Metallicities in M dwarfs: Investigating different determination techniques

Abstract We present the optical spectra of 338 nearby M dwarfs, and compute their spectral types, effective temperatures (Teff), and radii. Our spectra were obtained using several optical spectrometers with spectral resolutions that range from 1200 to 10000. As many as 97% of the observed M-type dwarfs have a spectral type of M3–M6, with a typical error of 0.4 subtype, among which the spectral types M4–M5 are the most common. We infer the Teff of our sample by fitting our spectra with theoretical spectra from the PHOENIX model. Our inferred Teff is calibrated with the optical spectra of M dwarfs whose Teff have been well determined with the calibrations that are supported by previous interferometric observations. Our fitting procedures utilize the VO absorption band (7320–7570 Å) and the optical region (5000–8000 Å), yielding typical errors of 128 K (VO band) and 85 K (optical region). We also determine the radii of our sample from their spectral energy distributions. We find most of our sample stars have radii of <0.6 R⊙, with the average error being 3%. Our catalog enables efficient sample selection for exoplanet surveys around nearby M-type dwarfs.

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A circular polarization survey for radio stars with the Australian SKA Pathfinder

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ◽

10.1093/mnras/stab299 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 502 (4) ◽

pp. 5438-5454

Author(s):

Joshua Pritchard ◽

Tara Murphy ◽

Andrew Zic ◽

Christene Lynch ◽

George Heald ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Radio Emission ◽

Brightness Temperature ◽

Circular Polarization ◽

Flux Density ◽

Wide Band ◽

M Dwarfs ◽

Square Kilometre Array ◽

Population Statistics ◽

Chemically Peculiar ◽

Radio Stars

ABSTRACT We present results from a circular polarization survey for radio stars in the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS). RACS is a survey of the entire sky south of δ = +41○ being conducted with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder telescope (ASKAP) over a 288 MHz wide band centred on 887.5 MHz. The data we analyse include Stokes I and V polarization products to an RMS sensitivity of 250 μJy PSF−1. We searched RACS for sources with fractional circular polarization above 6 per cent, and after excluding imaging artefacts, polarization leakage, and known pulsars we identified radio emission coincident with 33 known stars. These range from M-dwarfs through to magnetic, chemically peculiar A- and B-type stars. Some of these are well-known radio stars such as YZ CMi and CU Vir, but 23 have no previous radio detections. We report the flux density and derived brightness temperature of these detections and discuss the nature of the radio emission. We also discuss the implications of our results for the population statistics of radio stars in the context of future ASKAP and Square Kilometre Array surveys.

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The Solar Neighborhood. XLV. The Stellar Multiplicity Rate of M Dwarfs Within 25 pc

The Astronomical Journal ◽

10.3847/1538-3881/ab05dc ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 157 (6) ◽

pp. 216 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Jennifer G. Winters ◽

Todd J. Henry ◽

Wei-Chun Jao ◽

John P. Subasavage ◽

Joseph P. Chatelain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Neighborhood ◽

M Dwarfs

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A Deep Large area Search for Low Luminosity Stars

Highlights of Astronomy ◽

10.1017/s1539299600021675 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 435-435

Author(s):

Hugh R.A. Jones ◽

Mike R.S. Hawkins

Keyword(s):

Spectral Type ◽

Low Temperatures ◽

Current Model ◽

Brown Dwarfs ◽

Evolutionary Models ◽

Spectral Indices ◽

Late Type ◽

Brown Dwarf ◽

Large Area ◽

M Dwarfs

In a recent survey for faint red stars from a digital stack of Schmidt plates a number of candidate objects were identified. Parallax’s for three of these objects have been reported showing them to have luminosities which interpreted within the available evolutionary models indicate them to be good brown dwarf candidates. Here we examine spectra of these objects and others from the plate stack. Using standard spectral indices we find that for a given spectral type their spectra are more consistent with the Pleiades brown dwarfs (PPL 15, Teide 1 and Calar 3) than with standard late-type M dwarfs. Our interpretation is that this is due to their selection by RF IN colours which at values > 3 preferentially selects objects with relatively low gravities. For late-type M dwarfs and brown dwarfs low gravities are expected to be a reliable indication of youth. We also notice that the stack objects generally have strong FeH absorption for their spectral type. Current model atmospheres suggest that FeH strongly increases in strength toward lower metallicities and lower temperatures. We believe that this is not consistent with the available observational evidence from late-type M dwarfs. It is possible that solid Fe is forming inthe low temperature atmospheres relatively depleting FeH strengths toward lower temperatures. We find some evidence that for dwarfs at low temperatures dust formation is less prevalent in lower gravity objects suggesting that dwarfs at low temperatures stronger FeH may be an indication of youth. In addition to the spectral evidence the three stack objects whose parallax’s have been measured show small tangential velocities which is a further indication of youth.

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Spectra of M Dwarfs - Dimmed by Dust

Highlights of Astronomy ◽

10.1017/s1539299600021717 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 439-440

Author(s):

T. Tsuji ◽

K. Ohnaka ◽

W. Aoki ◽

H.R.A. Jones

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Brown Dwarfs ◽

Surface Chemical ◽

Basic Information ◽

M Dwarfs ◽

Surface Chemical Composition ◽

Molecular Lines ◽

Low Mass

Spectra of M dwarfs are rich in atomic and molecular lines. These spectra provide such basic information as Teff (or radius), log g (or mass), surface chemical composition, and something more (e.g. activity) if properly interpreted. It is recognized, however, that spectra of M dwarfs are already dimmed by the dust formed in their photospheres (Tsuji et al. 1996a) and this effect, which has been overlooked until recently, should be taken into account in any interpretation and analysis of the spectra of very low mass objects (VLMOs) including late M dwarfs and brown dwarfs.

