| · Find Similar Abstracts (with default settings below) |
| Title: | Clandestine Companions of Nearby Red Dwarfs | |
| Authors: | Henry, Todd J.; Koerner, D. W.; Jao, W. C.; Subasavage, J. P.; Ianna, P. A.; RECONS | |
| Affiliation: | AA(Georgia State Univ), AB(Northern Arizona University), AC(Georgia State Univ), AD(Georgia State Univ), AE(University of Virginia) | |
| Publication: | 2007 AAS/AAPT Joint Meeting, American Astronomical Society Meeting 209, #24.04; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 38, p.933 | |
| Publication Date: | 12/2006 | |
| Origin: | AAS | |
| Abstract Copyright: | (c) 2006: American Astronomical Society | |
| Bibliographic Code: | 2006AAS...209.2404H |
The advent of modern CCD technology yields substantial improvement in the detection of low mass companions over the classic studies done using photographic plates. The current ASPENS (Astrometric Search for Planets Encircling Nearby Stars) program is capable of finding hidden companions with masses as low as 10 Jupiters. Here we report the first results of the ASPENS effort, including a few intriguing systems with orbital periods of several years.
Nearby red dwarfs are prime candidates for NASA's Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) because the astrometric perturbations are largest for planets orbiting nearby stars of low mass. In addition, new multiple red dwarf systems can be targeted for mass determinations, thereby providing points on a comprehensive mass-luminosity relation for the most populous members of the Galaxy.
These long-term observations began in 1999 as an NOAO Surveys program, and are continuing via the SMARTS Consortium. This work has been supported by the National Science Foundation (AST 98-20711 and 05-07711), NASA's Space Interferometry Mission, Georgia State University, and Northern Arizona University.
| Bibtex entry for this abstract Preferred format for this abstract (see Preferences) |