Low Mass Stars

We present preliminary results of the angular diameter measurements of low-mass, K- and M-type main sequence stars from interferometric observations with the CHARA Array. The principal goal of this study consists of providing direct measurements of linear radii and effective temperatures for these stars. The sparse amount of data currently available on late-type stellar radii and temperatures indicates a continuing

CARMENES (Calar Alto high-Resolution search for M dwarfs with Exo-earths with Near-infrared and optical Echelle Spectrographs) is a next-generation instrument to be built for the 3.5m telescope at the Calar Alto Observatory by a consortium of Spanish and German institutions. Conducting a five-year exoplanet survey targeting ~ 300 M stars with the completed instrument is an integral part of the project. The CARMENES instrument consists of two separate spectrographs covering the wavelength range from 0.52 to 1.7 μm at a spectral resolution of R = 85, 000, fed by fibers from the Cassegrain focus of the telescope. The spectrographs are housed in a temperature-stabilized environment in vacuum tanks, to enable a 1m/s radial velocity precision employing a simultaneous ThAr calibration.

The expected stable point spread function, wide field of view, and sensitivity of the NIRCam instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will allow a simple, classical Lyot coronagraph to detect warm Jovian-mass companions orbiting young stars within 150 pc as well as cool Jupiters around the nearest low-mass stars. The coronagraph can also be used to study protostellar

A variation of Newton's constant $G$ over cosmological time scales would modify the main-squence time of globular cluster (GC) stars. We have calculated the evolution of low-mass stars typical for GCs both for standard non-varying $G$ and under the assumption of a linear variation of $G$. The age of the isochrones resulting from the latter models then was chosen such that the isochrones mimicked the standard ones at the turnoff. Assuming that the true age of GCs is between $8$ and $20\,\rm Gyr$, and because their apparent age is between $14$ and $18\,\rm Gyr$, we find that today $-35{\times}10^{-12}\,{\rm yr}^{-1}\la\dot{G}/G\la 7{\times}10^{-12}\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$. The upper limit (gravity weaker in the past) is competitive with direct present-day bounds from celestial mechanics. Within independently determined $\dot{G}/G$ limits a time-varying $G$ as an explanation for the discrepancy between the cosmic expansion age and the apparent GC ages is conceivable.

One of the most interesting constraints on star formation models comes from the study of multiplicity of young stars as a function of mass. While multiplicity studies of low-mass T Tauri stars have been quite exhaustive, an unbiased and systematic investigation of multiplicity among intermediate-mass Herbig Ae/Be (HAEBE) stars is still lacking. We are therefore conducting a photometric and spectroscopic survey of HAEBE stars to detect companions, establish their physical association with the primary and investigate their properties. The frequency and degree of multiplicity of HAEBE systems will provide new constraints on their formation mechanisms. In this paper we present preliminary results of the high resolution imaging part of the survey, carried out with the adaptive optics system Altair-NIRI on Gemini North. Of 72 stars observed, we find 44 possible binaries or multiples, including at least 25 not previously known.

CARMENES (Calar Alto high-Resolution search for M dwarfs with Exo-earths with Near-infrared and optical Echelle Spectrographs) is a next-generation instrument for the 3.5 m telescope at the Calar Alto Observatory. CARMENES will conduct a five-year exoplanet survey targeting ~300 M stars. The CARMENES instrument consists of two separate fiber-fed spectrographs covering the wavelength range from 0.52 to 1.7 μm at a spectral resolution of R = 85,000. The spectrographs are housed in a temperature-stabilized environment in vacuum tanks, to enable a 1 m/s radial velocity precision employing a simultaneous emission-line calibration.

Herschel-HIFI observations of high-J lines (up to Ju = 10) of 12CO, 13CO and C18O are presented toward three deeply embedded low-mass protostars in NGC 1333. The observations show several energetic components including shocked and quiescent gas. Radiative transfer models are used to quantify the C18O envelope abundance which require a jump in the abundance at an evaporation temperature, Tev ~ 25 K, providing new direct evidence of a CO ice evaporation zone around protostars. The abundance in the outermost part of the envelope, X0, is within the canonical value of 2 × 10-4; however the inner abundance, Xin, is found around a factor of 3-5 lower than X0.

