Whelan, Emma and Ray, T.P. and Bacciotti, F. and Natta, A. and Testi, L. and Randich, S. (2005) A resolved outflow of matter from a brown dwarf. Nature, 435. pp. 652-654. ISSN 1476-4687

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Abstract

The birth of stars involves not only accretion but also, counter-intuitively, the expulsion of matter in the form of highly supersonic outflows1,2. Although this phenomenon has been seen in young stars, a fundamental question is whether it also occurs among newborn brown dwarfs: these are the so-called ‘failed stars’, with masses between stars and planets, that never manage to reach temperatures high enough for normal hydrogen fusion to occur3. Recently, evidence for accretion in young brown dwarfs has mounted4,5,6, and their spectra show lines that are suggestive of outflows7,8,9. Here we report spectro-astrometric data that spatially resolve an outflow from a brown dwarf. The outflow's characteristics appear similar to, but on a smaller scale than, outflows from normal young stars. This result suggests that the outflow mechanism is universal, and perhaps relevant even to the formation of planets.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This work was supported in part by Science Foundation Ireland and the JETSET Marie Curie research training network.
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Experimental Physics
Item ID:	9930
Depositing User:	Emma Whelan
Date Deposited:	14 Sep 2018 15:25
Journal or Publication Title:	Nature
Publisher:	Nature Publishing Group
Refereed:	Yes
Funders:	Science Foundation Ireland, JETSET Marie Curie research training network
URI:
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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