Por Koraljka Muzic (CENTRA, FCUL).

Abstract: Brown dwarfs are objects that bridge the realms of stars and planets. With masses below ~0.08 MSun, they cannot sustain hydrogen fusion, never reach the main sequence, and remain cooling forever. Star forming regions and young clusters harbour large populations of these substellar objects, including some with masses comparable to those of giant extrasolar planets. However, understanding how they form is still one of the missing pieces in our understanding of how star and planet formation work. In this talk I will present recent observational efforts in searching for, and characterizing the young substellar objects, discuss what we have learned about their populations in different environments, and finally outline the impact on our understanding of star formation.