Aims: We searched for the molecular outflows from fifteen molecular clouds associated with ultra-compact and compact HII (UCHII/HII) regions and discussed possible gas heating mechanism. Methods: Mapping observations of CO $J=3-2$ and $J=2-1$ lines were carried out with the KOSMA 3m-Telescope towards the 15 HII regions/molecular cloud complexes. Results: Ten molecular outflows were identified out of the fifteen HII region/molecular cloud complexes. The higher outflow detection rate (67%) suggested that such outflows are as common in high mass star forming regions as those in low mass star forming regions, which is consistent with the results of other authors. The observations also showed that the outflow might occur in the HII region. The integrated CO line intensity ratios (${\rm R_{I_{CO(3-2)}/I_{CO(2-1)}}}$) were determined from the core component of the spectra as well as from both the blue and red wings. Maximum line intensity ratios from the wings and core components appeared to be related to the mid-infrared sources imaged by Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX). The relationship between the maximum line intensity ratios and MSX sources indicates that the molecular gas could be heated by the emission of dust associated with massive stars. Based on maser observations reported in the literature, we found that ${\rm H_{2}O}$ masers were only detected in seven regions. The ${\rm H_{2}O}$ masers in these regions are located near the MSX sources and within the maximum line intensity ratio regions, suggesting that ${\rm H_{2}O}$ masers occur in relatively warm environments.

We report the discovery of six new substellar companions of main-sequence stars, detected through multiple Doppler measurements with the instrument HARPS installed on the ESO 3.6m telescope, La Silla, Chile. These extrasolar planets are orbiting the stars BD -17 0063, HD 20868, HD 73267, HD 131664, HD 145377, HD 153950. The orbital characteristics which best fit the observed data are depicted in this paper, as well as the stellar and planetary parameters. Masses of the companions range from 2 to 18 Jupiter masses, and periods range from 100 to 2000 days. The observational data are carefully analysed for activity-induced effects and we conclude on the reliability of the observed radial-velocity variations as of exoplanetary origin. Of particular interest is the very massive planet (or brown-dwarf companion) around the metal-rich HD 131664 with M2sini= 18.15 MJup, and a 5.34-year orbital period. These new discoveries reinforces the observed statistical properties of the exoplanet sample as known so far.

Aims: By using kinematical information, we test the membership of the new Lupus candidate members proposed by the Cores to Disks (c2d) Spitzer Legacy Program program and by a complementary optical survey. We also investigate the relationship between the proper motions (pm) and other properties, in order to get some clues about their formation and early evolution. Methods: We compiled a list of members and possible members of Lupus 1, 3, and 4, together with all information on their spectral types, disks, and physical parameters. Using VO-tools, we cross-matched this list with the astrometric catalogues to get pm. Our final sample contains sources with magnitudes I<16mag and estimated masses >~0.1Msun. Results: According to the kinematic information, our sources can be divided into two main groups. The first one contains sources with higher pm in agreement with other Gould Belt populations and with spatial distribution, optical and near-infrared colours, and disk composition consistent with these objects belonging to the Lupus clouds. In the second group, sources have lower pm with random orientations, and they are mostly located outside the cloud cores, making their association with the Lupus complex more doubtful. We investigate the properties of the higher pm group, but cannot find any correlations with spatial location, binarity, the presence of a circumstellar disk, or with physical properties such as effective temperature, luminosity, mass, or age. Conclusions: We conclude that the lower pm group probably represents a background population or mixture of populations unrelated to the Lupus clouds. The higher pm group, on the other hand, has properties consistent with it being a genuine population of the Lupus star-forming region. More accurate pm and/or radial velocity information are required for a more detailed study of the kinematic properties of the Lupus stellar members.