Characterization of M dwarfs Using Optical Mid-Resolution Spectra for Exploration of Small Exoplanets

TL;DR

This study provides a detailed spectral characterization of 338 nearby M dwarfs, including spectral types, effective temperatures, and radii, to aid in the selection of targets for small exoplanet exploration.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive spectral analysis method for M dwarfs using optical spectra and calibrates effective temperatures with interferometric data, improving target selection for exoplanet surveys.

Findings

97% of M dwarfs are spectral types M3-M6

Typical temperature error is 85-128 K

Most stars have radii less than 0.6 solar radii

Abstract

We present the optical spectra of 338 nearby M dwarfs, and compute their spectral types, effective temperatures ($T_{\mathrm{eff}}$), and radii. Our spectra have been obtained using several optical spectrometers with spectral resolutions that range from 1200 to 10000. As many as 97% of the observed M-type dwarfs have a spectral type of M3-M6, with a typical error of 0.4 sub-type, among which the spectral types M4-M5 are the most common. We infer the $T_{\mathrm{eff}}$ of our sample by fitting our spectra with theoretical spectra from the PHOENIX model. Our inferred $T_{\mathrm{eff}}$ is calibrated with the optical spectra of M dwarfs whose $T_{\mathrm{eff}}$ have been well determined with the calibrations that are supported by previous interferometric observations. Our fitting procedures utilize the VO absorption band (7320-7570 {\AA}) and the optical region (5000-8000 {\AA}), yielding typical errors of 128 K (VO band) and 85 K (optical region). We also determine the radii of our sample from their spectral energy distributions (SEDs). We find most of our sample stars have radii of $<$ 0.6 $R_\odot$, with the average error being 3%. Our catalog enables efficient sample selection for exoplanet surveys around nearby M-type dwarfs.