- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/849/36
- Title:
- Flaring activity of M dwarfs in the Kepler field
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/849/36
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- Flare events are mainly due to magnetic reconnection and thus are indicative of stellar activity. The Kepler Space Observatory records numerous stellar activities with unprecedented high photometric precision in flux measurements. It is perfectly suitable for carrying out a statistical study of flares. Here we present 540 M dwarfs with flare events discovered using Kepler long-cadence data. The normalized flare energy, as defined by the ratio to bolometric stellar luminosity, L_flare_/L_bol_, is used to indicate the flare activity. We find that, similar to the X-ray luminosity relation, the L_flare_/L_bol_ versus P_rot_ relation can also be described with three phases, supersaturation, saturation, and exponential decay, corresponding to an ultra- short period, a short period, and a long period. The flare activity and the number fraction of flaring stars in M dwarfs rise steeply near M4, which is consistent with the prediction of a turbulent dynamo. The size of starspots are positively correlated with flare activity. The L_flare_/L_bol_ ratio has a power-law dependence on L_H{alpha}_/L_bol_, a parameter indicative of stellar chromosphere activity. According to this relation, a small enhancement in chromosphere activity may cause a huge rise in flare energy, which suggests that superflares or hyperflares may not need an extra excitation mechanism. Through a comparison study, we suggest that flare activity is a more suitable indicator for stellar activity, especially in the boundary region. However, contrary to what is expected, some M dwarfs with strong flares do not show any light variation caused by starspots. Follow-up observations are needed to investigate this problem.
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Search Results
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AJ/156/140
- Title:
- Four new eclipsing mid M-dwarf systems from MEarth
- Short Name:
- J/AJ/156/140
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- Using data from the MEarth-North and MEarth-South transit surveys, we present the detection of eclipses in four mid M-dwarf systems: LP 107-25, LP 261-75, LP 796-24, and LP 991-15. Combining the MEarth photometry with spectroscopic follow-up observations, we show that LP 107-25 and LP 796-24 are short-period (1.388 and 0.523 day, respectively) eclipsing binaries in triple-lined systems with substantial third-light contamination from distant companions. LP 261-75 is a short-period (1.882 day) single-lined system consisting of a mid M-dwarf eclipsed by a probable brown dwarf secondary, with another distant visual brown dwarf companion. LP 991-15 is a long-period (29.3 day) double-lined eclipsing binary on an eccentric orbit with a geometry that produces only primary eclipses. A spectroscopic orbit is given for LP 991-15, and initial orbits for LP 107-25 and LP 261-75.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/MNRAS/389/585
- Title:
- Fundamental parameters of M dwarfs
- Short Name:
- J/MNRAS/389/585
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We empirically determine effective temperatures and bolometric luminosities for a large sample of nearby M dwarfs, for which high accuracy optical and infrared photometry is available. We introduce a new technique which exploits the flux ratio in different bands as a proxy of both effective temperature and metallicity. Our temperature scale for late-type dwarfs extends well below 3000K (almost to the brown dwarf limit) and is supported by interferometric angular diameter measurements above 3000K. Our metallicities are in excellent agreement (usually within 0.2dex) with recent determinations via independent techniques. A subsample of cool M dwarfs with metallicity estimates based on hotter Hipparcos common proper motion companions indicates our metallicities are also reliable below 3000K, a temperature range unexplored until now. The high quality of our data allows us to identify a striking feature in the bolometric luminosity versus temperature plane, around the transition from K to M dwarfs. We have compared our sample of stars with theoretical models and conclude that this transition is due to an increase in the radii of the M dwarfs, a feature which is not reproduced by theoretical models.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/874/138
- Title:
- Gaia and LAMOST DR4 M giant members of Sgr stream
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/874/138
