Discovery of New Small, Cool Planets Orbiting M-Dwarf Stars

最冷、最古老的恒星被称为M矮星。因为它们的温度较低，所以它们周围可能有许多地球大小的行星，它们有能力孕育生命。研究人员将结合开普勒航天器任务“K2”和地球上的望远镜的观测，制作已知最大的围绕M矮星的行星样本。他们将测量出现在不同类型恒星上的行星的数量和特征，并发现和确认我们所了解的可能拥有生命的行星。然后，这些行星将成为詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜等未来太空望远镜进一步深入研究的目标。这项研究扩大了我们对太阳系外行星可能存在生命的科学知识，从而服务于国家利益。研究人员将与图森的弗兰德劳科学中心和天文馆合作，让社区参与太阳系外行星的发现和研究，包括支持当地服务不足的学生进行实地考察。M矮星为发现地球大小的潜在宜居岩石行星以及研究它们的出现频率和特征提供了最好的前景。然而，这些目标大部分仍未实现，因为过去的调查基本上忽略了M矮星，转而支持类太阳恒星。这项研究将支持之前通过扩展开普勒航天器任务K2和关键的地面望远镜支持设施进行的高度成功的调查，以产生已知的围绕M恒星的最大行星样本。研究人员将测量行星的出现频率作为恒星和行星性质的函数；填补低质量系统形成模型中的关键空白；寻找潜在的宜居行星；以及利用未来的詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜寻找有吸引力的大气特征目标。在K2数据公布后，调查人员将提取光度，识别和验证候选行星。然后，他们获得后续成像和光谱分析，以识别假阳性，对恒星进行分类，并验证行星。K2光曲线、侦察光谱和径向速度数据的组合确定了精确的恒星和行星参数。最后，所有数据的全球综合衡量了M矮星周围行星的探测完整性和全球出现率，包括宜居的岩石行星的频率。研究人员将与图森的佛兰卓科学中心和天文馆合作，让社区参与太阳系外行星的发现和研究，包括支持当地服务不足的学生进行实地考察。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The coolest and oldest stars are known as the M dwarf stars. Because they are cooler, they could have many Earth-sized planets around them that have the means of hosting life. The investigators will combine observations from the Kepler spacecraft mission "K2", and from telescopes on the Earth, to make the largest-known sample of planets around M dwarf stars. They will measure the number and characteristics of planets that occur for different types of stars, and find and confirm planets that could host life as we understand it. These planets then become targets for future space telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope to study further in depth. This research serves the national interest by expanding our scientific knowledge about extrasolar planets that could host life. The investigators will work with Tucson's Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium to engage the community on the discovery and study of extrasolar planets, including supporting field trips by local, underserved student populations.M dwarf stars offer the best prospects for finding rocky, Earth-sized, potentially habitable planets, and for studying their frequency of occurrence and their characteristics. These goals, however, remain mostly unrealized because past surveys have largely overlooked M dwarf stars in favor of solar-like stars. This research will support previous highly-successful surveys with the extended Kepler spacecraft mission K2, and key ground-based telescopic support facilities, to produce the largest known sample of planets around M stars. The investigators will measure planet occurrence frequency as a function of stellar and planetary properties; fill key gaps in formation models of low-mass systems; find potentially habitable planets; and find attractive targets for atmospheric characterization with the future James Webb Space Telescope. After K2 data are released, the investigators will extract photometry, identify and validate planet candidates. They then acquire follow-up imaging and spectroscopy to identify false positives, classify stars, and validate planets. The combination of K2 light curves, reconnaissance spectra, and radial velocity data determine precise stellar and planetary parameters. Finally, a global synthesis of all data measures the survey completeness and global occurrence rate of planets around M dwarf stars, including the frequency of habitable, rocky planets. The investigators will partner with Tucson's Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium to engage the community on the discovery and study of extrasolar planets, including supporting field trips by local, underserved student populations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.