The nature of small planets orbiting M dwarfs

Event Date:
2025-12-01T16:00:00
2025-12-01T17:00:00
Event Location:
HENN 318
Speaker:
Prof. Jacob L. Bean, University of Chicago
Related Upcoming Events:
Astronomy Colloquia
Intended Audience:
Everyone
Local Contact:

Allison Man (aman@phas.ubc.ca) and Brett Gladman (gladman@astro.ubc.ca)

All are welcome to this event!

Event Information:

Abstract:

M dwarfs are the most common type of star in the galaxy, and they abound with small planets on close-in orbits that can be studied with the transit and radial velocity techniques. I will present the results of overlapping projects that examine the frequencies, bulk compositions, and atmospheres of these compelling planets. The first project is a volume-limited survey of transiting planets discovered by TESS. By modeling the completeness of TESS, we have placed new constraints on the frequencies of planets orbiting the latest M dwarfs. Additionally, using my group's new MAROON-X spectrograph, we have measured precise masses of the TESS volume-limited sample, revealing the demographics of their bulk compositions. Finally, we are searching for atmospheres on M dwarf terrestrial planets using JWST thermal emission measurements. So far, we have placed tight limits on the presence of secondary atmospheres for a number of planets. These results have ramifications for hypotheses about atmospheric retention in the face of loss processes (i.e., the "Cosmic Shoreline") and the formation of silicate vapor atmospheres from the evaporation of solid surfaces.
 

Bio:

Jacob Bean's current research focuses on the study of extrasolar planetary systems. He uses a variety of ground- and space-based facilities to detect and characterize planets around nearby stars. His particular interests are in studying planets around low-mass stars and in probing the atmospheres of the smallest known exoplanets.

Learn More:

 

Add to Calendar 2025-12-01T16:00:00 2025-12-01T17:00:00 The nature of small planets orbiting M dwarfs Event Information: Abstract: M dwarfs are the most common type of star in the galaxy, and they abound with small planets on close-in orbits that can be studied with the transit and radial velocity techniques. I will present the results of overlapping projects that examine the frequencies, bulk compositions, and atmospheres of these compelling planets. The first project is a volume-limited survey of transiting planets discovered by TESS. By modeling the completeness of TESS, we have placed new constraints on the frequencies of planets orbiting the latest M dwarfs. Additionally, using my group's new MAROON-X spectrograph, we have measured precise masses of the TESS volume-limited sample, revealing the demographics of their bulk compositions. Finally, we are searching for atmospheres on M dwarf terrestrial planets using JWST thermal emission measurements. So far, we have placed tight limits on the presence of secondary atmospheres for a number of planets. These results have ramifications for hypotheses about atmospheric retention in the face of loss processes (i.e., the "Cosmic Shoreline") and the formation of silicate vapor atmospheres from the evaporation of solid surfaces.  Bio: Jacob Bean's current research focuses on the study of extrasolar planetary systems. He uses a variety of ground- and space-based facilities to detect and characterize planets around nearby stars. His particular interests are in studying planets around low-mass stars and in probing the atmospheres of the smallest known exoplanets. Learn More: About Jacob from his faculty page: https://astrophysics.uchicago.edu/people/profile/jacob-bean/ About the Bean Exoplanet Group: https://astro.uchicago.edu/~jbean/index.html About the Maroon-S instrument: https://www.gemini.edu/instrumentation/maroon-x    Event Location: HENN 318