Optical Linear Polarimetry of Ultra Cool Dwarfs

Details Optical Linear Polarimetry of Ultra Cool Dwarfs Optical Linear Polarimetry of Ultra Cool Dwarfs

2002-11-14

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0211332v1

Astron.Astrophys.396:L35,2002

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

4 pages, 1 figure, accepted by A&A Letters

Scientific paper

10.1051/0004-6361:20021657

Optical linear polarimetry of 8 ultra cool field dwarfs, with spectral types ranging from M9 to L8, is presented. The linear polarisation, P, of each dwarf we measured is P < 0.2%. Three dwarfs have polarisations compatible with zero, two are marginal detections, and three have significant polarisation. Due to their small distance, an insterstellar origin for the detected polarisation can be safely ruled out. Our detections confirm that dust is present in the atmosphere of these brown dwarfs and that the scattering geometry is not symmetric. Possibilities for asymmetry include the dwarfs rotating rapidly and being oblate, or the cloud coverage in the atmosphere being inhomogenous.

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