We present here medium resolution (λ/Δλ\sim1200) H- and K-band spectra of M type dwarf stars covering the wavelength range 1.50 - 1.80 μm and 1.95 - 2.45 μm. The sample includes 53 dwarf stars (M0V-M7V) from new observations using the TIFR Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Imager (TIRSPEC) instrument on the 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT). Using interferometrically-measured effective temperature (T_{eff}), radius and luminosity of nearby bright calibrator stars, we have created new empirical relationships among those fundamental parameters and spectral indices. The equivalent widths of H-band spectral features like Mg (1.57 μm), Al (1.67 μm) and Mg (1.71 μm), and the H_{2}O-H index are found to be good indicators of T_{eff}, radius and luminosity and we establish the linear functions using these features relating to those stellar parameters. The root mean squared error (RMSE) of our best fits are 102K, 0.027R_{\sun} and 0.12dex respectively. Using spectral type standards along with known parallaxes, we calibrate both H and K-band H_{2}O indices as a tracer of spectral type and absolute K_{s} magnitude. Metallicities of M-dwarf samples are estimated using the K-band calibration relationships. The mass of M-dwarfs could be determined using the luminosity (L/L_{\sun}) and we establish a new empirical relation for this. We also compare and contrast our results with other similar work from the literature.
We combine 131 new medium-resolution (R~2000) J-band spectra of M, L, and T dwarfs from the Keck NIRSPEC Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey (BDSS) with 97 previously published BDSS spectra to study surface-gravity-sensitive indices for 228 low-mass stars and brown dwarfs spanning spectral types M5-T9. Specifically, we use an established set of spectral indices to determine surface gravity classifications for all M6-L7 objects in our sample by measuring equivalent widths (EW) of the K I lines at 1.1692, 1.1778, 1.2529 um, and the 1.2 um FeHJ absorption index. Our results are consistent with previ…
Atmospheric modeling of low-gravity (VL-G) young brown dwarfs remains a challenge. The presence of very thick clouds has been suggested because of their extremely red near-infrared (NIR) spectra, but no cloud models provide a good fit to the data with a radius compatible with evolutionary models for these objects. We show that cloudless atmospheres assuming a temperature gradient reduction caused by fingering convection provides a very good model to match the observed VL-G NIR spectra. The sequence of extremely red colors in the NIR for atmospheres with effective temperature from ~2000 K down …
JWST observations of NGC 346, a star-forming region in the metal-poor Small Magellanic Cloud, reveal a substantial population of sub-solar mass young stellar objects (YSOs) with IR excess. We detected $\sim$500 YSOs and pre main sequence (PMS) stars from more than 45,000 unique sources utilizing all four NIRCam wide filters with deep, high-resolution imaging, where ongoing low-mass star formation is concentrated along dust filaments. From these observations, we construct detailed near-IR colour-magnitude diagrams with which preliminary categorizations of YSO classes are made. For the youngest,…
We report the orbital parameters for ROXR1 14 and RX J1622.7-2325Nw, two young, low-mass, and double-lined spectroscopic binaries recently discovered in the Ophiuchus star forming region. Accurate orbital solutions were determined from over a dozen high-resolution spectra taken with the Keck II and Gemini South telescopes. These objects are T Tauri stars with mass ratios close to unity and periods of ~5 and ~3 days, respectively. In particular, RX J1622.7-2325Nw shows a non-circularized orbit with an eccentricity of 0.30, higher than any other short-period pre-main sequence spectroscopic binar…
Veiling is ubiquitous at different wavelength ranges in accreting stars. However, the origin of the veiling in the IR domain is not well understood. The accretion spot alone is not enough to explain the shallow photospheric IR lines in accreting systems, suggesting that another source is contributing to the veiling in the NIR. The inner disk is often quoted as the additional emitting source meant to explain the IR veiling. In this work, we aim to measure and discuss the NIR veiling to understand its origins and variability timescale, using a sample of 14 accreting stars observed with the CFHT/…
We present $81$ near-infrared (NIR) spectra of $30$ Type II supernovae (SNe II) from the Carnegie Supernova Project-II (CSP-II), the largest such dataset published to date. We identify a number of NIR features and characterize their evolution over time. The NIR spectroscopic properties of SNe II fall into two distinct groups. This classification is first based on the strength of the He I $\lambda1.083\,μ$m absorption during the plateau phase; SNe II are either significantly above (spectroscopically strong) or below $50$ angstroms (spectroscopically weak) in pseudo equivalent width. However bet…
