Seminario DAS: Beyond the light: A nine-year journey into the origins of stars and brown dwarfs

Speaker: Alejandro Santamaría
Affiliation: Universidad de Chile

Abstract: I will present a comprehensive overview of my nine-year research journey in Chile, focusing on the processes involved in the formation of stars and brown dwarfs. Using high-resolution observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), my work examines various stages of brown dwarf formation in the Lupus star-forming region, tracking their evolution from prestellar cores to Class II sources across optical to submillimeter wavelengths. Additionally, I will discuss molecular outflows associated with molecular jets in very low-mass stars and their relation to the origins of brown dwarfs. Through the eDisk ALMA large program, I have also explored the possible presence of substructures in Class 0 low-mass stellar disks, which sheds light on early planet-forming systems. Notably, I will share the first indications of substructures within a brown dwarf disk—an exciting discovery that may reveal new insights into planet formation processes within substellar environments. This research enhances our understanding of how brown dwarfs and low-mass stars form and evolve, offering valuable insights into the mechanisms governing the lower end of the star formation regime.