Three Fastest-Spinning Brown Dwarfs Discovered Using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope

Scientists, through the use of the Spitzer Space Telescope of NASA, have recently identified the three fastest-spinning brown dwarfs ever discovered.

Brown dwarfs, according to NASA, objects with a similar size between that of a gigantic planet like Jupiter, and that of a small star.

More gigantic than most planets although not quite heavy enough to flare up like stars, brown dwarfs are described as cosmic 'in-betweeners.'

And even though they are not as popular as planets and stars to most people, brown stars are thought to number in the billions in the galaxy.

In a study entitled, Weather on Other Worlds. V. The Three Most Rapidly Rotating Ultra-Cool Dwarfs and published in the Astronomical Journal, the researchers that made the new speed measurements contend that these three rapid rotators could be reaching a speed limit for all brown dwarfs, outside which they would break apart.

Three Fast-Spinning Brown Dwarfs

These three fast-spinning brown dwarfs are all about a similar diameter to Jupiter's although from 40 to 70 times more massive.

Each of the brown dwarfs rotates about once every hour while the next-fastest known brown dwarfs are rotating about once every 1.4 hours and Jupiter is spinning once every 10 hours.

Based on their size, that means, the largest brown dwarf of the three, is whipping around at over 60 miles per second or approximately 220,000 miles every hour.

According to a Phys.org report, the speed measurements were made through the use of data from Spitzer which NASA retired in January last year.

The same report also specified that the brown dwarfs were first discovered by 2MASS or the ground-based Two Micron All Sky Survey, which ran until 2001.

Then, the team verified their findings through observations using the ground-based Gemini North and Magellan telescopes

Brown dwarfs, akin to planets or stars, already spin when they are forming. As they cool down and contract, they are spinning faster, just like when a spinning ice skater is drawing her arms into her body.

In connection to this, scientists have quantified the spin rates of around 80 brown dwarfs, and they differ from less than two hours which include these three new discoveries to tens of hours.

Spin Speed Limit Reached

Having so much variety in speeds already measured among brown dwarfs, it surprised the researchers of this new study that the three fastest-spinning brown dwarfs ever discovered have nearly the similar spin rate, roughly one full rotation each hour, as each other.

This cannot be credited to the brown dwarfs having formed together, or being at a similar stage in their development as they are physically different-one is a warm brown dwarf, the second is cold, while the third is falling between the first two.

Since brown dwarfs are cooling as they age, the temperature differences are suggesting these brown dwarfs have different ages.

The study investigators are not chalking this up to coincidence. For them, the speedy trio's members all have reached a spin speed limit, outside which a brown dwarf could break apart.

Considering that brown dwarfs have the tendency to speed up as they age, there is now a question of, if these objects are exceeding their spin regularly and if they are being torn apart.

In other rotating cosmic objects similar to stars, there are there, natural braking mechanisms that preempt them from destroying themselves. It remains unclear though if similar mechanisms are present in brown dwarfs.

A similar report on the three fastest-spinning brown dwarfs is shown on JPLraw's YouTube video below:

Check out more news and information on Brown Dwarfs on Science Times.