We used high-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy from the NIRSPEC instrument on the Keck II telescope, taken over multiple epochs spanning five years, to examine two young binary T Tauri star systems, S Corona Australis and VV Corona Australis. The stars in these 1-2" separation systems have optically thick circumstellar disks and high extinctions at optical and near-infrared wavelengths. Using a combination of new and archival data, we have determined the spectral types of all the stars in these two systems for the first time, examined the variable NIR veiling, measured the emission line eq…
We describe the time-dependent properties of a new spectroscopically confirmed Mira variable, which was discovered in 2013 as MASTER-Net Optical Transient (OT) J212444.87+321738.3 towards the Cygnus constellation. We have performed long-term optical/near-infrared (NIR) photometric and spectroscopic observations to characterize the object. From the optical/NIR light curves, we estimate a variability period of 465 $\pm$ 30 days. The wavelength-dependent amplitudes of the observed light-curves range from $Δ$I$\sim$4 mag to $Δ$K$\sim$1.5 mag. The (J-K) color-index varies from 1.78 to 2.62 mag over…
We investigate the planetary transit detectability in the presence of stellar rotational activity from light curves for young M-dwarfs and estimate improvements of the detection at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. Making maps of the transit signal detection efficiency over the orbital period and planetary radius with light curves of members of four clusters, Hyades, Praesepe, Pleiades, and Upper Scorpius observed by the K2 mission, we evaluate the detectability for the rotation period and modulation semi-amplitude. We find that the detection efficiency remarkably decreases to about 20% for rap…
Galactic archaeology is the study of the history of star formation and chemical evolution in the Milky Way, based on present-day stellar populations. Studies of young stars are a key anchor point for Galactic archaeology, since quantities like the initial mass function and the star formation rate can be studied directly in young clusters and star forming regions. Conversely, massive spectroscopic Galactic archaeology surveys can be used as a data source for young star studies.
We obtained medium-resolution near-infrared spectra of seven young M9.5-L3 dwarfs classified in the optical. We aim to confirm the low surface gravity of the objects in the NIR. We also test whether atmospheric models correctly represent the formation and the settling of dust clouds in the atmosphere of young late-M and L dwarfs. We used ISAAC at VLT to obtain the spectra of the targets. We compared them to those of mature and young BD, and young late-type companions to nearby stars with known ages, in order to identify and study gravity-sensitive features. We computed spectral indices weakly …
This is the first in a series of papers presenting methods and results from the Young Solar Analogs Project, which began in 2007. This project monitors both spectroscopically and photometrically a set of 31 young (300 - 1500 Myr) solar-type stars with the goal of gaining insight into the space environment of the Earth during the period when life first appeared. From our spectroscopic observations we derive the Mount Wilson $S$ chromospheric activity index ($S_{\rm MW}$), and describe the method we use to transform our instrumental indices to $S_{\rm MW}$ without the need for a color term. We i…
We present a study of age-related spectral signatures observed in 25 young low-mass objects that we have previously determined as possible kinematic members of five young moving groups: the Local Association (Pleiades moving group, age=20 - 150 Myr), the Ursa Major group (Sirius supercluster, age=300 Myr), the Hyades supercluster (age=600 Myr), IC 2391 supercluster (age=35--55 Myr) and the Castor moving group (age=200 Myr). In this paper we characterize the spectral properties of observed high or low resolution spectra of our kinematic members by fitting theoretical spectral distributions. We …
We have completed a high-resolution (R=60,000) optical spectroscopic survey of 185 nearby M dwarfs identified using ROSAT data to select active, young objects with fractional X-ray luminosities comparable to or greater than Pleiades members. Our targets are drawn from the NStars 20-pc census and the Moving-M sample with distances determined from parallaxes or spectrophotometric relations. Nearly half of the resulting M dwarfs are not present in the Gliese catalog and have no previously published spectral types. We identified 30 spectroscopic binaries (SBs) from the sample, which have strong X-…
