Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Planets around Cool Stars: A Spectroscopic and Photometric Study of M Dwarfs and their Planets

I propose to carry out a systematic investigation of planet harboring M dwarfs. Specifically, over the course of my thesis I will: i) develop and refine a new highprecision method of sub-millimagnitude “snapshot” photometry to help discover and investigate more transiting planets; ii) apply this method to differential spectroscopy; iii) calibrate existing M dwarf metallicity estimates with FGK stars to facilitate a proper comparison with the established correlation between the presence of one or more giant planets (MP > MJ) and the metallicity of the host star (known as the planet metallicity correlation or PMC) observed for F, G, and early K type stars; and iv) use these calibrated metallicity and Teff determinations on late K and M dwarfs in the Kepler field that harbor newly discovered transiting planets. Through this work I will be able to gain a better understanding of how planet size, number of planets, and other properties of the planetary system depend on metallically and other properties of the host star. Additionally, by focusing on late K and M dwarfs where the stellar convection zone is large, I will be able to avoid side-effects from metallicity ‘pollution’ by the planet forming disk, as well as quantify the likelihood of pollution based explanations for the observed giant planet PMC around FGK stars. 1. Sub-mmag Relative Spectro-Photometry of Transiting Planets