Failed Star Freeze emits radio waves

Astronomers have detected the coldest radio emission ever seen from a brown dwarf. Located relatively close to Earth, this failed star is smaller than Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, and cooler than a campfire.

The object is known as T8 Dwarf WISE J062309.94-045624.6 and is about 37 light-years from Earth, has a diameter about 65% to 95% that of Jupiter, and is 4 to 40 times larger than the gas giant. Due to temperatures of up to 475 degrees Celsius, it was classified as a very cold brown dwarf and surprised researchers with its radio emissions. Other failed stars have been detected that are much cooler, around 23 degrees Celsius, but they do not emit this kind of radiation.

It is very rare to find supercool brown dwarf stars like this one that produce radio emissions. This is because their dynamics generally do not produce the magnetic fields that generate radio emissions detectable from Earth. An interesting discovery is to find this brown dwarf that produces radio waves at such a low temperature.

Kofi Rose, PhD student at the University of Sydney’s School of Physics, in a statement

Brown dwarfs are not massive enough to burn hydrogen, so studying these objects becomes important to determine what is the dividing line between failed stars and main sequence stars.

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Radio emissions from brown dwarfs

Researchers well understand the causes of hydrogen fusion into helium, magnetic field formation, and radio emissions in main sequence stars. However, the internal dynamics of brown dwarfs are still not well understood, especially with regard to the emission of low-frequency radiation, as only 10% of known failed stars do so.

It is believed that they were created because these objects rotate fast enough to generate strong magnetic fields. By making this movement at a different rate than the ionosphere, they end up generating an electric current.

In the case of T8 Dwarf WISE J062309.94-045624.6, radio emissions can be generated when electrons move toward the poles, generating regular bursts of low-frequency electromagnetic waves.

Deepening our understanding of ultracool brown dwarfs like this one will help us understand the evolution of stars, including how they generate magnetic fields.

Kofi rose

To detect emissions from the brown dwarf, the CSIRO ASKAP telescope in Australia was used, and then confirmed by the Australia Combined Array Telescope and the Meerkat telescope in South Africa.

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