M Dwarf Flares from Time-Resolved SDSS Spectra
Abstract
Flares on low-mass dwarfs are a major source of variability in the optical and UV in the Galaxy. In addition to being a source of optical transients, these flares may have an important effect on the habitability of planets orbiting low-mass dwarfs. We present a study of flares on M dwarfs determined from Sloan Digital Sky Survey time-resolved spectra. Our sample consists of tens of thousands of M dwarfs whose SDSS spectra were formed from co-adds of several (typically 3-5) consecutive shorter (typically 9-15 minute) exposures. We present the Flare Line Index as a way to identify flares in these individual component spectra with crude time-resolution, and investigate the short-term variability of the Balmer and Ca II emission lines.
- Publication:
-
15th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun
- Pub Date:
- February 2009
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.3099198
- Bibcode:
- 2009AIPC.1094..652H
- Keywords:
-
- 97.20.Vs;
- 97.30.Nr;
- 95.80.+p;
- Low luminosity stars subdwarfs and brown dwarfs;
- Flare stars;
- Astronomical catalogs atlases sky surveys databases retrieval systems archives etc.;
- brown dwarfs;
- flare stars;
- astronomical atlases