The Keck/NIRSPEC Search for Giant Exoplanets around Late M-dwarfs

Deshpande, Rohit; Martín, E. L.; Montgomery, M. M.; Zapatero-Osorio, M. R.; Tata, R.; Phan-Bao, N.; Bouy, H.
Referencia bibliográfica

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #39, #22.09; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.451

Fecha de publicación:
12
2007
Número de autores
7
Número de autores del IAC
1
Número de citas
0
Número de citas referidas
0
Descripción
We present the rationale, first observations and preliminary results of our radial velocity search for exoplanets around M dwarfs. So far we have obtained 2.5 nights (1.5 already done, 2 half nights pending) of Keck NASA time to collect high-resolution near-infrared spectra using NIRSPEC on the KECK II telescope. Our sample consists of 80 nearby (distance ? pc) late M dwarfs (spectral class from M6 through M9) that are not known to be binaries. Earlier observations by our group demonstrated a radial velocity precision ranging from 100 m/s to 400 m/s for late-M dwarfs. Such an accuracy should allow us to detect planets with masses between 2 - 8 MJ at 1 A.U. or 0.7-2.8 MJ at 0.1 A.U, respectively. The goal of this new observational program is to obtain similar or better velocity precision in a larger sample. Spin offs of this program will include the determination of rotational broadening and space velocities for our targets.