ESA Science & Technology - Recipes for making brownies: theory vs. observations - A joint ESA-CONSTELLATION workshop on the formation of brown dwarfs

Start date: 10 Sep 2009
Address: ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

The origin of brown dwarfs (BDs) is an important component of the theory of star formation. Recent ground based and satellite observations are revealing an increasing number of BDs; however, their origin remains somewhat mysterious as their mass is 2 orders of magnitude below the average Jeans mass in star-forming clouds. Explaining why they are so common thus requires detailed understanding of the fragmentation processes during star formation, as well as exploring other formation scenarios. This workshop will focus on recent theoretical and observational progresses in the field of BD formation as well as explore current and future perspectives.