How do astronomers often confirm that a low-mass object is a brown dwarf rather than a star just prior to ignition?
Answer
By tracking its luminosity and temperature over many years to confirm a cooling trajectory
Because the ignition event is rapid, experts often rely on long-term tracking of the object's luminosity and temperature. A cooling trajectory is the hallmark of a brown dwarf, which radiates away formation heat, rather than a stable star maintaining equilibrium.
Related Questions
What is the critical mass threshold required for a protostar to become a true star?What is the primary source of light emitted by a shining protostar during contraction?What is the specific astronomical object formed when a protostar fails to meet the $0.08 M_{\odot}$ ignition threshold?What definitive nuclear event transforms a protostar into a main-sequence star?What mass range, expressed in Jupiter masses, defines the category of a brown dwarf?What is the approximate core temperature required for hydrogen nuclei to fuse into helium at a sustainable rate?What allows a brown dwarf, despite being a 'failed star,' to temporarily generate internal heat and glow?What happens to the contraction process of a protostar that fails to reach the ignition state?What prevents a failed protostar (brown dwarf) from replenishing energy lost to space over cosmic timescales?How do astronomers often confirm that a low-mass object is a brown dwarf rather than a star just prior to ignition?