We present a comprehensive multi-wavelength analysis of the young cluster NGC 1624 associated with the H II region Sh2-212 using optical UBVRI photometry, optical spectroscopy and GMRT radio continuum mapping along with the near-infrared (NIR) JHK archival data. Reddening E(B-V) and distance to the cluster are estimated to be 0.76 - 1.00 mag and 6.0 +/- 0.8 kpc, respectively. Present analysis yields a spectral class of O6.5V for the main ionizing source of the region. The distribution of YSOs in (J-H)/ (H-K) NIR colour-colour diagram shows that a majority of them have A_V $\le$ 4 mag. Based on…
We present a spectroscopic survey of the stellar population of the Sigma Orionis cluster. We have obtained spectral types for 340 stars. Spectroscopic data for spectral typing come from several spectrographs with similar spectroscopic coverage and resolution. More than a half of stars of our sample are members confirmed by the presence of lithium in absorption, strong H$α$ in emission or weak gravity-sensitive features. In addition, we have obtained high resolution (R~34000) spectra in the H$α$ region for 169 stars in the region. Radial velocities were calculated from this data set. The radial…
Wide-field near-infrared (NIR) polarimetry was used to examine disk systems around two brown dwarfs (BD) and two young stellar objects (YSO) embedded in the Heiles Cloud 2 (HCl2) dark molecular cloud in Taurus as well as numerous stars located behind HCl2. Inclined disks exhibit intrinsic NIR polarization due to scattering of photospheric light which is detectable even for unresolved systems. After removing polarization contributions from magnetically aligned dust in HCl2 determined from the background star information, significant intrinsic polarization was detected from the disk systems of o…
We studied a sample of stars associated with the Sh 2-296 nebula, part of the reflection nebulae complex in the region of Canis Major (CMa R1). Our sample corresponds to optical counterparts of X-ray sources detected from observations with the XMM-Newton satellite, which revealed dozens of possible low-mass young stars not yet known in this region. A sample of 58 young star candidates were selected based on optical spectral features, mainly Hα and lithium lines, observed with multi-objects spectroscopy performed by the Gemini South telescope. Among the candidates, we find 41 confirmed T Tauri …
Context: Protostellar jets in high-mass young stellar objects (HMYSOs) play a key role in the understanding of star formation and provide us with an excellent tool to study fundamental properties of HMYSOs. Aims: We aim at studying the physical and kinematic properties of the near-IR (NIR) jet of IRAS\,13481-6124 from au to parsec scales. Methods: Our study includes NIR data from the Very Large Telescope instruments SINFONI, CRIRES, and ISAAC. Information about the source and its immediate environment is retrieved with SINFONI. The technique of spectro-astrometry is performed with CRIRES to st…
The spectral and spatial characteristics of two special categories of O stars found in the VFTS dataset are presented. One of them comprises very rapid rotators, including several more extreme than any previously known. These objects are distributed around the peripheries of the main 30 Doradus clusters, suggesting a runaway nature for which their radial velocities already provide preliminary supporting evidence. The other category consists of a large number of Vz stars, previously hypothesized on spectroscopic grounds to be on or very near the ZAMS. Their distribution is the inverse of that o…
We present a near-infrared (0.9-2.4 microns) spectroscopic study of 73 field ultracool dwarfs having spectroscopic and/or kinematic evidence of youth (~10-300 Myr). Our sample is composed of 48 low-resolution (R~100) spectra and 41 moderate-resolution spectra (R>~750-2000). First, we establish a method for spectral typing M5-L7 dwarfs at near-IR wavelengths that is independent of gravity. We find that both visual and index-based classification in the near-IR provide consistent spectral types with optical spectral types, though with a small systematic offset in the case of visual classification…
Spectroscopic equilibrium allows us to obtain precise stellar parameters in Sun-like stars. It relies on the assumption of the iron excitation and ionization equilibrium. However, several works suggest that magnetic activity may affect chemical abundances of young active stars, calling into question the validity of this widely-used method. We have tested for the first time variations in stellar parameters and chemical abundances for the young solar twin HIP 36515 ($\sim$0.4 Gyr), along its activity cycle. This star has stellar parameters very well established in the literature and we estimated…
