| Abstract: |
It has been more than 20 years since the first detailed models of brown dwarfs were generated, and almost 20 years since the first, unimpeachable discovery of a brown dwarf. In this lecture, I will review the basic properties of these substellar-mass objects. Residing as they do below the lower edge of the main sequence, brown dwarfs constitute an exotic realm boasting molecular (often cloudy) atmospheres, liquid metal cores, and unique spectra that continue to surprise. As the census of known L dwarfs, T dwarfs, and Y dwarfs exceeds 1000, it is time to reflect on two decades of progress concerning these most recent of spectroscopic "stellar" classes to be identified in the Universe. |
