Extending Stellar Astrophysics to Planetary Masses

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For the vast majority of stars, precise phsyical parameters (like mass and radius) are not known through direct measurement. Instead, astronomers rely on well-tested theoretical models to be able to infer such properties, especially for single stars where such measurements are typically not possible. The situation for gaseous objects that don't undergo nuclear fusion (brown dwarfs and gas-giant planets) is not nearly so advanced. This project aims to improve our theoretical models of such objects by gathering essential data for calibrating theoretical models: mass and radius measurements, as well as high-quality spectroscopy of those objects. The long-term aspiration of this work is to one day be able to understand "substellar" objects like gas giants and brown dwarfs as well as we understand stars.