We present a high-precision infrared radial velocity study of late-type stars using spectra obtained with NIRSPEC at the W. M. Keck Observatory. Radial velocity precisions of 50 m/s are achieved for old field mid-M dwarfs using telluric features for precise wavelength calibration. Using this technique, 20 young stars in the β Pic (age ~12 Myr) and TW Hya (age ~8 Myr) Associations were monitored over several years to search for low mass companions; we also included the chromospherically active field star GJ 873 (EV Lac) in this survey. Based on comparisons with previous optical observations of …
We present an empirical near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic method for estimating M dwarf metallicities, based on features in the H-band, as well as an implementation of a similar published method in the K-band. We obtained R~2000 NIR spectra of a sample of M dwarfs using the NASA IRTF-SpeX spectrograph, including 22 M dwarf metallicity calibration targets that have FGK companions with known metallicities. The H-band and K-band calibrations provide equivalent fits to the metallicities of these binaries, with an accuracy of +/- 0.12 dex. We derive the first empirically calibrated spectroscopic me…
Star formation in the solar neighborhood is mainly traced by young stars in open clusters, associations and in the field, which can be identified by their X-ray emission. The determination of stellar parameters for the counterparts of X-ray sources is crucial for their study. This work extends the spectroscopic study of the RasTyc sample, based on TYCHO and RASS catalogs, to stars fainter than V=9.5 mag. We acquired 625 high-resolution spectra for 443 targets with four different instruments in the Northern hemisphere. The radial and rotational velocity (vsini) of our targets are measured by me…
We present sensitive NIR (J, H and K) imaging observations toward four luminous massive star forming regions in the Norma Spiral Arm: G324.201+0.119, G328.307+0.432, G329.337+0.147 and G330.949-0.174. We identify three clusters of young stellar objects (YSO) based on surface density diagnostics. We also find that sources detected only in the H and K-bands and with colors corresponding to spectral types earlier than B2, are likely YSOs. We analyze the spatial distribution of stars of different masses and find signatures in two clusters of primordial mass segregation which can't be explained as …
Shifting the focus of Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) cosmology to the near-infrared (NIR) is a promising way to significantly reduce the systematic errors, as the strategy minimizes our reliance on the empirical width-luminosity relation and uncertain dust laws. Observations in the NIR are also crucial for our understanding of the origins and evolution of these events, further improving their cosmological utility. Any future experiments in the rest-frame NIR will require knowledge of the SN Ia NIR spectroscopic diversity, which is currently based on a small sample of observed spectra. Along with th…
Spatially resolving the orbits of double-lined spectroscopic binaries provides a way to measure the dynamical masses of the component stars. At the distances to the nearest star forming regions, high angular resolution techniques are required to resolve these short period systems. In this paper, I provide an overview of the few low-mass pre-main-sequence spectroscopic binaries that have been resolved thus far using long-baseline optical/infrared interferometers. I also compiled a list of known spectroscopic binaries in nearby star forming regions (Taurus, Orion, Ophiuchus, Scorpius-Centaurus, …
Current ongoing stellar spectroscopic surveys (RAVE, GALAH, Gaia-ESO, LAMOST, APOGEE, Gaia) are mostly devoted to studying Galactic archaeology and structure of the Galaxy. But they allow for important auxiliary science: (i) Galactic interstellar medium can be studied in four dimensions (position in space + radial velocity) through weak but numerous diffuse insterstellar bands and atomic absorptions seen in spectra of background stars, (ii) emission spectra which are quite frequent even in field stars can serve as a good indicator of their youth, pointing e.g. to stars recently ejected from yo…
The distance of the very young open cluster Westerlund 2, which contains the very massive binary system WR 20a and is likely associated with a TeV source, has been the subject of much debate. We attempt a joint analysis of spectroscopic and photometric data of eclipsing binaries in the cluster to constrain its distance. A sample of 15 stars, including three eclipsing binaries (MSP 44, MSP 96, and MSP 223) was monitored with the FLAMES multi-object spectrograph. The spectroscopic data are analysed together with existing BV photometry. The analysis of the three eclipsing binaries clearly support…
Magnetic fields and mass accretion processes create dark and bright spots on the surface of young stars. These spots manifest as surface thermal inhomogeneities, which alter the global temperature measured on the stars. To understand the effects and implications of these starspots, we conducted a large iSHELL high-resolution infrared spectroscopic survey of T Tauri stars in Taurus-Auriga and Ophiuchus star-forming regions. From the K band spectra, we measured stellar temperatures and magnetic field strengths using a magnetic radiative transfer code. We compared our infrared-derived parameters …
The determination of chemical composition is crucial for investigating the formation and evolution of star forming galaxies and provides a powerful tool to constrain the effects of galactic winds and accretion from the cosmic web. In this regard stellar absorption line studies provide an attractive alternative to the standard techniques using the strong emission lines of HII regions. We discuss a number of newly developed methods: - multi-object spectroscopy of individual blue and red supergiant stars, the brightest stars in the universe at visual and NIR wavelengths, - NIR spectroscopy of sup…
We present a catalog of near-infrared (NIR) spectra and associated measurements for 886 nearby M dwarfs. The spectra were obtained with the NASA-Infrared Telescope Facility SpeX Spectrograph during a two-year observing campaign; they have high signal-to-noise ratios (SNR $>100-150$), span 0.8-2.4 $μ$m and have $R\sim2000$. Our catalog of measured values contains useful T$_{\mathrm{eff}}$ and composition-sensitive features, empirical stellar parameter measurements, and kinematic, photometric, and astrometric properties compiled from the literature. We focus on measures of M dwarf abundances ([F…
We investigate photometric variations due to stellar activity which induce systematic radial-velocity errors (so-called "jitter") for the four targets in the Hyades open cluster observed by the K2 mission (EPIC 210721261, EPIC 210923016, EPIC 247122957, and EPIC 247783757). Applying Gaussian process regressions to the K2 light curves and the near-infrared (NIR) light curves observed with the IRSF 1.4-m telescope, we derive the wavelength dependences of the photometric signals due to stellar activity. To estimate the temporal variations in the photometric variability amplitudes between the two …
Massive stars form deeply embedded in their parental clouds, making it challenging to directly observe these stars and their immediate environments. It is known that accretion and ejection processes are intrinsically related, thus observing massive protostellar outflows can provide crucial information about the processes governing massive star formation close to the central engine. We aim to probe the IRAS 18264-1152 (G19.88-0.53) high-mass star-forming complex in the near infrared (NIR) through its molecular hydrogen (H2) jets to analyse the morphology and composition of the line emitting reg…
We perform a spectroscopic survey of the foreground population in Orion A with MMT/Hectospec. We use these data, along with archival spectroscopic data and photometric data, to derive spectral types, extinction values, and masses for 691 stars. Using the Spitzer Space Telescope data, we characterize the disk properties of these sources. We identify 37 new transition disk (TD) objects, one globally depleted disk candidate, and 7 probable young debris disks. We discover an object with a mass less than 0.018-0.030 M$_{\odot}$, which harbors a flaring disk. Using the H$α$ emission line, we charact…
We report the detection of several molecular gas-phase and ice absorption features in three photometrically-selected young stellar object (YSO) candidates in the central 280 pc of the Milky Way. Our spectra, obtained with the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope, reveal gas-phase absorption from CO2 (15.0um), C2H2 (13.7um) and HCN (14.0um). We attribute this absorption to warm, dense gas in massive YSOs. We also detect strong and broad 15um CO2 ice absorption features, with a remarkable double-peaked structure. The prominent long-wavelength peak is due to CH3OH-rich …
We present additional analysis of the classification system presented in Allers & Liu (2013). We refer the reader to Allers & Liu (2013) for a detailed discussion of our near-IR spectral type and gravity classification system. Here, we address questions and comments from participants of the Brown Dwarfs Come of Age meeting. In particular, we examine the effects of binarity and metallicity on our classification system. We also present our classification of Pleiades brown dwarfs using published spectra. Lastly, we determine SpTs and calculate gravity-sensitive indices for the BT-Settl atmospheri…
