Wednesday December 7, 2005 news@michigandaily.com SCIENCE 5 . .. ....... COURTESY OF NASA/JPL An artist's rendition of a hypothetical miniatureized solar system, shown top right, compared to a solar system based around a star called 55 Cancri, which is about the same size as our sun. By Jeremy Davidson U Daily Science Reporter Astronomers observe a brown dwarf that may have planets cientists have discovered an object about 10 times the size of Jupiter that may develop into the smallest known solar system. Using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Tele- scope and two telescopes in Chile, scientists discovered a unique brown dwarf. This sub-stellar object calls the definitions of stars and planets into question said Astronomy Prof. Lee Hartmann, who has been involved with observing and obtaining infrared data about the brown dwarf from the Spitzer Space Telescope. Astronomers are unsure how to classify this brown dwarf because, while it does not create nuclear fusion - a process unique to stars - it has the potential for planets to form around it. Hartmann said nothing as small as this brown dwarf has ever had the potential for planets to develop. In the past, scientists have classified brown dwarfs by size and for- mation. Brown dwarfs do not have enough mass to create the kind of pressure necessary for nuclear fusion, making it possible for scientists to recognize them as non-stellar formations. Hartmann said scientists have had little trouble distinguishing between stars and planets, due to their drastic differences in size and formation, but that if this brown dwarf forms planets, it could call the current terms "brown dwarf" a "planet" into question. Current star development theory says that when a cold cloud of gas gains enough mass and becomes unstable to its own gravity, the matter collapses on itself - eventually becoming massive enough to support nuclear fusion. Brown dwarfs undergo a similar process, but with a smaller cloud, which makes it impossible for them to achieve nuclear fusion. Current planet formation theory suggests that while the star collapses, it drives a rotating disc that pulls matter around the star in the same direc- tion. Planets are formed when large masses of dust, rock and other matter that orbit around a star accumulate. Until this most recent discovery, scientists had not observed a brown dwarf with a rotating disc. Hartmann said this aspect of the unique brown dwarf demonstrates the process of star formation in a much smaller mass, in a much smaller sys- tem. If formed, the planets would be the first of their kind discovered. "It makes it more confusing about what makes ... a planet and what makes a brown dwarf," Hartmann said. Astronomy Prof. Nulia Calvet said astronomers will continue to observe "It makes it more confusing about what makes... a planet and what makes a brown dwarf." -Lee Hartmann Astronomy Prof. the object, which is about 400 light years away from the earth; to see if it indeed will form planets around it. Hartmann said that if this brown dwarf does produce planets, it would be the smallest object to produce a solar system. "This is something that's bright and shiny, so it seems more like a star or a Brown Dwarf, but it makes us want to reconsider where we draw the line between a planet and a Brown Dwarf," Hartmann said. MSA Continued from page 1 weekly meetings. But as assembly members trickled into MSA chambers last night, business casual wasn't exactly the trend. Wearing North Face fleeces, Nikes, hoodies and sweatpants, many MSA members ignored the executive board's suggestion. One representative wore a suit and tie, but topped off the outfit with a hat reminiscent of a Dr. Seuss character. Another wore a safari hat. All four executive board members fol- lowed their own suggestion. MSA President Jesse Levine looked the part of a student body leader when. he departed from his usual ensemble of a hooded sweatshirt with jeans to don a light blue button-down shirt, khakis, brown dress shoes and light-colored socks last night. The dapper dress contrasted tabletops littered with Chinese take-out boxes, Wendy's bags and empty latte cups. MSA Vice President Nicole Stallings said executives were attempting to lead by example and to "set a good tone" for the assembly. The executive board had hoped that other MSA members would follow suit, but it appeared that many have not responded to the suggestion. Little more than half of the assembly dressed up to the board's standards. MSA representative Laura Van Hyfte said that she supports the new precedent and thinks "it will encourage a profes- sional attitude." "We're working on making ourselves more serious and professional in general and this is just one part of that," Vice- President Stallings said. Former MSA President Jason Mironov favored the business casual mode of dress during his tenure last year, on some occa- sions wearing a full suit. Mironov credits Levine with continu- ously bringing more professionalism to MSA. "Professionalism starts with a basic level of being dressed nice when interact- ing with colleagues, peers and adminis- trators," he said. MSA Treasurer Devesh Senapati also emphasized the importance of appear- ance. "The way that you dress is a reflection of your attitude towards your work," he said. But Walter Nowinski, who has recently established an opposition party to chal- lenge the dominant Students 4 Michigan, is skeptical. "This is papering over the bigger issue here, which is leadership," said Nowinski, a former member of MSA's Budget Priori- ties Committee. Nowinski has been highly critical of the current leadership, mostly criticizing the Ludacris concert. "MSA needs to be more professional but that isn't going to come from dressing nice," he said. Executive board members said the purpose of suggesting a business casual dress code is meant to improve the body's efficiency and professionalism, and not intended as a reaction to criticism of the assembly's lack of seriousness. BRACKETS Continued from page 1 higher credit brackets would receive earlier registration appoint- ments, but it would reduce the likelihood of a student with fewer credits of getting an earlier regis- tration appointment than a student with more credits. LSA-SG President Andrew Yah- kind said he hopes the resolution will "demonstrate to the Univer- sity administration that the student body will not forget about credit bracket reform." The resolution cited a poll LSA- SG conducted during its March 2005 elections in which 75 percent of the 908 LSA students polled sup- ported smaller credit groupings. Registration policies vary across schools in the Big Ten. "Relative to the other Big Ten schools that we researched, we found that the University has sig- nificantly larger credit brackets," Rudy said. The resolution cited the Univer- sity of Iowa, which divides groups by increments of seven credits, and Michigan State University, which divides groups by increments of one credit, as examples of schools with smaller credit groupings. One of LSA-SG's chief frustra- tions this year has been dealing with the Office of the Registrar in its efforts to change the size of the credit bracket. Butler said the reg- istrar's office has failed to respond to requests to "come and defend their position." Butler said this isn't the first time LSA-SG has passed a resolution supporting smaller credit brackets, citing two similar resolutions that have been passed in the past. Yahkind and Rudy confronted University Registrar Paul Rob- inson, Lester Monts, senior vice provost for academic affairs, and Associate University Registrar Kortney Briske about the registra- tion process at an April 5 meeting of the Academic Affairs Advisory Committee. According to the committee's minutes for the meeting, Briske defended the current system say- ing it enforces prerequisites and ensures spaces are reserved for concentrators. TENURE Continued from page 1 She said any policy change is unlikely to occur in the near future because.individual schools adhere to their own tenure policies. "The University has been a leader in this area, and we're stepping up to the plate at this time, but yes, there are demands that are unmet yet," Thomas said. She added that the initiative aims to address the avail- ability and affordability of child care 59 percent, compared with women with 29 percent. Peterson said that while there is still room for progress toward gen- der equality at the University, the primary focus of future reviews of tenure policy and the development of