scholarly journals 2MASS J15460752−6258042: a mid-M dwarf hosting a prolonged accretion disc

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinhee Lee ◽  
Inseok Song ◽  
Simon Murphy

ABSTRACT We report the discovery of the oldest (∼55 Myr) mid-M type star known to host ongoing accretion. 2MASS J15460752–6258042 (2M1546, spectral type M5, 59.2 pc) shows spectroscopic signs of accretion such as strong H α, He i, and [O i] emission lines, from which we estimate an accretion rate of ∼10−10 M⊙ yr−1. Considering the clearly detected infrared excess in all WISE bands, the shape of its spectral energy distribution (SED) and its age, we believe that the star is surrounded by a transitional disc, clearly with some gas still present at inner radii. The position and kinematics of the star from Gaia DR2 and our own radial-velocity measurements suggest membership in the nearby ∼55 Myr-old Argus moving group. At only 59 pc from Earth, 2M1546 is one of the nearest accreting mid-M dwarfs, making it an ideal target for studying the upper limit on the lifetimes of gas-rich discs around low-mass stars.

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Nguyễn Thành Đạt ◽  
Phan Bảo Ngọc

In this paper, we present our search for debris disks in a sample of nearby late-M dwarfs based on infrared data of the Wide Infrared Survey Explorer. Using archival data, we constructed spectral energy distributions of these targets to detect their infrared excess. We detected infrared excess only in one target. This late-M dwarf is an excellent benchmark for further study of disks around very low-mass objects.


2020 ◽  
Vol 634 ◽  
pp. A128
Author(s):  
D. Nguyen-Thanh ◽  
N. Phan-Bao ◽  
S. J. Murphy ◽  
M. S. Bessell

Context. Studying the accretion process in very low-mass objects has important implications for understanding their formation mechanism. Many nearby late-M dwarfs that have previously been identified in the field are in fact young brown dwarf members of nearby young associations. Some of them are still accreting. They are therefore excellent targets for further studies of the accretion process in the very low-mass regime at different stages. Aims. We aim to search for accreting young brown dwarf candidates in a sample of 85 nearby late-M dwarfs. Methods. Using photometric data from DENIS, 2MASS, and WISE, we constructed the spectral energy distribution of the late- M dwarfs based on BT-Settl models to detect infrared excesses. We then searched for lithium and Hα emission in candidates that exhibit infrared excesses to confirm their youth and the presence of accretion. Results. Among the 85 late-M dwarfs, only DENIS-P J1538317−103850 (M5.5) shows strong infrared excesses in WISE bands. The detection of lithium absorption in the M5.5 dwarf and its Gaia trigonometric parallax indicate an age of ~1 Myr and a mass of 47 MJ. The Hα emission line in the brown dwarf shows significant variability that indicates sporadic accretion. This 1 Myr-old brown dwarf also exhibits intense accretion bursts with accretion rates of up to 10−7.9 M⊙ yr−1. Conclusions. Our detection of sporadic accretion in one of the youngest brown dwarfs might imply that sporadic accretion at early stages could play an important role in the formation of brown dwarfs. Very low-mass cores would not be able to accrete enough material to become stars, and thus they end up as brown dwarfs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 628 ◽  
pp. A61 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Lodieu ◽  
F. Allard ◽  
C. Rodrigo ◽  
Y. Pavlenko ◽  
A. Burgasser ◽  
...  

