Scientists discover extremely hot brown dwarf, preying by companion

Scientists have discovered a brown dwarf — WD0032-317B — orbiting its star at around 1,400 light years away, allowing them to gain further insight into how a nearby star eats its companion.

These brown dwarfs are stars full of gas, emanating luminosity, also regarded as a protostar. It is reported that the atmosphere of brown dwarfs is the same as Jupiter however, their size is 13 to 80 times large.

According to space.com, at that mass, these objects begin to fuse hydrogen isotopes in their cores, but they aren’t enough massive to spark the kind of full self-sustaining stellar fusion that powers stars like our sun.

Scientists have said that this newly discovered brown dwarf is different from other brown dwarfs, according to research accepted by the journal Nature Astronomy.

While measuring the surface temperature of the dwarf, researchers found that it was 7,700 Degree Celsius.

The researchers in the discovery suggested that the object got an assist from the star it orbits, which is very near to its sun, an ultra-hot white dwarf — so close that its year lasts just 2.3 hours.

According to the Science Alert report, that proximity means WD0032-317B is tidally locked, with one side forever facing its star while the other faces away.

Researchers noted that because of this, the brown dwarf is only superheated on one side; even though its day side temperature reaches 13,900 F, its night side is a comparatively balmy 1,900 to 4,900 F (1,000 to 2,700 C).

“That’s the most extreme temperature differential astronomers have measured on a substellar object,” researchers opined.

However, these conditions are not believed to last long as its molecules continue to fall apart, and the brown dwarf is being evaporated by its host star.

The researchers also noted that the discovery could help them understand what happens to Jupiter-like gas giants orbiting extremely hot, massive stars, the observation of which can be challenging due to the properties of the stars, such as their activity and rotation rate.

This space activity will allow scientists to study how extremely hot stars gradually eat their companions.