Spatial Distribution Of Brown Dwarfs Research Articles

Changing Structures in Galactic Star Clusters

AbstractWe investigate the structures of embedded and open clusters using statistical methods, in particular the combined parameter $\Q$, which permits to quantify the cluster structure. Star clusters build up from several subclusters evolving from a structured to a more centrally concentrated stage. The evolution is not only a function of time, but also of the mass of the objects. Massive stars are usually centrally concentrated, while lower-mass stars are more widespread, reflecting the effect of mass segregation. Using this method we find that in IC 348 and the Orion Nebula Cluster the spatial distribution of brown dwarfs does not follow the central clustering of stars, giving important clues to their formation mechanism by supporting the ejected embryo scenario.

The Spatial Distribution of Brown Dwarfs in Taurus

By combining photometry from the 2MASS Point Source Catalog and the USNO-B1.0 catalog with optical and infrared spectroscopy, I have performed a search for young brown dwarfs in an area of 225 deg2 encompassing all of the Taurus star-forming region (τ ~ 1 Myr). From this work, I have discovered 22 new members of Taurus, 5 of which were independently found by Guieu and coworkers. Sixteen of these new members have spectral types later than M6 and thus are likely to be brown dwarfs according to the theoretical evolutionary models of Chabrier and Baraffe. After adding these new members to the previously known members of Taurus, I have compared the spatial distributions of stars and brown dwarfs across the entire region. I find no statistically significant difference between these two distributions. Taurus does not contain the large, extended population of brown dwarfs that has been predicted by some embryo ejection models for the formation of brown dwarfs. However, these results are consistent with other ejection models, as well as models in which stars and brown dwarfs share a common formation mechanism.

The distribution of ejected brown dwarfs in clusters

AbstractWe examine the spatial distribution of brown dwarfs produced by the decay of small‐N stellar systems as expected from the embryo ejection scenario. We model a cluster of several hundred stars grouped into ‘cores’ of a few stars/brown dwarfs. These cores decay, preferentially ejecting their lowest‐mass members. Brown dwarfs are found to have a wider spatial distribution than stars, however once the effects of limited survey areas and unresolved binaries are taken into account it can be difficult to distinguish between clusters with many or no ejections. A large difference between the distributions probably indicates that ejections have occurred, however similar distributions sometimes arise even with ejections. Thus the spatial distribution of brown dwarfs is not necessarily a good discriminator between ejection and non‐ejection scenarios. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Four Brown Dwarfs in the Taurus Star-forming Region

We have identified four brown dwarfs in the Taurus star-forming region. They were first selected from $R$ and $I$ CCD photometry of 2.29 square degrees obtained at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Subsequently, they were recovered in the 2MASS second incremental data release point source catalog. Low-resolution optical spectra obtained at the William Herschel telescope allow us to derive spectral types in the range M7--M9. One of the brown dwarfs has very strong H$\alpha$ emission (EW=-340 \AA). It also displays Br$\gamma$ emission in an infrared spectrum obtained with IRCS on the Subaru telescope, suggesting that it is accreting matter from a disk. The \ion{K}{1} resonance doublet and the \ion{Na}{1} subordinate doublet at 818.3 and 819.5 nm in these Taurus objects are weaker than in field dwarfs of similar spectral type, consistent with low surface gravities as expected for young brown dwarfs. Two of the objects are cooler and fainter than GG Tau Bb, the lowest mass known member of the Taurus association. We estimate masses of only 0.03 M$_\odot$ for them. The spatial distribution of brown dwarfs in Taurus hints to a possible anticorrelation between the density of stars and the density of brown dwarfs.