The Deuterium-burning Mass Limit for Brown Dwarfs and Giant Planets

@article{Spiegel2010TheDM,
title={The Deuterium-burning Mass Limit for Brown Dwarfs and Giant Planets},
author={David S. Spiegel and Adam Burrows and John A. Milsom Princeton University and The University of Arizona},
journal={The Astrophysical Journal},
year={2010},
volume={727},
pages={57}
}
• Published 30 August 2010
• Physics, Geology
• The Astrophysical Journal
There is no universally acknowledged criterion to distinguish brown dwarfs from planets. Numerous studies have used or suggested a definition based on an object’s mass, taking the �13-Jupiter mass (MJ) limit for the ignition of deuterium. Here, we investigate various deuterium-burning masses for a range of models. We find that, while 13MJ is generally a reasonable rule of thumb, the deuterium fusion mass depends on the helium abundance, the initial deuterium abundance, the metallicity of the…
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