Evidence for a radiation belt around a brown dwarf
Abstract
Ultracool dwarfs (UCDs) are a category of astronomical objects that includes brown dwarfs and very-low-mass stars. Radio observations of UCDs have measured their brightness as a function of time (light curves) and spectral energy distributions, providing insight into their magnetic fields. We present spatially resolved radio observations of the brown dwarf LSR J1835+3259 using very-long-baseline interferometry showing extended radio emission. The detected morphology is consistent with the presence of a radiation belt. Comparison with models indicates that the radiation belt contains energetic particles confined by magnetic mirroring. We contend that radio-emitting UCDs have dipole-ordered magnetic fields with radiation belt–like morphologies and aurorae that are similar to those of Jupiter.
- Publication:
-
Science
- Pub Date:
- September 2023
- DOI:
- 10.1126/science.adg6635
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2303.06453
- Bibcode:
- 2023Sci...381.1120C
- Keywords:
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- ASTRONOMY, GEOCHEM PHYS, PLANET SCI;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics;
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Science, 2023, Vol 381, Issue 6662