2018/01/01 by Étienne Artigau
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Blue dwarf #Brown dwarf #Giant star #Main sequence #Sequence (biology) #Stars #Stellar atmosphere #Stellar classification #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph.EP #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-55333-7_94
Accepted chapter in the "Handbook of Exoplanets"; Springer
openalex publication_date 2018/01/01 · arxiv created 2018/03/20 · openalex created_date 2018/03/29 · arxiv updated 2018/12/05 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Brown dwarfs constitute a missing link between low-mass stars and giant planets. Their atmospheres display chemical species typical of planets, and one could wonder whether they also have weather-like patterns. While brown dwarf surface features cannot be directly resolved, the photometric and spectroscopic modulations induced by these features, as they rotate in and out of view, provide a wealth of information on the evolution of their atmosphere. A review of brown dwarfs variability through the L, T and Y spectral types sequence is presented, as well as the constraints that they set on the nature of weather-like patterns on their surface.