Mark Veyette

The ability to perform detailed chemical analysis of Sun-like F-, G-, and K-type stars is a powerful tool with many applications, including studying the chemical evolution of the Galaxy and constraining planet formation theories. Unfortunately, complications in modeling cooler stellar atmospheres hinders similar analyses of M dwarf stars. Empirically calibrated methods to measure M dwarf metallicity from moderate-resolution spectra are currently limited to measuring overall metallicity and rely… Show more

The ability to perform detailed chemical analysis of Sun-like F-, G-, and K-type stars is a powerful tool with many applications, including studying the chemical evolution of the Galaxy and constraining planet formation theories. Unfortunately, complications in modeling cooler stellar atmospheres hinders similar analyses of M dwarf stars. Empirically calibrated methods to measure M dwarf metallicity from moderate-resolution spectra are currently limited to measuring overall metallicity and rely on astrophysical abundance correlations in stellar populations. We present a new, empirical calibration of synthetic M dwarf spectra that can be used to infer effective temperature, Fe abundance, and Ti abundance. We obtained high-resolution (R ̃ 25,000), Y-band (̃1 μm) spectra of 29 M dwarfs with NIRSPEC on Keck II. Using the PHOENIX stellar atmosphere modeling code (version 15.5), we generated a grid of synthetic spectra covering a range of temperatures, metallicities, and alpha-enhancements. From our observed and synthetic spectra, we measured the equivalent widths of multiple Fe I and Ti I lines and a temperature-sensitive index based on the FeH band head. We used abundances measured from widely separated solar-type companions to empirically calibrate transformations to the observed indices and equivalent widths that force agreement with the models. Our calibration achieves precisions in T eff, [Fe/H], and [Ti/Fe] of 60 K, 0.1 dex, and 0.05 dex, respectively, and is calibrated for 3200 K < T eff < 4100 K, -0.7 < [Fe/H] < +0.3, and -0.05 < [Ti/Fe] < +0.3. This work is a step toward detailed chemical analysis of M dwarfs at a precision similar to what has been achieved for FGK stars. Show less

We present a library of empirical stellar spectra created using spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey’s Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. The templates cover spectral types O5 through L3, are binned by metallicity from -2.0 dex through +1.0 dex, and are separated into main-sequence (dwarf) stars and giant stars. With recently developed M dwarf metallicity indicators, we are able to extend the metallicity bins down through the spectral subtype M8, making this the first empirical… Show more

We present a library of empirical stellar spectra created using spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey’s Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. The templates cover spectral types O5 through L3, are binned by metallicity from -2.0 dex through +1.0 dex, and are separated into main-sequence (dwarf) stars and giant stars. With recently developed M dwarf metallicity indicators, we are able to extend the metallicity bins down through the spectral subtype M8, making this the first empirical library with this degree of temperature and metallicity coverage. The wavelength coverage for the templates is from 3650 to 10200 Å at a resolution of better than R ̃ 2000. Using the templates, we identify trends in color space with metallicity and surface gravity, which will be useful for analyzing large data sets from upcoming missions like the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. Along with the templates, we are releasing a code for automatically (and/or visually) identifying the spectral type and metallicity of a star. Show less

We present near-infrared (NIR) synthetic spectra based on PHOENIX stellar atmosphere models of typical early and mid-M dwarfs with varied C and O abundances. We apply multiple recently published methods for determining M dwarf metallicity to our models to determine the effects of C and O abundances on metallicity indicators. We find that the pseudo-continuum level is very sensitive to C/O and that all metallicity indicators show a dependence on C and O abundances, especially in lower T eff… Show more