Aims. The aim of the project is to define metallicity/gravity/temperature scales for different spectral types of metal-poor M dwarfs. Methods. We obtained intermediate-resolution ultraviolet (R ∼ 3300), optical (R ∼ 5400), and near-infrared (R ∼ 3900) spectra of 43 M subdwarfs (sdM), extreme subdwarfs (esdM), and ultra-subdwarfs (usdM) with the X-shooter spectrograph on the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope. We compared our atlas of spectra to the latest BT-Settl synthetic spectral energy distribution over a wide range of metallicities, gravities, and effective temperatures to infer the physical properties for the whole M dwarf sequence (M0–M9.5) at sub-solar metallicities and constrain the latest atmospheric models. Results. The BT-Settl models accurately reproduce the observed spectra across the 450–2500 nm wavelength range except for a few regions. We find that the best fits are obtained for gravities of log (g) = 5.0–5.5 for the three metal classes. We infer metallicities of [Fe/H] = −0.5, −1.5, and −2.0 ± 0.5 dex and effective temperatures of 3700–2600 K, 3800–2900 K, and 3700–2900 K for subdwarfs, extreme subdwarfs, and ultra-subdwarfs, respectively. Metal-poor M dwarfs tend to be warmer by about 200 ± 100 K and exhibit higher gravity than their solar-metallicity counterparts. We derive abundances of several elements (Fe, Na, K, Ca, Ti) for our sample but cannot describe their atmospheres with a single metallicity parameter. Our metallicity scale expands the current scales available for mildly metal-poor planet-host low-mass stars. Our compendium of moderate-resolution spectra covering the 0.45–2.5 micron range represents an important resource for large-scale surveys and space missions to come.


2017 ◽  
Vol 600 ◽  
pp. A13 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Astudillo-Defru ◽  
X. Delfosse ◽  
X. Bonfils ◽  
T. Forveille ◽  
C. Lovis ◽  
...  

Context. Atmospheric magnetic fields in stars with convective envelopes heat stellar chromospheres, and thus increase the observed flux in the Ca ii H and K doublet. Starting with the historical Mount Wilson monitoring program, these two spectral lines have been widely used to trace stellar magnetic activity, and as a proxy for rotation period (Prot) and consequently for stellar age. Monitoring stellar activity has also become essential in filtering out false-positives due to magnetic activity in extra-solar planet surveys. The Ca ii emission is traditionally quantified through the R'HK-index, which compares the chromospheric flux in the doublet to the overall bolometric flux of the star. Much work has been done to characterize this index for FGK-dwarfs, but M dwarfs – the most numerous stars of the Galaxy – were left out of these analyses and no calibration of their Ca ii H and K emission to an R'HK exists to date. Aims. We set out to characterize the magnetic activity of the low- and very-low-mass stars by providing a calibration of the R'HK-index that extends to the realm of M dwarfs, and by evaluating the relationship between R'HK and the rotation period. Methods. We calibrated the bolometric and photospheric factors for M dwarfs to properly transform the S-index (which compares the flux in the Ca ii H and K lines to a close spectral continuum) into the R'HK. We monitored magnetic activity through the Ca ii H and K emission lines in the HARPS M dwarf sample. Results. The R'HK index, like the fractional X-ray luminosity LX/Lbol, shows a saturated correlation with rotation, with saturation setting in around a ten days rotation period. Above that period, slower rotators show weaker Ca ii activity, as expected. Under that period, the R'HK index saturates to approximately 10-4. Stellar mass modulates the Ca ii activity, with R'HK showing a constant basal activity above 0.6 M⊙ and then decreasing with mass between 0.6 M⊙ and the fully-convective limit of 0.35 M⊙. Short-term variability of the activity correlates with its mean level and stars with higher R'HK indexes show larger R'HK variability, as previously observed for earlier spectral types.


