Ground-Based Surveys For Low-Luminosity Stars

Abstract

Most of what we know about the Luminosity and mass function of low-mass stars has been derived from analysis of ground-based photometric and astrometric Surveys. A major uncertainty in the Interpretation of such surveys lies in the appropriate correction for unresolved binaries and in the use of a reliable colour-magnitude relation. various new surveys are now uncovering large numbers of objects which should rapidly ameliorate these ambiguities.The recent discovery of brown dwarfs and planets has highlighted the importance of low-luminosity stars. once we understand their spectra and colours and have statistically significant samples, it will be important to use them to reliably constrain theories of star formation and chemical evolution as well as to use them as a probe of galactic structure and to reliably ascertain their contribution to baryonic dark matter. In this brief review ishall focus on ground-based field searches. Hambly (1997) reviews the very successful searches that have recently been carried out in nearby clusters.Until the 1970s, most work on the faint-star luminosity function was based on proper-motion searches primarily by dutch researchers, in particular Luyten (e.g. 1938, 1979). The Last 20 years have seen a switch from astrometric to photometric surveys employing plate-scanning machines or CCD cameras. Combined with substantial increases in computing power these technologies have led to the discovery of large numbers of very low-luminosity Stars.