Speaker
Description
Very Low Mass (VLM) stars and Brown Dwarfs (BDs) are the most numerous objects in the universe. Yet, due to their extreme redness and dimness, the population of VLM stars and BDs even in the immediate vicinity of the Sun remains incomplete. The Gaia proper motion survey, the Motion-Verified Red Stars catalog (MoVeRS), and the Late-Type Extension to MoVeRS (LaTE-MoVeRS) are recent surveys that have identified numerous VLM star and BD candidates through their red colors and high angular motions on the sky. However, the majority of these candidates have no spectroscopic data to confirm or characterize them. During my time with Dr. Burgasser’s Cool Star Lab at the University of California, San Diego, I was a part of a leading effort to observe and classify these nearby star candidates. At the time, infrared spectroscopy of some candidates had been achieved, but no optical observations had been made. I present my work developing the tools necessary to reduce and analyze our optical spectra and some preliminary results from this ongoing population study.
| Type of contribution | Oral contribution (10 minutes) |
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