lavmasse

Lavmasse is a Danish term meaning "low mass." In scientific usage, it describes objects with relatively small mass compared with a reference scale and is used in fields such as astronomy and physics. The term is descriptive rather than a formal classification, and its precise meaning can vary by discipline and language.

In astronomy, lavmasse refers to low-mass stars and substellar objects. Stars with masses below roughly 0.5 solar masses are typically considered low-mass stars, with fully convective interiors occurring below about 0.35 solar masses. These stars, including M-dwarfs, are the most common type of star in the Milky Way and can have lifetimes far exceeding that of higher-mass stars due to slow hydrogen burning. Brown dwarfs are substellar objects with masses between about 0.013 and 0.075 solar masses; they do not sustain hydrogen fusion and cool gradually over time. Observationally, lavmasse objects are numerous but often faint, which affects their detectability over large distances.

In physics and engineering, lavmasse is used more generally to describe systems with low inertia. Such systems respond more quickly to applied forces and can exhibit different dynamic behaviors compared with higher-mass counterparts. The term remains context-dependent and is not a strict technical category, varying with the field and language.

See also: low-mass star, brown dwarf, stellar evolution.