GBT26A-556

Measuring M Dwarf Flare Rates with GBT

Abstract

M dwarfs are the most common stars in the galaxy and have a high frequency of Earth-sized planets at an equilibrium temperature that places them in the habitable zone, making them favored targets of upcoming missions to detect and characterize exoplanets. Millimeter and radio observations offer the most direct method to observe emission from energetic particles in stellar flares since they probe accelerated electrons. Here, we propose the first GBT program to constrain the properties of radio flares from M dwarf planet hosts. All of our target stars host at least one rocky world, making them key targets of current and planned observing campaigns with JWST, HST, and the upcoming Pandora mission. Interpreting these atmospheric measurements and considering the potential habitability of these planets requires a better understanding of their host star activity, which this large program can provide. This is a unique opportunity for GBT to contribute to our understanding of habitable planets.

Investigators

Name	Institution
GBT Operator	Green Bank Observatory
Meredith MacGregor *	Johns Hopkins University; Colorado at Boulder, University of; Carnegie Institute of Washington
Rachel Osten	Johns Hopkins University; Space Telescope Science Institute
Guadalupe Tovar Mendoza	Johns Hopkins University
Kylee Carden	Johns Hopkins University
Isaiah Tristan	Rice University; Colorado at Boulder, University of

* indicates the PI