Atmospheric, evolutionary, and spectral models of the brown dwarf Gliese 229 B

Brown dwarfs inhabit a realm intermediate between the more massive stars and the less massive planets. Their thermal infrared emission is powered by the release of gravitational potential energy as [...]
Theoretical spectra and evolutionary models that span the giant planet-brown dwarf continuum have been computed based on the recent discovery of the brown dwarf Gliese 229 B. A flux enhancement in the 4- to 5-micrometer wavelength window is a universal feature from jovian planets to brown dwarfs. Model results confirm the existence of methane and water in the spectrum of Gliese 229 B and indicate that its mass is 30 to 55 jovian masses. Although these calculations focus on Gliese 229 B, they are also meant to guide future searches for extrasolar giant planets and brown dwarfs.