Program: GN-2020A-Q-304
| Title: | Searching the Nearby M Dwarfs for Stellar Companions at Solar System Separations (North) |
| PI: | Jennifer Winters |
| Co-I(s): | Elliott Horch, Todd Henry, Dan Nusdeo, Dana Casetti |
Abstract
We propose to use 'Alopeke and Zorro on Gemini-N and -S to complete our survey of 1120 of the nearest M dwarfs to reveal stellar companions at separations on Solar System scales. Speckle on Gemini is able to detect companions with separations smaller than the Sun to Mercury for stars out to 25 pc. The resulting portrait of single, binary, triple, and higher order multiple star systems will drive research on star formation processes for most stars in the Galaxy, while individual measurements of companion locations and types will be used as benchmarks for decades. Ultimately, we will answer the basic questions of whether or not most stars are single or multiple, by how much the multiplicity changes with stellar mass, and which stars orbit one another in such configurations that make it difficult for the creation of planets.
Publications using this program's data
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[data]
[ADS] High-contrast, High-angular-resolution Optical Speckle Imaging: Uncovering Hidden Stellar Companions
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[ADS] HATS-74Ab, HATS-75b, HATS-76b, and HATS-77b: Four Transiting Giant Planets Around K and M Dwarfs
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[data]
[ADS] Twin High-resolution, High-speed Imagers for the Gemini Telescopes: Instrument description and science verification results
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[data]
[ADS] Speckle Interferometric Observations With the Gemini 8-m Telescopes: Signal-to-Noise Calculations and Observational Results