An historical perspective - Brown is not a colorMajor shifts in theoretical understanding of the star formation process and the possible components of the local mass density are reviewed. Those aspects of brown dwarf structure and evolution that are still not well enough understood are outlined, and the types of observations that might force the modification of current theories to accommodate the existence of brown dwarfs are suggested. The appropriateness of the name 'brown dwarf' is defended.
Document ID
19870050968
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Tarter, J. C. (California, University Berkeley; Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute, Los Altos, CA, United States)