Abstract
As we go down in mass along the main sequence, a regime is reached where the stars become fully convective. This occurs around 0. 3 Mq and it defines the upper limit of the mass range of the very-low mass (VLM) stars. The fully convective nature of these objects persists down to planetary masses, e. g. Jupiter. Such stars have spectral types later than dM3 and effective temperatures below about 3500 K. For objects below ≈ 0. 08 M⊙, the central temperature remains too low to sustain sufficiently vigorous nuclear burning to achieve an equilibrium configuration on the main sequence. These objects, known as brown dwarfs (BDs), loose their initial heat content as they cool rapidly to degenerate configurations.
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
D. R. Alexander and J. W. Ferguson: ApJ, in press, Dec 20 (1994)
J. N. BahcaJl, M. H. Pinsonneault: Rev. Mod. Phys. 64 885 (1992)
A. Burrows, W. B. Hubbard, J. I. Lunine: ApJ, 345 939 (1989)
A. Burrows, W. B. Hubbard, D. Saumon, J. I. Lunine: ApJ, 406 158 (1993)
A. Burrows, J. Liebert: Rev. Mod. Phys. 65 301 (1993)
F. D’Antona, I. Mazzitelli: ApJ, 296 502 (1985)
B. Dorman, L. A. Nelson, W. Y. Chau: ApJ, 342 1003 (1989)
H. R. A. Jones, A. J. Longmore, R. F. Jameson, M. Mountain: MNRAS 267 413 (1994)
J. D. Kirkpatrick et al: ApJ, 402 643 (1993)
C. H. Lacy: ApJ, 218 444 (1977)
S. K. Leggett: ApJS, 82 351 (1992)
M. S. Marley, W. B. Hubbard: Icarus, 73 536 (1988)
D. G. Monet et al: AJ, 103 638 (1992)
D. Saumon: in The Equation of State in Astrophysics, IAU Coll. 147, ed. by G. Chabrier and E. Schatzman (cambridge University Press: Cambridge) 306 (1994)
D. Saumon, G. Chabrier, H. M. Van Horn: ApJS, submitted (1995)
D. Saumon, P. Bergeron, J. I. Lunine, W. B. Hubbard, A. Burrows: ApJ, 424 333 (1994)
A. Songaila, L. L. Cowie, C. J. Hogan, M. Rugers: Nat, 368 599 (1994)
C. G. Tinney, J. R. Mould, I. N. Reid: AJ, 105 1045 (1993)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1995 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Saumon, D., Burrows, A., Hubbard, W.B. (1995). The Quiet Lives of Very Low-Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs. In: Tinney, C.G. (eds) The Bottom of the Main Sequence — And Beyond. ESO Astrophysics Symposia. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-49217-7_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-49217-7_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-22482-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-49217-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive