Program: GS-2020A-Q-302

Title:Searching the Nearby M Dwarfs for Stellar Companions at Solar System Separations (South)
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