M dwarfs are prime targets in the hunt for habitable worlds around other stars. This
is due to their abundance as well as their small radii and low masses and tempera-
tures, which facilitate the detection of temperate, rocky planets in orbit around them.
However, the fundamental properties of M dwarfs are difficult to constrain, often lim-
iting our ability to characterise the planets they host. Here we test several theoretical
relationships for M dwarfs by measuring 23 high precision, model-in...
M dwarfs are prime targets in the hunt for habitable worlds around other stars. This
is due to their abundance as well as their small radii and low masses and tempera-
tures, which facilitate the detection of temperate, rocky planets in orbit around them.
However, the fundamental properties of M dwarfs are difficult to constrain, often lim-
iting our ability to characterise the planets they host. Here we test several theoretical
relationships for M dwarfs by measuring 23 high precision, model-independent masses
and radii for M dwarfs in binaries with white dwarfs. We find a large scatter in the
radii of these low-mass stars, with 25 per cent having radii consistent with theoret-
ical models while the rest are up to 12 per cent over-inflated. This scatter is seen
in both partially- and fully-convective M dwarfs. No clear trend is seen between the
over-inflation and age or metallicity, but there are indications that the radii of slowly
rotating M dwarfs are more consistent with predictions, albeit with a similar amount of
scatter in the measurements compared to more rapidly rotating M dwarfs. The sample
of M dwarfs in close binaries with white dwarfs appears indistinguishable from other
M dwarf samples, implying that common envelope evolution has a negligible impact on
their structure. We conclude that theoretical and empirical mass-radius relationships
lack the precision and accuracy required to measure the fundamental parameters of
M dwarfs well enough to determine the internal structure and bulk composition of the
planets they host.
Citation
Parsons, S., Gänsicke, B. T., Marsh, T., Rebassa, A. The scatter of the M dwarf mass-radius relationship. "Montly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society", 21 Novembre 2018, vol. 481, núm. 1, p. 1083-1096.
1808.07780.pdf
(2438145 bytes)
Share
