<p>Initial research proved to be wrong as intuition does not match up with expectations. </p>

<p>Anyway, the paper referenced by the OP seems to sum up the answer to the question pretty well:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In  this  explanation,  the  dark  areas  of  our  map represent  thicker  clouds  that  obscure  deeper,  hotter  parts  of  the  atmosphere  and present a  higher-altitude (and  thus  colder) emissive  surface, whereas bright  regions correspond to holes in the upper cloud layers that provide a view of the hotter, deeper interior. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>Extract from <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259984905_A_global_cloud_map_of_the_nearest_known_brown_dwarf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">A global cloud map of the nearest known brown dwarf</a></p>

<p>Initially I assumed that the metallic clouds would reflect radiation from the nearby star, however as it turns out the hot atmosphere is emitting infrared radiation which affects the brightness much more significantly.</p>

<p>More on Brown Dwarfs at <a href="http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Brown_dwarfs" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-24T12:05:53.960Z
Other sources contradict yours which is why Im scratching my head. The below link found that the clouds decreased brightness in those regions. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259984905_A_global_cloud_map_of_the_nearest_known_brown_dwarf
Hippeus_Lancer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-26T10:12:40.797Z
I’ll mark this as the answer but with a note. The Brown Dwarfs we are capable of studying are alone. They do not orbit other Stars. This could skew our results because, as Hug pointed out, the Iron-Silicate clouds have a high reflectivity. It’s unknown whether the clouds would “glow” in a solar system where the Brown Dwarf orbits a star.
Hippeus_Lancer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-24T11:05:49.153Z
2019-06-24T14:49:30.617Z
2019-06-24T14:49:30.617Z
Barry Jenakuns
<p>There has been research that suggests that the changing brightness of Brown Dwarves are due to bands of Iron/Silicate clouds. Several models have been made that supports that hypothesis. My question is: Which part of the model are the actual clouds? Are the clouds the bright orange bits? Or are those bright areas “breaks” in the clouds and a view of the Brown Dwarf below.</p>
<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/GWRQO.jpg" alt="Artist Rendition" /></p>
<p>5 MB animated GIF: <a href="https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/figures/PIA21752_200.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Brown Dwarf Cloud Model</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-24T11:27:57.350Z
Please note that the animated image takes up 5 MB of bandwidth (a lot for many phone users and people not lucky enough to have high bandwidth internet connections) whereas the still image takes up a mere 36 KB and is plenty of illustration - if illustration is needed.
StephenG - Help Ukraine
<brown-dwarf><modeling>
Brown Dwarf Cloud Models
Hippeus_Lancer
# Brown Dwarf Cloud Models

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-06-24)

There has been research that suggests that the changing brightness of Brown Dwarves are due to bands of Iron/Silicate clouds. Several models have been made that supports that hypothesis. My question is: Which part of the model are the actual clouds? Are the clouds the bright orange bits? Or are those bright areas “breaks” in the clouds and a view of the Brown Dwarf below.

![Artist Rendition](https://i.sstatic.net/GWRQO.jpg)

5 MB animated GIF: [Brown Dwarf Cloud Model](https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/figures/PIA21752_200.gif)

**Tags:** brown-dwarf, modeling

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Please note that the animated image takes up 5 MB of bandwidth (a lot for many phone users and people not lucky enough to have high bandwidth internet connections) whereas the still image takes up a mere 36 KB and is plenty of illustration - if illustration is needed.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-06-24. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Initial research proved to be wrong as intuition does not match up with expectations.

Anyway, the paper referenced by the OP seems to sum up the answer to the question pretty well:

> In this explanation, the dark areas of our map represent thicker clouds that obscure deeper, hotter parts of the atmosphere and present a higher-altitude (and thus colder) emissive surface, whereas bright regions correspond to holes in the upper cloud layers that provide a view of the hotter, deeper interior.

Extract from [A global cloud map of the nearest known brown dwarf](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259984905_A_global_cloud_map_of_the_nearest_known_brown_dwarf)

Initially I assumed that the metallic clouds would reflect radiation from the nearby star, however as it turns out the hot atmosphere is emitting infrared radiation which affects the brightness much more significantly.

More on Brown Dwarfs at [here](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Brown_dwarfs).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Other sources contradict yours which is why Im scratching my head. The below link found that the clouds decreased brightness in those regions. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259984905_A_global_cloud_map_of_the_nearest_known_brown_dwarf  
> **username_0**: I’ll mark this as the answer but with a note. The Brown Dwarfs we are capable of studying are alone. They do not orbit other Stars. This could skew our results because, as Hug pointed out, the Iron-Silicate clouds have a high reflectivity. It’s unknown whether the clouds would “glow” in a solar system where the Brown Dwarf orbits a star.  

---

