targets for exoplanet searches via almost all current search methods.…
Giant planets and brown dwarfs play a crucial role in star and planet formation, as they are situated at the boundary between planets and stars with uncertain formation mechanisms. Previous observational searches for the formation boundary…
We present the first spectroscopic metallicities of three M dwarfs with known or candidate planetary mass companions. We have analyzed high resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra of these stars which we obtained at McDonald Observatory.…
Substellar objects such as brown dwarfs and planets are generally expected to remain detached from their main-sequence host stars unless orbital decay or stellar expansion brings them into contact, leading to rapid engulfment and…
Hydrogen atmosphere white dwarfs with metal lines, so-called DAZs, show evidence for ongoing accretion of material onto their surfaces. Some DAZs are known to have unresolved M dwarf companions, which could account for the observed…
Most of our current knowledge on planet formation is still based on the analysis of main-sequence, solar-type stars. Conversely, detailed chemical studies of large samples of M-dwarf planet hosts are still missing. We develop for the first…
Among stars showing carbon molecular bands (C stars), the main sequence dwarfs, likely in post-mass transfer binaries, are numerically dominant in the Galaxy. Via spectroscopic selection from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we retrieve 1220 C…
We present results from the largest numerical simulation of star formation to resolve the fragmentation process down to the opacity limit. The simulation follows the collapse and fragmentation of a large-scale turbulent molecular cloud to…
The survey for DUST in Nearby Galaxies with Spitzer (DUSTiNGS) identified several candidate Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars in nearby dwarf galaxies and showed that dust can form even in very metal-poor systems (Z ~ 0.008 $Z_\odot$).…
The favored theoretical explanation for giant planet formation -- in both our solar system and others -- is the core accretion model (although it still has some serious difficulties). In this scenario, planetesimals accumulate to build up…
Brown dwarfs, which occupy a fuzzy gap in mass between stars and planets, appear to be common both in the solar neighborhood and in star-forming regions. Their origin is a topic of significant current interest and debate. Some astronomers…