Discovery of radio emission from the brown dwarf LP944-20

E. Berger (), S. Ball, K. M. Becker, M. Clarke, D. A. Frail, T. A. Fukuda, I. M. Hoffman, R. Mellon, E. Momjian, N. W. Murphy, S. H. Teng, T. Woodruff, B. A. Zauderer and R. T. Zavala
Additional contact information
E. Berger: Mathematics & Astronomy 105-24, California Institute of Technology
S. Ball: New Mexico Tech, PO Box 3394 c/s
K. M. Becker: Oberlin College
M. Clarke: Carleton College
D. A. Frail: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, PO Box O
T. A. Fukuda: University of Denver
I. M. Hoffman: University of New Mexico
R. Mellon: 525 Davey Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University
E. Momjian: 177 Chem-Physics building, University of Kentucky
N. W. Murphy: Amherst College
S. H. Teng: University of Maryland
T. Woodruff: Southwestern University, SU Box 7263
B. A. Zauderer: Agnes Scott College
R. T. Zavala: New Mexico State University, MSC 4500 PO Box 3001

Nature, 2001, vol. 410, issue 6826, 338-340

Abstract: Abstract Brown dwarfs are not massive enough to sustain thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen at their centres, but are distinguished from gas-giant planets by their ability to burn deuterium1. Brown dwarfs older than ∼10 Myr are expected to possess short-lived magnetic fields2 and to emit radio and X-rays only very weakly from their coronae. An X-ray flare was recently detected3 on the brown dwarf LP944-20, whereas previous searches4,5,6,7 for optical activity (and one X-ray search1) yielded negative results. Here we report the discovery of quiescent and flaring radio emission from LP944-20, with luminosities several orders of magnitude larger than predicted by the empirical relation8,9 between the X-ray and radio luminosities that has been found for many types of stars. Interpreting the radio data within the context of synchrotron emission, we show that LP944-20 has an unusually weak magnetic field in comparison to active M-dwarf stars10,11, which might explain the previous null optical4,5,6,7 and X-ray1 results, as well as the strength of the radio emissions compared to those at X-ray wavelengths.

Date: 2001
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DOI: 10.1038/35066514

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