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The Mass-Luminosity Relation From Binaries

Highlights of Astronomy ◽

10.1017/s1539299600021602 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 419-420

Author(s):

David W. Latham

Keyword(s):

Eclipsing Binaries ◽

M Dwarfs ◽

Direct Measurements ◽

Nearby Stars ◽

The Masses ◽

Stellar Masses ◽

M Dwarf ◽

Magnitude Difference ◽

Astrometric Binaries ◽

Better Than

What is known about the masses of main-sequence stars from the analysis of binary orbits? Double-lined eclipsing binaries are the main source of very precise stellar masses and radii (e.g. Andersen 1997), contributing more than 100 determinations with better than 2% precision over the range 0.6 to 20 Mʘ. For lower-mass stars we are forced to turn to nearby systems with astrometric orbits (e.g. Henry et al. 1993). Not only is the number of good mass determinations from such systems smaller, but also the precision is generally poorer. We are approaching an era when interferometers should have a major impact by supplying good astrometric orbits for dozens of double-lined systems. Already we are beginning to see the sorts of results to expect from this (e.g. Torres et al. 1997). Figure 1. Mass vs. absolute V magnitude for eclipsing binaries (circles) and nearby astrometric binaries (squares) Figure 1 is an updated version of a diagram presented by Henry et al. (1993, their Figure 2). It shows the general run of mass determinations from about 10 Mʘ down to the substellar limit near 0.075 Mʘ. Ninety of the points in Figure 1 are for eclipsing binary masses from Andersen’s review (1991) and are plotted as open circles. The results for eclipsing binaries published since 1991 are plotted as 30 filled circles, adopting the same limit of 2% for the mass precision. In most cases the uncertainties are similar to the size of the symbols. Especially noteworthy is the pair of new points for CM Draconis (Metcalfe et al. 1996) with masses near 0.25 Mʘ. Together with the points for YY Geminorum near 0.6 Mʘ, these are the only M dwarfs that have precise mass determinations. For the most part we are forced to rely on nearby stars with astrometric orbits, to fill in the M dwarf region of the diagram. We have used filled squares in Figure 1 for 29 such systems from Henry et al. (1993), updated using 14 new parallaxes from Hipparcos and 4 from the new Yale Parallax Catalog (1995). Gliese 508 is not included, because it is now known to be a triple, while Gliese 67AB, 570BC, and 623AB are not included because there are not yet any direct measurements of the V magnitude difference for these systems.

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Selection of M-dwarfs using Gaia, WISE, and 2MASS

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ◽

10.1093/mnras/stz2823 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 490 (3) ◽

pp. 4107-4120

Author(s):

J Bentley ◽

C G Tinney ◽

S Sharma ◽

D Wright

Keyword(s):

Absolute Magnitude ◽

Contamination Rate ◽

M Dwarfs ◽

Sky Survey ◽

Model Predictions ◽

Galaxy Model ◽

M Dwarf ◽

Different Sources ◽

Sources Of Contamination ◽

Selection Of

ABSTRACT We present criteria for the selection of M-dwarfs down to G < 14.5 using all-sky survey data, with a view to identifying potential M-dwarfs, to be confirmed spectroscopically by the FunnelWeb survey. Two sets of criteria were developed. The first, based on absolute magnitude in the Gaia G passband, with MG > 7.7, selects 76,392 stars, with 81.0 per cent expected to be M-dwarfs at a completeness of >97 per cent. The second is based on colour and uses Gaia, WISE, and 2MASS all-sky photometry. This criteria identifies 94,479 candidate M-dwarfs, of which between 29.4 per cent and 47.3 per cent are expected to be true M-dwarfs, and which contains 99.6 per cent of expected M-dwarfs. Both criteria were developed using synthetic galaxy model predictions, and a previously spectroscopically classified set of M- and K-dwarfs, to evaluate both M-dwarf completeness and false-positive detections (i.e. the non-M-dwarf contamination rate). Both criteria used in combination demonstrate how each excludes different sources of contamination. We therefore developed a final set of criteria that combines absolute magnitude and colour selection to identify 74,091 stars. All these sets of criteria select numbers of objects feasible for confirmation via massively multiplexed spectroscopic surveys like FunnelWeb.

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Giant planets around AF and M stars

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921313007898 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 8 (S299) ◽

pp. 64-65

Author(s):

Julien Rameau ◽

Gaël Chauvin ◽

Anne-Marie Lagrange ◽

Philippe Delorme ◽

Justine Lannier

Keyword(s):

Giant Planets ◽

Early Type ◽

Late Type ◽

M Dwarfs ◽

Low Mass Stars ◽

Planetary Mass ◽

Nearby Stars ◽

Low Mass ◽

M Stars ◽

The One

AbstractWe present the results of two three-year surveys of young and nearby stars to search for wide orbit giant planets. On the one hand, we focus on early-type and massive, namely β Pictoris analogs. On the other hand, we observe late type and very low mass stars, i.e., M dwarfs. We report individual detections of new planetary mass objects. According to our deep detection performances, we derive the observed frequency of giant planets between these two classes of parent stars. We find frequency between 6 to 12% but we are not able to assess a/no correlation with the host-mass.

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