scholarly journals Multi-Wavelength High-Resolution Spectroscopy for Exoplanet Detection: Motivation, Instrumentation and First Results

Geosciences ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Benatti

Exoplanet research has shown an incessant growth since the first claim of a hot giant planet around a solar-like star in the mid-1990s. Today, the new facilities are working to spot the first habitable rocky planets around low-mass stars as a forerunner for the detection of the long-awaited Sun-Earth analog system. All the achievements in this field would not have been possible without the constant development of the technology and of new methods to detect more and more challenging planets. After the consolidation of a top-level instrumentation for high-resolution spectroscopy in the visible wavelength range, a huge effort is now dedicated to reaching the same precision and accuracy in the near-infrared. Actually, observations in this range present several advantages in the search for exoplanets around M dwarfs, known to be the most favorable targets to detect possible habitable planets. They are also characterized by intense stellar activity, which hampers planet detection, but its impact on the radial velocity modulation is mitigated in the infrared. Simultaneous observations in the visible and near-infrared ranges appear to be an even more powerful technique since they provide combined and complementary information, also useful for many other exoplanetary science cases.

2018 ◽  
Vol 612 ◽  
pp. A49 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Reiners ◽  
M. Zechmeister ◽  
J. A. Caballero ◽  
I. Ribas ◽  
J. C. Morales ◽  
...  

The CARMENES radial velocity (RV) survey is observing 324 M dwarfs to search for any orbiting planets. In this paper, we present the survey sample by publishing one CARMENES spectrum for each M dwarf. These spectra cover the wavelength range 520–1710 nm at a resolution of at least R >80 000, and we measure its RV, Hα emission, and projected rotation velocity. We present an atlas of high-resolution M-dwarf spectra and compare the spectra to atmospheric models. To quantify the RV precision that can be achieved in low-mass stars over the CARMENES wavelength range, we analyze our empirical information on the RV precision from more than 6500 observations. We compare our high-resolution M-dwarf spectra to atmospheric models where we determine the spectroscopic RV information content, Q, and signal-to-noise ratio. We find that for all M-type dwarfs, the highest RV precision can be reached in the wavelength range 700–900 nm. Observations at longer wavelengths are equally precise only at the very latest spectral types (M8 and M9). We demonstrate that in this spectroscopic range, the large amount of absorption features compensates for the intrinsic faintness of an M7 star. To reach an RV precision of 1 m s−1 in very low mass M dwarfs at longer wavelengths likely requires the use of a 10 m class telescope. For spectral types M6 and earlier, the combination of a red visual and a near-infrared spectrograph is ideal to search for low-mass planets and to distinguish between planets and stellar variability. At a 4 m class telescope, an instrument like CARMENES has the potential to push the RV precision well below the typical jitter level of 3–4 m s−1.


2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (S249) ◽  
pp. 233-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean N. Raymond

AbstractTerrestrial planets form in a series of dynamical steps from the solid component of circumstellar disks. First, km-sized planetesimals form likely via a combination of sticky collisions, turbulent concentration of solids, and gravitational collapse from micron-sized dust grains in the thin disk midplane. Second, planetesimals coalesce to form Moon- to Mars-sized protoplanets, also called “planetary embryos”. Finally, full-sized terrestrial planets accrete from protoplanets and planetesimals. This final stage of accretion lasts about 10-100 Myr and is strongly affected by gravitational perturbations from any gas giant planets, which are constrained to form more quickly, during the 1-10 Myr lifetime of the gaseous component of the disk. It is during this final stage that the bulk compositions and volatile (e.g., water) contents of terrestrial planets are set, depending on their feeding zones and the amount of radial mixing that occurs. The main factors that influence terrestrial planet formation are the mass and surface density profile of the disk, and the perturbations from giant planets and binary companions if they exist. Simple accretion models predicts that low-mass stars should form small, dry planets in their habitable zones. The migration of a giant planet through a disk of rocky bodies does not completely impede terrestrial planet growth. Rather, “hot Jupiter” systems are likely to also contain exterior, very water-rich Earth-like planets, and also “hot Earths”, very close-in rocky planets. Roughly one third of the known systems of extra-solar (giant) planets could allow a terrestrial planet to form in the habitable zone.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S293) ◽  
pp. 201-203
Author(s):  
Masashi Omiya ◽  
Bun'ei Sato ◽  
Hiroki Harakawa ◽  
Masayuki Kuzuhara ◽  
Teruyuki Hirano ◽  
...  

AbstractWe have a plan to conduct a Doppler planet search for low-mass planets around nearby middle-to-late M dwarfs using IRD. IRD is the near-infrared high-precision radial velocity instrument for the Subaru 8.2-m telescope. We expect to achieve the accuracy of the radial velocity measurements of 1 m/s using IRD with a frequency comb as a wavelengh calibrator. Thus, we would detect super-Earths in habitable zone and low-mass rocky planets in close-in orbits around late-M dwarfs. In this survey, we aim to understand and discuss statistical properties of low-mass planets around low-mass M dwarfs compared with those derived from theoretical simulations.


