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| Paper: |
Deriving Age-Activity Relations in M Dwarf Stars Using Clusters of Known Ages |
| Volume: |
448, 16th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun |
| Page: |
1055 |
| Authors: |
Andersen, J. M.; West, A. A.; Covey, K. R.; McDonald, M.; Veilleux, S.; Seth, A. |
| Abstract: |
We present preliminary results from a study of M dwarf magnetic activity in clusters of known ages with the ultimate goal of constraining the age-activity relation. The age-activity relation provides clues to the mechanisms generating magnetic dynamos, especially in late-type dwarfs where their stellar interiors become fully convective. Broadband griz photometry was obtained for four clusters with ages ranging from ∼110 Myrs to 4 Gyrs. Narrowband images of each cluster were acquired with the Maryland Magellan Tunable Filter, tuned to the frequency of Hα, including a correction for the cluster's radial velocity, and a nearby, similarly sized bandpass sampling the stellar pseudo-continuum. This permits a “photometric” measurement of the Hα emission for each star, and thus a measure of activity. Cluster membership is determined from broadband photometry and comparison to stellar positions from previous studies. We report on our findings for the cluster NGC 2516. Hα measurements are stronger for cluster stars than for field stars of the same magnitude. A clear correlation is seen between our Hα strengths measured by narrowband imaging and previous spectroscopic activity measurements for stars where spectra have been obtained. |
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