285 research outputs found
The Radio Spectrum of TVLM513-46546: Constraints on the Coronal Properties of a Late M Dwarf
We explore the radio emission from the M9 dwarf, TVLM513-46546, at multiple
radio frequencies, determining the flux spectrum of persistent radio emission,
as well as constraining the levels of circular polarization. Detections at both
3.6 and 6 cm provide spectral index measurement (where S) of . A detection at 20 cm suggests that the
spectral peak is between 1.4 and 5 GHz. The most stringent upper limits on
circular polarization are at 3.6 and 6 cm, with 15%. These
characteristics agree well with those of typical parameters for early to mid M
dwarfs, confirming that magnetic activity is present at levels comparable with
those extrapolated from earlier M dwarfs. We apply analytic models to
investigate the coronal properties under simple assumptions of dipole magnetic
field geometry and radially varying nonthermal electron density distributions.
Requiring the spectrum to be optically thin at frequencies higher than 5 GHz
and reproducing the observed 3.6 cm fluxes constrains the magnetic field at the
base to be less than about 500 G. There is no statistically significant
periodicity in the 3.6 cm light curve, but it is consistent with low-level
variability.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
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