Program: GS-2020A-Q-232

Title:Calibrating Fundamental M-Dwarf Relations at Optical Wavelengths (South)
PI:Trent Dupuy
Co-I(s): Andrew Mann

Abstract

The mass-luminosity relation for M dwarfs has proven to be a powerful tool for studies ranging from exoplanets to variations in the initial mass function in nearby galaxies. In order to develop more accurate mass-magnitude relations, we have been monitoring >100 nearby astrometric M dwarf binaries with adaptive optics imaging. While this has been successful in improving the overall luminosity relation, our AO imaging only provides resolved magnitudes in the near-infrared. Deriving a relation at optical magnitudes, however, is crucial for interpreting many of the most impactful observational samples (e.g., SDSS, Kepler, Gaia). Moreover, optical magnitudes are much more sensitive to important astrophysical parameters, including metallicity, temperature, and radius. Here we propose to utilize the tight inner working angles of Alopeke on Gemini-North and Zorro on Gemini-South to obtain optical photometry for our low-mass stellar multiple systems that otherwise are only resolvable with AO or from space. These data will vastly improve the astrophysical utility of this unique sample as the study of M dwarfs at optical wavelengths continues to intensify in the future with new data sets from Gaia, TESS, and LSST.

Publications using this program's data