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We use LAMOST DR4 M giants combined with Gaia DR2 proper motions and ALLWISE photometry to obtain an extremely pure sample of Sagittarius (Sgr) stream stars. Using TiO5 and CaH spectral indices as indicators, we selected a large sample of M-giant stars from M-dwarf stars in LAMOST DR4 spectra. Considering the position, distance, proper motion, and angular momentum distribution, we obtained 164 pure Sgr stream stars. We find that the trailing arm has higher energy than the leading arm in the same angular momentum. The trailing arm we detected extends to a heliocentric distance of ~130kpc at {Lambda}_{sun}_~170{deg}, which is consistent with the feature found in RR Lyrae in Sesar+ (2017, J/ApJ/844/L4). Both of these detections of Sgr, in M-giants and in RR Lyrae, imply that the Sgr stream may contain multiple stellar populations with a broad metallicity range.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/798/41
- Title:
- GALEX NUV observations of bright M-type stars
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/798/41
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- Planets orbiting within the close-in habitable zones of M dwarf stars will be exposed to elevated high-energy radiation driven by strong magnetohydrodynamic dynamos during stellar youth. Near-ultraviolet (NUV) irradiation can erode and alter the chemistry of planetary atmospheres, and a quantitative description of the evolution of NUV emission from M dwarfs is needed when modeling these effects. We investigated the NUV luminosity evolution of early M-type dwarfs by cross-correlating the Lepine & Gaidos catalog (2011, J/AJ/142/138) of bright M dwarfs with the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) catalog of NUV (1771-2831{AA}) sources. Of the 4805 sources with GALEX counterparts, 797 have NUV emission significantly (>2.5{sigma}) in excess of an empirical basal level. We inspected these candidate active stars using visible-wavelength spectra, high-resolution adaptive optics imaging, time-series photometry, and literature searches to identify cases where the elevated NUV emission is due to unresolved background sources or stellar companions; we estimated the overall occurrence of these "false positives" (FPs) as ~16%. We constructed an NUV luminosity function that accounted for FPs, detection biases of the source catalogs, and GALEX upper limits. We found the NUV luminosity function to be inconsistent with predictions from a constant star-formation rate and simplified age-activity relation defined by a two-parameter power law.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AJ/89/636
- Title:
- Giant M stars in Baade's Window
- Short Name:
- J/AJ/89/636
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- Near-infrared small-dispersion spectra obtained with a grism at the prime focus of CTIO's 4-m telescope have been used to survey and classify late-type red giants found in a circular area with a diameter of 24.4 arcmin which is contained within Baade's Window. The survey is complete to a distance that extends past the galactic nuclear bulge. The presented stars therefore constitute a unique complete sample of the red giant population of the nuclear bulge. A total of 306 red giants, including all giants of type M6 or later, are presented with a list of their coordinates, spectral classes, and apparent I magnitudes. A finding chart is also given. No C or S stars were found even though they should have been detected if they exist. Evidence is presented of uneven foreground interstellar obscuration in Baade's Window.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/598/A26
- Title:
- HADES RV Programme with HARPS-N at TNG. II.
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/598/A26
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The distribution of exoplanets around low-mass stars is still not well understood. Such stars, however, present an excellent opportunity for reaching down to the rocky and habitable planet domains. The number of current detections used for statistical purposes remains relatively modest and different surveys, using both photometry and precise radial velocities, are searching for planets around M dwarfs. Our HARPS-N red dwarf exoplanet survey is aimed at the detection of new planets around a sample of 78 selected stars, together with the subsequent characterization of their activity properties. Here we investigate the survey performance and strategy. From 2700 observed spectra, we compare the radial velocity determinations of the HARPS-N DRS pipeline and the HARPS-TERRA code, calculate the mean activity jitter level, evaluate the planet detection expectations, and address the general question of how to define the strategy of spectroscopic surveys in order to be most efficient in the detection of planets. We find that the HARPS-TERRA radial velocities show less scatter and we calculate a mean activity jitter of 2.3m/s for our sample. For a general radial velocity survey with limited observing time, the number of observations per star is key for the detection efficiency. In the case of an early M-type target sample, we conclude that approximately 50 observations per star with exposure times of 900s and precisions of approximately 1m/s maximizes the number of planet detections.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/626/A112
- Title:
- Halo oxygen-rich AGB stars catalog
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/626/A112
