An artist’s impression of a star system, UPM J1040−3551, against the backdrop of the Milky Way. (Photo: The NYT)A team of scientists has discovered an extremely rare quadruple star system in the Milky Way, according to a new study. The system — known as UPM J1040−3551 AabBab — consists of a pair of cold brown dwarfs orbiting a pair of young red dwarf stars, a configuration never seen before, the analysis said.The study, ‘Benchmark brown dwarfs – I. A blue M2 + T5 wide binary and a probable young [M4 + M4] + [T7 + T8] hierarchical quadruple’, appeared in the September issue of the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The research was led by Professor Zenghua Zhang, of Nanjing University, and also involved scientists from the University of Hertfordshire (the UK), the Brazilian National Astrophysics Laboratory, the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, and the Center for Astrobiology in Spain.The scientists involved in the study have said that their findings would help them better understand brown dwarfs, which are difficult to detect and examine.Here is a look at what they are and why scientists study them.What are brown dwarfs?Brown dwarfs are curious celestial bodies that share some similarities with stars and others with planets. For instance, these objects form like stars from collapsing clouds of gas and dust. However, they do not have enough mass to consistently fuse hydrogen, a process that heats a star and makes it shine. That is why they are often known as “failed stars”.They have atmospheres similar to gas giant planets such as Jupiter and Saturn. Their atmospheres can consist of clouds and molecules like H2O. Brown dwarfs can also be up to 70 times more massive than Jupiter.Why are brown dwarfs difficult to detect?Brown dwarfs can be difficult to detect as they are cold and faint. As a result, astronomers typically search for brown dwarfs orbiting companion stars, which often burn brighter. This also helps them study these celestial bodies because if a brown dwarf is part of a multiple system with a brighter star, the chances are they were formed out of the same material, at the same place and time.Story continues below this ad“Measuring the brighter stars, then, can be useful for estimating the properties of the fainter brown dwarfs, like their age, temperature and composition,” according to a report by The New York Times.That is why the recent discovery of the quadruple star system is significant. Although the two brown dwarfs, which are both about the size of Jupiter, of the system emit almost no visible light, there is a pair of young dwarfs — the most common type of stars in the Milky Way — which are much brighter than their companions.Also in Explained | James Webb telescope discovers its first Earth-sized exoplanet: What are exoplanets?Hugh Jones, co-author of the study and researcher at the University of Hertfordshire, in a statement, said, “As far as we know, this is the first time a quadruple system has been found with two T-type brown dwarfs orbiting a pair of stars… Unlike our Sun, which is a singleton, most bigger stars are part of multiple-star systems… But smaller stars and brown dwarfs are usually single, and our findings are exciting because the chances of a low-mass brown dwarf having a companion are less than 5%.”Why do scientists study brown dwarfs?Brown dwarfs are significant as they can help astronomers better understand the conditions that are necessary for the formation of stars and planets.Story continues below this adDetermining the abundance and distribution of brown dwarfs gives key information on the distribution of mass in the universe to astronomers. Note that much of the universe’s mass has thus far been undetectable and is known as dark matter.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Explained Sci-TechExpress Explained