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

最冷和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，这些行星具有承载生命的能力。研究人员将联合收割机从开普勒航天器使命“K2”和地球上的望远镜观测，使最大的已知样本的行星周围的M矮星。他们将测量不同类型恒星的行星数量和特征，并发现和确认我们所了解的可能存在生命的行星，然后这些行星将成为未来詹姆斯韦伯太空望远镜等太空望远镜进一步深入研究的目标。这项研究通过扩大我们对太阳系外行星可能存在生命的科学知识来服务于国家利益。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群体的实地考察。M矮星为寻找岩石、地球大小、可能适合居住的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，这些目标仍然没有实现，因为过去的调查在很大程度上忽略了M矮星，而倾向于类似太阳的恒星。这项研究将支持以前非常成功的调查与扩展开普勒航天器使命K2，和关键的地面望远镜支持设施，以产生最大的已知样本的行星周围的M恒星。研究人员将测量行星出现频率作为恒星和行星属性的函数;填补低质量系统形成模型的关键空白;寻找潜在的宜居行星;并找到未来詹姆斯韦伯太空望远镜大气特征的有吸引力的目标。在K2数据发布后，研究人员将提取测光，识别和验证行星候选者。然后，他们获得后续成像和光谱，以识别误报，分类恒星和验证行星。K2光变曲线、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测量了M矮星周围行星的调查完整性和全球出现率，包括可居住的岩石行星的频率。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群体的实地考察。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值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.