A Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Survey of 886 Nearby M Dwarfs

TL;DR

This paper presents a comprehensive catalog of high-quality near-infrared spectra and stellar parameters for 886 nearby M dwarfs, enabling improved understanding of their properties and exoplanet host characteristics.

Contribution

It provides the largest uniform NIR spectral catalog for M dwarfs, including new empirical abundance measurements and comparisons with existing calibrations.

Findings

Confirmed inverse relation between M dwarf abundances and age indicators.

Provided updated metallicities for 16 M dwarf planet hosts.

Explored systematic differences between abundance calibration methods.

Abstract

We present a catalog of near-infrared (NIR) spectra and associated measurements for 886 nearby M dwarfs. The spectra were obtained with the NASA-Infrared Telescope Facility SpeX Spectrograph during a two-year observing campaign; they have high signal-to-noise ratios (SNR $>100-150$), span 0.8-2.4 $\mu$m and have $R\sim2000$. Our catalog of measured values contains useful T$_{\mathrm{eff}}$ and composition-sensitive features, empirical stellar parameter measurements, and kinematic, photometric, and astrometric properties compiled from the literature. We focus on measures of M dwarf abundances ([Fe/H] and [M/H]), capitalizing on the precision of recently published empirical NIR spectroscopic calibrations. We explore systematic differences between different abundance calibrations, and to other similar M dwarf catalogs. We confirm that the M dwarf abundances we measure show the expected inverse dependence with kinematic, activity, and color-based age indicators. Finally, we provide updated [Fe/H] and [M/H] for 16 M dwarf planet hosts. This catalog represents the largest published compilation of NIR spectra and associated parameters for M dwarfs. It provides a rich and uniform resource for the nearby M dwarfs, and will be especially valuable for measuring Habitable Zone locations and comparative abundances of the M dwarf planet hosts that will be uncovered by upcoming exoplanet surveys.