2020 ◽  
Vol 495 (2) ◽  
pp. 1531-1548
Author(s):  
Edward Gillen ◽  
Lynne A Hillenbrand ◽  
John Stauffer ◽  
Suzanne Aigrain ◽  
Luisa Rebull ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present Mon-735, a detached double-lined eclipsing binary (EB) member of the ∼3 Myr old NGC 2264 star-forming region, detected by Spitzer. We simultaneously model the Spitzer light curves, follow-up Keck/HIRES radial velocities, and the system’s spectral energy distribution to determine self-consistent masses, radii, and effective temperatures for both stars. We find that Mon-735 comprises two pre-main-sequence M dwarfs with component masses of M = 0.2918 ± 0.0099 and 0.2661 ± 0.0095 M⊙, radii of R = 0.762 ± 0.022 and 0.748 ± 0.023 R⊙, and effective temperatures of Teff = 3260 ± 73 and 3213 ± 73 K. The two stars travel on circular orbits around their common centre of mass in P = 1.9751388 ± 0.0000050 d. We compare our results for Mon-735, along with another EB in NGC 2264 (CoRoT 223992193), to the predictions of five stellar evolution models. These suggest that the lower mass EB system Mon-735 is older than CoRoT 223992193 in the mass–radius diagram (MRD) and, to a lesser extent, in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram (HRD). The MRD ages of Mon-735 and CoRoT 223992193 are ∼7–9 and 4–6 Myr, respectively, with the two components in each EB system possessing consistent ages.


2019 ◽  
Vol 625 ◽  
pp. A49 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Koutoulaki ◽  
S. Facchini ◽  
C. F. Manara ◽  
A. Natta ◽  
R. Garcia Lopez ◽  
...  

Context. RW Aur A is a classical T Tauri star that has suddenly undergone three major dimming events since 2010. The reason for these dimming events is still not clear. Aims. We aim to understand the dimming properties, examine accretion variability, and derive the physical properties of the inner disc traced by the CO ro-vibrational emission at near-infrared wavelengths (2.3 μm). Methods. We compared two epochs of X-shooter observations, during and after the dimming. We modelled the rarely detected CO bandhead emission in both epochs to examine whether the inner disc properties had changed. The spectral energy distribution was used to derive the extinction properties of the dimmed spectrum and compare the infrared excess between the two epochs. Lines tracing accretion were used to derive the mass accretion rate in both states. Results. The CO originates from a region with physical properties of T = 3000 K, NCO = 1 × 1021 cm−2 and vk sin i = 113 km s−1. The extinction properties of the dimming layer were derived with the effective optical depth ranging from τeff ~2.5−1.5 from the UV to the near-IR. The inferred mass accretion rate Ṁacc is ~1.5 × 10−8 M⊙ yr−1 and ~2 × 10−8 M⊙ yr−1 after and during the dimming respectively. By fitting the spectral energy distribution, additional emission is observed in the infrared during the dimming event from dust grains with temperatures of 500–700 K. Conclusions. The physical conditions traced by the CO are similar for both epochs, indicating that the inner gaseous disc properties do not change during the dimming events. The extinction curve is flatter than that of the interstellar medium, and large grains of a few hundred microns are thus required. When we correct for the observed extinction, the mass accretion rate is constant in the two epochs, suggesting that the accretion is stable and therefore does not cause the dimming. The additional hot emission in the near-IR is located at about 0.5 au from the star and is not consistent with an occulting body located in the outer regions of the disc. The dimming events could be due to a dust-laden wind, a severe puffing-up of the inner rim, or a perturbation caused by the recent star-disc encounter.


2019 ◽  
Vol 489 (2) ◽  
pp. 2615-2633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Morrell ◽  
Tim Naylor

Abstract There is growing evidence that M-dwarf stars suffer radius inflation when compared to theoretical models, suggesting that models are missing some key physics required to completely describe stars at effective temperatures less than about 4000 K. The advent of Gaia DR2 distances finally makes available large data sets to determine the nature and extent of this effect. We employ an all-sky sample, comprising of >15 000 stars, to determine empirical relationships between luminosity, temperature, and radius. This is accomplished using only geometric distances and multiwave-band photometry, by utilizing a modified spectral energy distribution fitting method. The radii we measure show an inflation of $3\!-\!7{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ compared to models, but no more than a $1\!-\!2{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ intrinsic spread in the inflated sequence. We show that we are currently able to determine M-dwarf radii to an accuracy of $2.4{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ using our method. However, we determine that this is limited by the precision of metallicity measurements, which contribute $1.7{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ to the measured radius scatter. We also present evidence that stellar magnetism is currently unable to explain radius inflation in M-dwarfs.


2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S253) ◽  
pp. 157-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Lloyd ◽  
Agnieszka Czeszumska ◽  
Jerry Edelstein ◽  
David Erskine ◽  
Michael Feuerstein ◽  
...  

AbstractThe TEDI (TripleSpec - Exoplanet Discovery Instrument) is a dedicated instrument for the near-infrared radial velocity search for planetary companions to low-mass stars with the goal of achieving meters-per-second radial velocity precision. Heretofore, such planet searches have been limited almost entirely to the optical band and to stars that are bright in this band. Consequently, knowledge about planetary companions to the populous but visibly faint low-mass stars is limited. In addition to the opportunity afforded by precision radial velocity searches directly for planets around low mass stars, transits around the smallest M dwarfs offer a chance to detect the smallest possible planets in the habitable zones of the parent stars. As has been the the case with followup of planet candidates detected by the transit method requiring radial velocity confirmation, the capability to undertake efficient precision radial velocity measurements of mid-late M dwarfs will be required. TEDI has been commissioned on the Palomar 200” telescope in December 2007, and is currently in a science verification phase.


2018 ◽  
Vol 613 ◽  
pp. L6 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Sissa ◽  
J. Olofsson ◽  
A. Vigan ◽  
J. C. Augereau ◽  
V. D’Orazi ◽  
...  

Debris disks are usually detected through the infrared excess over the photospheric level of their host star. The most favorable stars for disk detection are those with spectral types between A and K, while the statistics for debris disks detected around low-mass M-type stars is very low, either because they are rare or because they are more difficult to detect. Terrestrial planets, on the other hand, may be common around M-type stars. Here, we report on the discovery of an extended (likely) debris disk around the M-dwarf GSC 07396−00759. The star is a wide companion of the close accreting binary V4046 Sgr. The system probably is a member of the β Pictoris Moving Group. We resolve the disk in scattered light, exploiting high-contrast, high-resolution imagery with the two near-infrared subsystems of the VLT/SPHERE instrument, operating in the Y J bands and the H2H3 doublet. The disk is clearly detected up to 1.5′′ (~110 au) from the star and appears as a ring, with an inclination i ~ 83°, and a peak density position at ~70 au. The spatial extension of the disk suggests that the dust dynamics is affected by a strong stellar wind, showing similarities with the AU Mic system that has also been resolved with SPHERE. The images show faint asymmetric structures at the widest separation in the northwest side. We also set an upper limit for the presence of giant planets to 2 MJ. Finally, we note that the 2 resolved disks around M-type stars of 30 such stars observed with SPHERE are viewed close to edge-on, suggesting that a significant population of debris disks around M dwarfs could remain undetected because of an unfavorable orientation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (4) ◽  
pp. 5106-5116
Author(s):  
Samrat Ghosh ◽  
Soumen Mondal ◽  
Somnath Dutta ◽  
Ramkrishna Das ◽  
Santosh Joshi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present here optical I-band photometric variability study down to ≃19 mag of a young (∼2–3 Myr) star-forming region IC 348 in the Perseus molecular cloud. We aim to explore the fast rotation (in the time-scales of hours) in very low-mass stars including brown dwarfs (BDs). From a sample of 177 light curves using our new I-band observations, we detect new photometric variability in 22 young M dwarfs including 6 BDs, which are bonafide members in IC 348 and well characterized in the spectral type of M dwarfs. Out of 22 variables, 11 M dwarfs including one BD show hour-scale periodic variability in the period range 3.5–11 h and rest are aperiodic in nature. Interestingly, an optical flare is detected in a young M2.75 dwarf in one night data on 2016 December 20. From the flare light curve, we estimate the emitted flared energy of 1.48 × 1035 erg. The observed flared energy with an uncertainty of tens of per cent is close to the superflare range (∼1034 erg), which is rarely observed in active M dwarfs.


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