Mennickent et al.and Sabogal et al.identified a large number of Classical Be (CBe) candidates in the L&SMC based on their photometric variability using the OGLEII database. They classified these stars into four different groups based on the appearance of their variability. We studied the infrared properties of the sample as well as the spectroscopic properties of a subsample. We cross-correlated the optical sample with the IRSF catalog to obtain the J, H, Ks magnitudes of all the four types of stars in the L&SMC. Spectra of 120 stars belonging to the types 1, 2 and 3 were analysed to study the…
We present a spectroscopic analysis of main sequence (MS) stars in the young globular cluster NGC1818 (age~40 Myrs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Our photometric survey on Magellanic Clouds clusters has revealed that NGC1818, similarly to the other young objects with age 600 Myrs, displays not only an extended MS Turn-Off (eMSTO), as observed in intermediate-age clusters (age~1-2 Gyrs), but also a split MS. The most straightforward interpretation of the double MS is the presence of two stellar populations: a sequence of slowly-rotating stars lying on the blue-MS and a sequence of fast rotator…
In the Gaia era, the majority of stars in the Solar neighbourhood have parallaxes and proper motions precisely determined while spectroscopic age indicators are still missing for a large fraction of low-mass young stars. In this work we select 756 overluminous late K and early M young star candidates in the southern sky and observe them over 64 nights with the ANU 2.3m Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory using the Echelle (R=24,000) and Wide Field spectrographs (WiFeS, R=3000-7000). Our selection is kinematically unbiased to minimize the preference against low-mass members of stellar associ…
To date, the proposed observation of Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) in the Galactic center (GC) still raises the question where and how these objects could have formed due to the violent vicinity of Sgr~A*. Here, we report the multi-wavelength detection of a highly dynamic YSO close to Sgr~A* that might be a member of the IRS13 cluster. We observe the beforehand known coreless bow-shock source X3 in the near- and mid-infrared (NIR/MIR) with SINFONI (VLT), NACO (VLT), ISAAC (VLT), VISIR (VLT), SHARP (NTT), and NIRCAM2 (KECK). In the radio domain, we use CO continuum and H30$α$ ALMA observations t…
We present the discovery of a co-moving planetary-mass companion ~42" (~2000 AU) from a young M3 star, GU Psc, likely member of the young AB Doradus Moving Group (ABDMG). The companion was first identified via its distinctively red i - z color (> 3.5) through a survey made with Gemini-S/GMOS. Follow-up Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope/WIRCam near-infrared (NIR) imaging, Gemini-N/GNIRS NIR spectroscopy and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer photometry indicate a spectral type of T3.5+-1 and reveal signs of low gravity which we attribute to youth. Keck/Adaptive Optics NIR observations did not res…
As part of our search for new low-mass members of nearby young moving groups (YMG), we discovered three low-mass, spectroscopic binaries, two of which are not kinematically associated with any known YMG. Using high-resolution optical spectroscopy, we measure the component and systemic radial velocities of the systems, as well as their lithium absorption and H$α$ emission, both spectroscopic indicators of youth. One system (2MASS J02543316-5108313, M2.0+M3.0) we confirm as a member of the 40 Myr old Tuc-Hor moving group, but whose binarity was previously undetected. The second young binary (2MA…
We present results from our spectroscopic study, using the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope, designed to identify massive young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Galactic Center (GC). Our sample of 107 YSO candidates was selected based on IRAC colors from the high spatial resolution, high sensitivity Spitzer/IRAC images in the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), which spans the central ~300 pc region of the Milky Way Galaxy. We obtained IRS spectra over 5um to 35um using both high- and low-resolution IRS modules. We spectroscopically identify massive YSOs by the presence o…
We present a spectroscopic survey of over 3400 potential members in the North America and Pelican nebulae (NAP) using several low-resolution ($R\approx$ 1300-2000) spectrographs: Palomar/Norris, WIYN/HYDRA, Keck/DEIMOS, and MMT/Hectospec. We identify 580 young stars as likely members of the NAP region based on criteria involving infrared excess, Li I 6708 absorption, X-ray emission, parallax, and proper motions. The spectral types of individual spectra are derived by fitting them with templates that are either empirical spectra of pre-main sequence stars, or model atmospheres. The templates ar…