We present near-infrared (NIR) synthetic spectra based on PHOENIX stellar atmosphere models of typical early and mid-M dwarfs with varied C and O abundances. We apply multiple recently published methods for determining M dwarf metallicity to our models to determine the effects of C and O abundances on metallicity indicators. We find that the pseudo-continuum level is very sensitive to C/O and that all metallicity indicators show a dependence on C and O abundances, especially in lower T eff models. In some cases, the inferred metallicity ranges over a full order of magnitude (>1 dex) when [C/Fe] and [O/Fe] are varied independently by ±0.2. We also find that [(O-C)/Fe], the difference in O and C abundances, is a better tracer of the pseudo-continuum level than C/O. Models of mid-M dwarfs with [C/Fe], [O/Fe], and [M/H] that are realistic in the context of galactic chemical evolution suggest that variation in [(O-C)/Fe] is the primary physical mechanism behind the M dwarf metallicity tracers investigated here. Empirically calibrated metallicity indicators are still valid for most nearby M dwarfs due to the tight correlation between [(O-C)/Fe] and [Fe/H] evident in spectroscopic surveys of solar neighborhood FGK stars. Variations in C and O abundances also affect the spectral energy distribution of M dwarfs. Allowing [O/Fe] to be a free parameter provides better agreement between the synthetic spectra and observed spectra of metal-rich M dwarfs. We suggest that flux-calibrated, low-resolution, NIR spectra can provide a path toward measuring C and O abundances in M dwarfs and breaking the degeneracy between C/O and [Fe/H] present in M dwarf metallicity indicators. Show less

We present an updated optical and mechanical design of NEWS: the Near-infrared Echelle for Wide-band Spectroscopy (formerly called HiJaK: the High-resolution J, H and K spectrometer), a compact, high-resolution, near-infrared spectrometer for 5-meter class telescopes. NEWS provides a spectral resolution of 60,000 and covers the full 0.8-2.5 μm range in 5 modes. We adopt a compact, lightweight, monolithic design and have developed NEWS to be mounted to the instrument cube at the Cassegrain focus… Show more

We present an updated optical and mechanical design of NEWS: the Near-infrared Echelle for Wide-band Spectroscopy (formerly called HiJaK: the High-resolution J, H and K spectrometer), a compact, high-resolution, near-infrared spectrometer for 5-meter class telescopes. NEWS provides a spectral resolution of 60,000 and covers the full 0.8-2.5 μm range in 5 modes. We adopt a compact, lightweight, monolithic design and have developed NEWS to be mounted to the instrument cube at the Cassegrain focus of the new 4.3-meter Discovery Channel Telescope. Show less

We use solar occultations observed by the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer on board the Cassini Spacecraft to extract the 1-5 μm transmission spectrum of Saturn, as if it were a transiting exoplanet. We detect absorption from methane, ethane, acetylene, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and possibly carbon monoxide, with peak-to-peak features of up to 90 parts-per-million despite the presence of ammonia clouds. We also find that atmospheric refraction, as opposed to clouds or haze, determines the… Show more

We use solar occultations observed by the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer on board the Cassini Spacecraft to extract the 1-5 μm transmission spectrum of Saturn, as if it were a transiting exoplanet. We detect absorption from methane, ethane, acetylene, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and possibly carbon monoxide, with peak-to-peak features of up to 90 parts-per-million despite the presence of ammonia clouds. We also find that atmospheric refraction, as opposed to clouds or haze, determines the minimum altitude that could be probed during mid-transit. Self-consistent exoplanet atmosphere models show good agreement with Saturn’s transmission spectrum but fail to reproduce a large absorption feature near 3.4 μm, likely caused by gaseous ethane and a C-H stretching mode of an unknown aliphatic hydrocarbon. This large feature is located in one of the Spitzer Space Telescope bandpasses and could alter interpretations of transmission spectra if not properly modeled. The large signal in Saturn’s transmission spectrum suggests that transmission spectroscopy of cold, long-period gaseous exoplanets should be possible with current and future observatories. Motivated by these results, we briefly consider the feasibility of using a survey to search for and characterize cold exoplanets that are analogous to Jupiter and Saturn utilizing a target-of-opportunity approach. Show less

The Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) is an HST multi-cycle treasury program that mapped one-third of M31 from the UV through the near-IR. It provides photometry in up to 6 filters for about 117 million stars distributed across ̃20 kpc of the M31 disk, with a spatial resolution comparable to that routinely attained for the Magellanic Clouds from the ground. These data are revolutionising our view of the spatial distribution of stars and dust across M31. Here we present an overview… Show more

The Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) is an HST multi-cycle treasury program that mapped one-third of M31 from the UV through the near-IR. It provides photometry in up to 6 filters for about 117 million stars distributed across ̃20 kpc of the M31 disk, with a spatial resolution comparable to that routinely attained for the Magellanic Clouds from the ground. These data are revolutionising our view of the spatial distribution of stars and dust across M31. Here we present an overview of PHAT data and results, with a focus on the thermally-pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars. We comment on (1) the overall spatial distribution of TP-AGB stars as compared to stars of the red giant branch (RGB); (2) the detection of a dramatic drop in the C/M ratio toward the inner M31 disk; (3) the large population of TP-AGB stars in star clusters; (4) an improved view of the planetary nebula population; and (5) the unusual populations of UV-bright stars in the M31 bulge, which correspond to either post-AGB or "failed-AGB” stars. These rich datasets allow us to test the evolution of TP-AGB stars in a metal-rich and star-forming environment, avoiding the incompleteness and distance uncertainties that severely limit similar studies in the Milky Way. Show less

We search the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3 broadband imaging data from the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) survey to identify detections of cataloged planetary nebulae (PNs). Of the 711 PNs currently in the literature within the PHAT footprint, we find 467 detected in the broadband. For these 467, we are able to refine their astrometric accuracy from ~0.''3 to 0.''05. Using the resolution of the HST, we are able to show that 152… Show more

We search the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3 broadband imaging data from the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) survey to identify detections of cataloged planetary nebulae (PNs). Of the 711 PNs currently in the literature within the PHAT footprint, we find 467 detected in the broadband. For these 467, we are able to refine their astrometric accuracy from ~0.''3 to 0.''05. Using the resolution of the HST, we are able to show that 152 objects currently in the catalogs are definitively not PNs, and we show that 32 objects thought to be extended in ground-based images are actually point-like and therefore good PN candidates. We also find one PN candidate that is marginally resolved. If this is a PN, it is up to 0.7 pc in diameter. With our new photometric data, we develop a method of measuring the level of excitation in individual PNs by comparing broadband and narrowband imaging and describe the effects of excitation on a PN's photometric signature. Using the photometric properties of the known PNs in the PHAT catalogs, we search for more PNs, but do not find any new candidates, suggesting that ground-based emission-line surveys are complete in the PHAT footprint to F475W ~= 24. Show less

We present the science drivers, design requirements and a preliminary design for a high-resolution, broad- bandwidth, slit-fed cross-dispersed near-infrared spectrometer for 5-meter-class telescopes. Our concept, called the High-Resolution J, H and K Spectrometer, or HiJaK, utilizes an R6 echelle in a white-pupil design to achieve high resolution in a compact configuration with a 2048 x 2048 pixel infrared detector. We present a preliminary ray-traced optical design matched to the new 4.3-meter… Show more

We present the science drivers, design requirements and a preliminary design for a high-resolution, broad- bandwidth, slit-fed cross-dispersed near-infrared spectrometer for 5-meter-class telescopes. Our concept, called the High-Resolution J, H and K Spectrometer, or HiJaK, utilizes an R6 echelle in a white-pupil design to achieve high resolution in a compact configuration with a 2048 x 2048 pixel infrared detector. We present a preliminary ray-traced optical design matched to the new 4.3-meter Discovery Channel Telescope in Happy Jack, Arizona. We also discuss mechanical and cryogenic options to house our optical design. Show less