2MASS Data Mining and the M, L, and T Dwarf Archives

Abstract

Studies of brown dwarfs as a distinct galactic population have been largely pioneered by dedicated, vast-area surveys at deep optical and near-infrared wavebands. The Two Micron All Sky Survey has, because of its full-sky coverage and depth, been the most successful at providing new targets for further study. The author briefly reviews some of the ways in which 2MASS data have been used by brown dwarf researchers. One of the by-products – namely the 2MASS Team's follow-up spectroscopy of brown dwarf candidates – is potentially valuable as a scientific resource itself and is also being released to the public.