M Dwarf Planetary Systems

Details M Dwarf Planetary Systems M Dwarf Planetary Systems

Dec 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006aas...20924105p&link_type=abstract

2007 AAS/AAPT Joint Meeting, American Astronomical Society Meeting 209, #241.05; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society,

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We present the results of three projects investigating M dwarfs and their circumstellar environments, with a particular focus on whether M dwarfs harbor planetary systems. For the first project, we present 11.7μm observations of nine late-type dwarfs obtained at the Keck I 10-meter telescope. Our targets were selected for their youth or apparent IRAS 12μm excess. For all nine sources, excess infrared emission indicative of a planet-forming debris disk is not detected. We find that stellar wind drag can dominate the circumstellar grain removal and plausibly explain the dearth of M dwarf systems older than 10 Myr with currently detected infrared excesses. We predict M dwarfs possess fractional infrared excess on the order of LIR/L* 10-6 and this may be detectable with future efforts.
The 2MASS photometric calibration database covers 4 square degrees on the sky in 35 “calibration fields” sampled in nominal photometric conditions between 550 and 3700 times over the four years of the 2MASS mission. For the second project, we compile a catalog of variables in this database that is motivated by a search for M dwarfs transited by extra-solar planets. We present our methods for measuring periodicity and variability. We identify 246 variables, including 23 periodic variables. We have discovered three M dwarf eclipsing systems, including two candidates for transiting extrasolar planets.
For the third project, we constrain the frequency of M dwarfs with hot Jovian companions. We present Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the number of companions we can detect in our sample of M Dwarfs. We present a model for the photometry of eclipsing systems, and apply it to three new M dwarf eclipsing systems to estimate component mass, radii and orbital parameters. We find that M Dwarfs are not likely to have close-in Jovian companions in greater abundance than solar type stars.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

M Dwarf Planetary Systems does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with M Dwarf Planetary Systems, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and M Dwarf Planetary Systems will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-960304