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- To construct a catalogue of oxygen-rich (M) asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the halo, complementing the catalogues of carbon-rich (C) stars, previous lists of Miras and SRa semi-regulars located in the northern hemisphere are merged and cleaned of various defects. After putting aside known C stars, characteristics such as colours and periods indicate that most of the remaining objects are M stars. Distances are obtained through the period-luminosity relation. By considering their position in the sky, stars lying at |Z|>5kpc are confirmed to be in majority in the Sgr tidal arms. The M stars are more numerous than C ones. Our distance scale is supported by two cool variables located in the Pal 4 globular cluster. Along the Sgr arms, there is reasonable agreement on distances of our objects with recent RR Lyrae distances. A few stars may be as distant as 150kpc, with possibly four at the trailing arm apocentre, and two in the A16 sub-structure, angularly close to two C stars. Ninety radial velocities are collected from Gaia and other sources. A catalogue with 417 M pulsating AGB stars is provided. This catalogue contains about 260 stars in the halo with |Z|>5kpc. Their Ks magnitudes range from 8 up to 13. For comparison, the catalogue also provides about 150 stars in the disc having 5<Ks<8.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/834/85
- Title:
- H{alpha} emission in nearby M dwarfs
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/834/85
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The high-energy emission from low-mass stars is mediated by the magnetic dynamo. Although the mechanisms by which fully convective stars generate large-scale magnetic fields are not well understood, it is clear that, as for solar-type stars, stellar rotation plays a pivotal role. We present 270 new optical spectra of low-mass stars in the Solar Neighborhood. Combining our observations with those from the literature, our sample comprises 2202 measurements or non-detections of H{alpha} emission in nearby M dwarfs. This includes 466 with photometric rotation periods. Stars with masses between 0.1 and 0.6M_{sun}_ are well-represented in our sample, with fast and slow rotators of all masses. We observe a threshold in the mass-period plane that separates active and inactive M dwarfs. The threshold coincides with the fast-period edge of the slowly rotating population, at approximately the rotation period at which an era of rapid rotational evolution appears to cease. The well-defined active/inactive boundary indicates that H{alpha} activity is a useful diagnostic for stellar rotation period, e.g., for target selection for exoplanet surveys, and we present a mass-period relation for inactive M dwarfs. We also find a significant, moderate correlation between L_H{alpha}_/L_bol_ and variability amplitude: more active stars display higher levels of photometric variability. Consistent with previous work, our data show that rapid rotators maintain a saturated value of L_H{alpha}_/L_bol_. Our data also show a clear power-law decay in L_H{alpha}_/L_bol_ with Rossby number for slow rotators, with an index of -1.7+/-0.1.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/764/3
- Title:
- H{alpha} indices in M low-mass stars
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/764/3
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- Through the McDonald Observatory M Dwarf Planet Search, we have acquired nearly 3000 high-resolution spectra of 93 late-type (K5-M5) stars over more than a decade using the High Resolution Spectrograph on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. This sample provides a unique opportunity to investigate the occurrence of long-term stellar activity cycles for low-mass stars. In this paper, we examine the stellar activity of our targets as reflected in the H{alpha} feature. We have identified periodic signals for six stars, with periods ranging from days to more than 10 years, and find long-term trends for seven others. Stellar cycles with P>=1 year are present for at least 5% of our targets. Additionally, we present an analysis of the time-averaged activity levels of our sample, and search for correlations with other stellar properties. In particular, we find that more massive, earlier type (M0-M2) stars tend to be more active than later type dwarfs. Furthermore, high-metallicity stars tend to be more active at a given stellar mass. We also evaluate H{alpha} variability as a tracer of activity-induced radial velocity (RV) variation. For the M dwarf GJ 1170, H{alpha} variation reveals stellar activity patterns matching those seen in the RVs, mimicking the signal of a giant planet, and we find evidence that the previously identified stellar activity cycle of GJ 581 may be responsible for the recently retracted planet f in that system. In general, though, we find that H{alpha} is not frequently correlated with RV at the precision (typically 6-7m/s) of our measurements.