2016 ◽  
Vol 128 (968) ◽  
pp. 104501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Gao ◽  
Plavchan P. ◽  
Gagné J. ◽  
Furlan E. ◽  
Bottom M. ◽  
...  

1999 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 1301-1314 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Soderblom ◽  
Jeremy R. King ◽  
Lionel Siess ◽  
Burton F. Jones ◽  
Debra Fischer

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (S302) ◽  
pp. 170-173
Author(s):  
D. Shulyak ◽  
A. Reiners ◽  
U. Seemann ◽  
O. Kochukhov ◽  
N. Piskunov

AbstractAccurate spectroscopic measurements of magnetic fields in low mass stars remain challenging because of their cool temperatures, strong line blending, and often fast rotation. This is why previous estimates were based either on the analysis of only a few lines or made use of some indirect techniques. This frequently led to noticeable scatter in obtained results. In this talk I will present and discuss new results on the determination of the intensity and geometry of the magnetic fields in M-dwarfs using IR observations obtained with CRIRES@VLT. The instrument provides unprecedented data of high resolution (R = 100 000) which is crucial for resolving individual magnetically broadened molecular and atomic lines. Such an in-depth analysis based on direct magnetic spectral synthesis opens a possibility to deduce both field intensity and geometry avoiding most of the limitation and assumptions made in previous studies.


2002 ◽  
Vol 207 ◽  
pp. 378-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Mengel ◽  
Matthew D. Lehnert ◽  
Niranjan Thatte ◽  
Reinhard Genzel

Over the past decade, it has become clear that interaction induced formation of compact young star clusters is a ubiquitous pheonomenon, and the understanding of this process is thought to also shed light on galaxy evolution in general, because these young clusters are widely believed to be the progenitors of a part of the globular cluster systems seen in local elliptical galaxies. We have observed the prototypical merger NGC 4038/4039 using near-infrared broad- and narrow band imaging, integral field spectroscopy and medium and high resolution spectroscopy. We find that all of the bright star clusters are young (<20 Myrs), but the “overlap region” hosts the youngest clusters (∼5 Myrs), while the nuclear starbursts started ∼100 Myrs ago. Photometric and dynamical masses range from 105 to a few x106M⊙. However, mass-to-light ratios vary from cluster to cluster and suggest differences in the contribution of low-mass stars. While clusters with a deficiency in low-mass stars are likely to evaporate before they are a Hubble time old, those with a high mass-to-light-ratio could represent young globulars.


2019 ◽  
Vol 622 ◽  
pp. C1 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Rajpurohit ◽  
F. Allard ◽  
S. Rajpurohit ◽  
R. Sharma ◽  
G. D. C. Teixeira ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 620 ◽  
pp. A180 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Rajpurohit ◽  
F. Allard ◽  
S. Rajpurohit ◽  
R. Sharma ◽  
G. D. C. Teixeira ◽  
...  

Context. Being the most numerous and oldest stars in the galaxy, M dwarfs are objects of great interest for exoplanet searches. The presence of molecules in their atmosphere complicates our understanding of their atmospheric properties. But great advances have recently been made in the modeling of M dwarfs due to the revision of solar abundances. Aims. We aim to determine stellar parameters of M dwarfs using high resolution spectra (R ∼ 90 000) simultaneously in the visible and the near-infrared. The high resolution spectra and broad wavelength coverage provide an unique opportunity to understand the onset of dust and cloud formation at cool temperatures. Furthermore, this study will help in understanding the physical processes which occur in a cool atmospheres, particularly, the redistribution of energy from the optical to the near-infrared. Methods. The stellar parameters of M dwarfs in our sample have been determined by comparing the high resolution spectra both in the optical and in the near-infrared simultaneously observed by CARMENES with the synthetic spectra obtained from the BT-Settl model atmosphere. The detailed spectral synthesis of these observed spectra both in the optical and in the near-infrared helps to understand the missing continuum opacity. Results. For the first time, we derive fundamental stellar parameters of M dwarfs using the high resolution optical and near-infrared spectra simultaneously. We determine Teff, log g and [M/H] for 292 M dwarfs of spectral type M0 to M9, where the formation of dust and clouds are important. The derived Teff for the sample ranges from 2300 to 4000 K, values of log g ranges from 4.5 ≤ logg ≤ 5.5 and the resulting metallicity ranges from −0.5 ≤ [M/H] ≤ +0.5. We have also explored the possible differences in Teff, log g and [M/H] by comparing them with other studies of the same sample of 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.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document