Collaborative Research: Mapping small and large scale magnetic fields on low mass stars

这个合作项目结合了观测和理论的努力，目的是提高对低质量恒星磁场的认识。他们将利用来自开普勒卫星的m矮星的高精度光曲线来探测晚期恒星上的星斑，以确定恒星质量和自转如何影响当地磁场。他们将使用已经从开普勒望远镜获得的数据，使用中等尺寸（1米口径）的机器人望远镜进行新的光度测定，以及使用加拿大-法国-夏威夷望远镜进行新的光谱测定。星黑子是由磁场活动引起的恒星表面的短暂区域。研究人员还将研究磁场对恒星基本特性的影响，如温度、光度和半径作为m矮星质量的函数。他们还将确定磁场对天文台活动的相对重要性，如耀斑和氢- α发射。更广泛的影响包括为STEM专业的本科生提供研究机会，努力扩大传统上代表性不足的少数群体学生的参与。他们还将与一组业余天文学家合作，对明亮的食双星进行时间序列光度测定。

This collaborative project combines observational and theoretical efforts with a goal of improving knowledge of magnetic fields on low mass stars. They will use high precision lightcurves of M-dwarfs from the Kepler satellite to probe starspots on late type stars to determine how stellar mass and rotation affect local magnetic fields. They will use data already acquired from Kepler, and new photometry with moderate sized (1-m aperture) robotic telescopes and new spectra with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Starspots are short-lived areas on the surfaces of stars that are caused by magnetic activity. The researchers will also investigate the effect of magnetic fields on fundamental stellar properties, such as temperature, luminosity and radius as a function of M-dwarf mass. They will also determine the relative importance of magnetic fields on observatory activity, such as flares and hydrogen-alpha emission.Broader impacts include providing research opportunities to undergraduate students in STEM majors, with an effort to broaden participation by students from traditionally underrepresented minority groups. They will also engage a group of amateur astronomers to obtain time series photometry of bright eclipsing binary stars.