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Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto
Characterization of star-planet systems

Vera M. Passegger
University of Göttingen

Abstract
The CARMENES project will carry out a new planet survey on M-dwarfs. The new high-resolution spectrographs, operating in the visible and near-infrared, will become operational at the end of 2015 at Calar Alto Observatory. They will perform high-precision radial-velocity measurements (goal 1 m s-1) of about 300 M-dwarfs with the aim to detect low-mass planets within the habitable zones of their host stars. I have characterized the candidate sample for CARMENES and provide fundamental parameters for these stars in order to constrain planetary properties. Using state-of-the-art model atmospheres (PHOENIX-ACES) and chi2-minimization with a downhill-simplex method I determine effective temperature, surface gravity, metallicity and rotational velocity for high-resolution spectra taken with FEROS and CAFE. Finding discrepancies between the obtained parameters and literature values, I investigated near-infrared K- and J-bands using TripleSpec and X-Shooter data. I found deficiencies in the PHOENIX-ACES models, however it was possible to get good results for temperature and log g. The experiences made in the near-infrared will help to better understand spectral characterization in the visible range.

6 May 2015, 13:30

Centro de Astrofísica
Rua das Estrelas
4150-762 Porto

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA) is a new but long anticipated research infrastructure with a national dimension. It embodies a bold but feasible vision for the development of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences in Portugal, taking full advantage and fully realizing the potential created by the national membership of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). IA resulted from the merging the two most prominent research units in the field in Portugal: the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP) and the Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics of the University of Lisbon (CAAUL). It currently hosts more than two-thirds of all active researchers working in Space Sciences in Portugal, and is responsible for an even greater fraction of the national productivity in international ISI journals in the area of Space Sciences. This is the scientific area with the highest relative impact factor (1.65 times above the international average) and the field with the highest average number of citations per article for Portugal.

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