M dwarfs are cool low-mass stars that are the most common stellar type (>70%) in our galaxy and are known to frequently host small planets. Most M dwarfs exhibit high levels of activity in the form of flares and coronal mass ejections due to magnetic reconnection processes. This energetic activity may subject potential planets, orbiting around them, to significantly more radiation than we receive from the Sun. It remains unclear just how much this radiation affects a planet’s atmosphere and potential habitability. I will present preliminary results on our multiwavelength analysis of highly active M dwarf stars located within our solar neighborhood. We used simultaneous ultraviolet, X-ray, and optical observations from the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, XMM-Newton, NICER, and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). We compare the flare frequency distribution (FFDs) of events, observed by the different telescopes, to estimate the overall energy output, allowing us to investigate the relationship of stellar flares at different wavelengths.

Host: Suvrath Mahadevan

Seminar held in 538 Davey or please email CEHW-SEMINAR-QUESTIONS@lists.psu.edu to attend virtually.