Professors to create models of failed stars

UA professors at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory are creating, for the first time, computer models of the atmosphere of a brown dwarf.

For more than 20 years, astronomers have searched for objects they termed "brown dwarfs," believed to be failed stars because they are too small to burn fusion but too massive to be planets.

Several brown dwarf discoveries have been made, but never confirmed, until a team of Cal Tech and Johns Hopkins University observers discovered a brown dwarf, Gliese 229 B, in October, acccording to a University of Arizona press release.

UA professors are helping the observers turn their discovery into useful information, said Jonathan Lunine, planetary sciences professor.

"What we are trying to do is produce a theory on what the observers see as to the mass and age of the objects," said William Hubbard, planetary sciences professor.

"By building and improving the computer models of the brown dwarf, it will help us determine what the atmosphere is made up of, and that will help with dating it," Lunine said.

For research purposes, studying brown dwarfs will "show how planets are formed, because they are closer to planets in mass, and it will push the means of technology in helping discovering new planets," Lunine said.

- Melanie Klein

Volunteers needed for youth basketball league

Undergraduate Sen. Maile Weigele is in search of volunteers for the Associated Students/University Learning Center Basketball League.

One hundred and ninety to 200 fifth through eighth graders participated last year, Weigele said. She said this year's recruiting will be focused in South Tucson and Sunnyside schools.

"I'm hoping it will get a little bigger," Weigele said.

Weigele said the season consists of every Saturday for five weeks in the spring.

Anyone interested in marketing, fundraising, promoting, recruiting players from schools or coaching in the league should leave a message for Weigele or Gahl Leddel at 621-ASUA.

- Keith J. Allen