2006/08/07 by Tyler L. Bourke, Philip C. Myers, Neal J. Evans II +12 · 167 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Bipolar outflow #Brown dwarf #Core (optical fiber) #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Herbig–Haro object #Luminosity #Nebula #Outflow #Spitzer Space Telescope #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/508161
published in The Astrophysical Journal 649(1), L37-L40 (IOP Publishing) · 10 pages with 3 figures, accepted by ApJ Letters
arxiv created 2006/08/07 · openalex publication_date 2006/09/11 · arxiv updated 2010/03/18 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We present Spitzer Space Telescope observations of the "evolved starless core" L1521F that reveal the presence of a very low luminosity object ( L < 0.07 L ☉ ). The object, L1521F-IRS, is directly detected at mid-infrared wavelengths (>5 μm), but only in scattered light at shorter infrared wavelengths, showing a bipolar nebula oriented east-west that is probably tracing an outflow cavity. The nebula strongly suggests that L1521F-IRS is embedded in the L1521F core. Thus, L1521F-IRS is similar to the recently discovered L1014-IRS and the previously known IRAM 04191 in its substellar luminosity and dense core environment. However, these objects differ significantly in their core density, core chemistry, and outflow properties, and some may be destined to be brown dwarfs rather than stars.