Open AccessMetallicity measurements using atomic lines in M and K dwarf stars
Author(s) -
Woolf Vincent M.,
Wallerstein George
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.08515.x
Subject(s) - physics , stars , metallicity , astrophysics , spectral line , abundance (ecology) , lambda , effective temperature , astronomy , fishery , optics , biology
We report the first survey of chemical abundances in M and K dwarf stars using atomic absorption lines in high‐resolution spectra. We have measured Fe and Ti abundances in 35 M and K dwarf stars using equivalent widths measured from λ/Δλ≈ 33 000 spectra. Our analysis takes advantage of recent improvements in model atmospheres of low‐temperature dwarf stars. The stars have temperatures between 3300 and 4700 K, with most cooler than 4100 K. They cover an iron abundance range of −2.44 < [Fe/H] < +0.16 . Our measurements show [Ti/Fe] decreasing with increasing [Fe/H], a trend similar to that measured for warmer stars, where abundance analysis techniques have been tested more thoroughly. This study is a step towards the observational calibration of procedures to estimate the metallicity of low‐mass dwarf stars using photometric and low‐resolution spectral indices.