Rafael Rebollo López 19/10/2009

Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias y CSIC, La Laguna
Madrid, 19 de octubre de 2009 We will review advances in the physics and characterization of the lowest mass stars, the most abundant type of stars in our Galaxy, and of the similarly numerous brown dwarfs and free-floating superJupiters. The properties of these substellar objects bridge the gap between those of stars and the giant planets in our Solar System. Recent searches in star forming regions have revealed rich populations of substellar objects. Billions appear to live in our Galaxy. Given their intrinsic low luminosity many remain uncovered, even in the inmediate vicinity of the Sun. The formation process of substellar objects is not fully established yet, but there is increasing evidence that they can form as very low-mass stars do. They can host protoplanetary discs and even harbour giant and rocky planets. There are prospects to discover and even directly image telluric planets around the nearesttiny stars and substellar objects